When I went to Sapa I stayed at the Topas Ecolodge. It’s made up of these adorable little lodges up in the mountains with an infinity pool, spa and restaurant.
I booked my trekking tour through the lodge. They offer a handful of different tours such as a day trip to the city of sapa or mountain biking. I chose the trekking option. When I booked it I thought I’d be joining a group of people but when I showed up it turned out it was just the guide and myself. It was a two day trek, the second day was definitely more hilly, dirty, snakey and challenging as we’d gone off any paths and straight into the fields, I’ve gone into a bit more detail on the trek here.
Lunch was included on the second day when we reached their Topas Riverside Lodge (another lodge owned by the same company). Everyone on this little adventure was very accommodating towards vegetarians, I didn't have any issues.
They’re a plastic free resort so they give you reusable tumblers and have refill stations around the lodge. There are also a few designated stops during the trek to refill your bottles but I do recommend asking for a second tumbler because you’re going to get thirsty what with all that heat. I’ve never sweat so much in my life. They offered me a second tumbler before the first trek and I said “no thnx I’ve got one” and then I very quickly realized why they offered me the second bottle. The first day was about a 2-3 hour trek in the late afternoon after arriving at the lodge. The second day was closer to 6 hours total, beginning early in the morning and ending around 2 or 3 in the afternoon depending on how many photo stops you take.
They also picked me up and dropped me off at my hotel in Hanoi. It was a 5 hour drive both ways with a 20 minute pit stop around 2 hours outside of Sapa.
If you’re going as a solo traveler I’d recommend emailing the lodge to make a booking. On their site you could only book the hike for a minimum of 2 people, but if you email them and let them know you’re alone they’ll offer you a single person rate.
The rooms have a safe, some water to refill your bottles with, a variety of loose leaf teas and a kettle. The beds are comfortable and the bug net is useful.
The infinity pool at the lodge was definitely a highlight, however, the amount of influencers wearing over the top swimwear standing on the ledge in awkward poses was doing my head in.
Recommended Accommodation
Topas Ecolodge (It’s a bit pricey)
Topas Riverside Lodge (Cheaper option)
