He recommended that I catch a local xe om (motorbike taxi) to Ta Phin, a remote village 15 kilometers from Sapa which still retains traditional customs and lifestyles of ethnic minority groups.

Getting there by xe om costs from VND60,000 to VND80,000. Bargaining is advised. Despite the winding road to the village, tourists can see picturesque rolling hills and terraced fields on the way.

The xe om driver named Thao, a native of Sapa, picked me up from the Sapa market. After about five kilometers down the Sapa valley we came to a T-junction. This is the turning to Ta Phin. The junction was easily recognizable as it was the first side road after a long windy down road.

Much of the Sapa valley has been cultivated as verdant rice paddy field equipped with litigation system. After another long drive along a very narrow path I saw an old church located off the road.

“Here we go,” said Thao. The village, which is home to Red Dao and H’Mong minority groups, was spread over a long stretch of road.

The fresh air is everywhere. As Ta Phin is a tourist village, local children and adults will follow visitors to advertise and persuade them to buy wallets, hats, bags or clothes made of tho cam (a kind of ethnic fabric). However, these sellers are friendly and hospitable.

San Nhi, a Red Dao seller, told me that she had to sell merchandise to make more money to feed her three young kids. Cultivation is not enough, and she can earn VND80,000 per day by selling tho cam products when many foreign tourists come to her village.

Something special awaits visitors at Ta Phin. The villagers will invite visitors to visit their homes to show how they live and what they have, and tell about their families. Their living standard is still very low, but their lives can be improved through tourism.

When heading off to Ta Phin village from Sapa, hiking up and down the 15 kilometers of hilly terrain is a good choice as travelers will see local people working in terraced paddy fields, or traveling back and forth from the market to their homes. And after a long day of walking on the windy roads and hills around Sapa you can soak your bones and muscles in a traditional Red Dao herbal bath at Ta Phin.

The prices are reasonable, from VND50,000 to VND70,000 for one hour bath or longer, depending on you. The herbal bath is good for your health, mind and bones. Just try it!