We kicked off the day with a quick coffee before boarding our 10 AM bus to Sapa. Now, when you think “sleeper bus,” you probably imagine an overnight ride but in Vietnam, these futuristic buses run all day too. Even though it was the middle of the morning, we had fully reclined beds instead of seats, which turned the whole experience into a bit of a novelty for the girls!
The bus itself was awesome like something straight out of a sci-fi film. Each passenger had their own little pod, complete with a bed, USB chargers, aircon, and curtains for privacy. The kids thought it was brilliant, clambering up into their bunks and peeking through the windows. They ended up spending most of the ride snuggled up with me, turning our little pod into a cosy den, while Ali grabbed the chance to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet headphones in, listening to music and podcasts, and actually relaxing for once!
We’d braced ourselves for a bit of a mission, especially after our experiences on some rough buses in Peru where you’re lucky if there’s aircon, let alone comfort. But this trip was smooth as anything. The bus glided along on decent roads, and even though it was a long journey (about six hours), we had regular rest stops along the way to stretch our legs and use the loo.
As we got closer to Sapa, the scenery really started to steal the show. The landscape transformed from city streets to stunning mountains and valleys, with rice terraces stepping their way up the hillsides. The girls were glued to the windows by this point, spotting water buffalo and tiny villages tucked into the hills.
When we finally arrived in Sapa, we hopped in a taxi for the last leg of the journey up to our homestay. The drive was a bit twisty, but worth every turn our place was tucked away in the hills with incredible views of the surrounding mountains. We settled in, had a delicious dinner on site (simple local dishes, fresh and flavourful), and were more than ready to call it a night after a long day of travel.
Next stop: exploring those beautiful mountains exploring the area and a cable car up to 3100 meters (not all at once)
