Fansipan Mountain looms over Sapa, a small city in Vietnam, and is the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia. Travelers from all over climb to the top through clouds and thick forests.
Fansipan. Eustaquio Santimano. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Fansipan Mountain in Vietnam is the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia at 10,311 feet above sea level, and it takes several days to reach the mountain’s peak on foot. Hiking to the top requires climbers to hike through clouds and thick forests, it is a unique and worthwhile experience.
The mountain lies in Lao Cai province and belongs to the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. What’s incredibly unique about the hike to the mountain’s peak are the plants and scenery to experience along the way. There are about 1,680 different plant species on the mountain, some of which are so rare that they are only found there.
At the foot of Fansipan lie plants like jackfruit trees and cotton trees, while the next few hundred meters up are covered in rainforest and tangled vines. Then come pine trees, gymnosperms (seed-bearing plants), various flowers and so on. The surrounding nature is breathtaking in the spring season.
Sapa. ggianni3. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
There are also several waterfalls around the base of the mountain. These include the Cat Cat, Thac Bac (Silver Waterfall), Thac Lanh (Cold Waterfall), Thac Ham Rong (Dragon Jaw Waterfall) and Thac Tinh Yeu (Love Waterfall), which is along the way to the top. As one can probably guess, these waterfalls are ideal opportunities for photos and breaks.
September through March is the best time to hike the mountain — especially February when all of the flowers blossom. Entry is free, and it is open to hikers all day.
However, there are other ways to reach the summit, if you prefer not to make the long trek. Sun World Fansipan cable cars holds two Guinness World Records, for largest altitude difference and longest 3-line cable car system. The ride to the top is a favorite of many travelers.
The cable cars run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day and hold up to 35 passengers. As they ascend gradually into the clouds, people can see the rocky cliffs and dense forests below. Before arriving at the summit, the cable cars stop at a peaceful garden complex with ancient Azalea trees and beautifully sculpted bronze statues, leading to a 20-meter celestial Buddha statue on the mountainside. Then the cable cars will take you to the top of the mountain, where you can revel in the absolutely breathtaking views.
Isabelle Durso
Isabelle is an undergraduate student at Boston University currently on campus in Boston. She is double majoring in Journalism and Film & Television, and she is interested in being a travel writer and writing human-interest stories around the world. Isabelle loves to explore and experience new cultures, and she hopes to share other people's stories through her writing. In the future, she intends to keep writing journalistic articles as well as creative screenplays.