Sin Ho Town - Lai Chau Province

Flying far from the well-known and colourful markets of Sapa, Bac Ha and Can Cau, is the bewitching northwest mountainous area of Vietnam with the remote town and market of Sin Ho, the roof of Lai Chau province.

Sin Ho town is located on the highest peak of the Sin Ho plateau in Lai Chau province, over 2,000m above sea level, and surrounded by verdant mountain ranges and clouds.In Vietnam tourism, tourists come here and feel that Sin Ho town looks like “ the second Sapa” of Lai Chau province. But the climate in Sin Ho is even dourer and more fickle than that of Sapa. One minute, you can be standing in a sea of white clouds, then several minutes later, the rain will pour down like a waterfall. But as soon as the last raindrop falls, the sun will rise again brilliantly and a cool breeze will blow over the small town.

Sin Ho known as "the second Sapa" of the northwest. It takes four hours to drive up the zigzagging road from Phong Tho, at the junction between national Road No.4D from Sapa and National Road No.12 towards Muong Lay. The mountain road has been smoothly paved, but it’s still a slow and winding drive.

In the late afternoon, Sin Ho looks small, deserted and gloomy, with sparse simple wooden houses roofed with dark grey cement tiles and only a few shops and restaurants. Fortunately there are several modern guesthouses and mini hotels at a reasonable price, only VND250,000 per twin room.

On Sunday morning, the sleepy town comes alive. Waves of ethnic people walk or ride horses and motorbikes on all the roads and paths leading to the town centre, loaded up with many kinds of farm products, heading towards the market. These ethnic minority people come from many distant villages up and down the mountains. They are members of the Flower Hmong, Blue Hmong, Black Hmong, Lu, Black Dao and Red Dao minorities and others.