Cat Cat Village Vietnam is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the misty town of Sapa. It attracts visitors with its magnificent natural sceneries, interesting daily activities of indigenous people, unique dishes, and one-of-a-kind festival activities.
I - How to travel from Sapa to Cat Cat Village?
The village, located in San Sa Ho Commune, Sapa District - about 2 km from Sapa Town Center, is the living place of the ethnic minority H’mong community. Moving from the town center to the village is also quite simple and convenient. You can choose to go by motorbike, taxi or trekking.
Source: Internet
Traveling by motorbike
Travel time by motorbike from Sapa to Cat Cat Village is about 10-15 minutes; motorbike rental prices in Sapa fluctuate from 100,000 - 150,000 VND/motorbike/day ($4.31 - 6.46). Some motorbike rental shops in Sapa Town:
- Hoc Ly Motorbike rental shop: No. 08, Hoang Lien Son Street, Sapa Town; Telephone number: +84 9151 90 874
- Tam Tran Sapa Motorbike rental shop: No. 10, Hoang Lien Son Street, Sapa Town; Telephone number: +84 974 47 37 40
- Mr. Chinh Motorbike rental shop: No. 44, Fansipan Street, Sapa Town; Telephone number: +84 988 628 515
You can park your motorbike at the ticket counter in Cat Cat Village for 10,000 VND / motorbike ($0.43).
Traveling by taxi
Taxi travel costs 50,000 VND / 4-seater car ($2.15); travel time is about 15 - 20 minutes per trip. You can book your car directly through the taxi operators:
- Mai Linh Taxi: +84 214 3 833 388
- Hung Vuong Taxi: +84 214 3 855 855
- Friendship Taxi: +84 214 3 834 834
II - Notes when visiting Cat Cat Village in Sapa
Here are some small notes that you need to know:
- The terrain in this village is relatively steep, passing through many terraced areas. Therefore, you should be physically fit and wear sneakers.
- There are 2 periods of time that are considered suitable to come here: From March to April when the village is submerged in spring with hundreds of flowers blooming and from August to September - the rice season ripens on the terraces and the buckwheat flower season blooms.
See more: The weather in Sapa
- Cat Cat Village entrance fee is 70,000 VND/adult ($3.01) and 50,000 VND/child ($2.1); The rental price of indigenous costumes is 50,000 VND/set ($2.15). When buying tickets, you can get a map at the ticket counter.
- The community in this village was formed in the mid-19th century. They mainly rely on cultivation, wet rice cultivation, and poultry farming. Throughout the process of living, the community in Cat Cat Village Sapa still retains many methods of craft production as well as traditional cultural festivals.
Source: Nicolas Ma
This has constantly promoted the development of cultural tourism and experienced tourism in Cat Cat Village. You should not forget to buy brocade fabrics, silver jewelry, herbs, buffalo meat kept in the upstairs kitchen as souvenirs.
III - Beautiful landscapes in Cat Cat Village Sapa
Source: Internet
1 - Panoramic view of Cat Cat from above
If you love nature and trekking, you can choose to walk to the local area. Along the way, you will see images of winding rice terraces, rustic houses of indigenous people,... immersed in the fog, especially every morning.
2 - The rocky road leading down to the village
From the entrance, you will walk down the unique paved road to go down to the central area of Cat Cat Village. This path is paved with various shapes and sizes of stones, creating an improvisation full of art. Along both sides of the road are restaurants close to each other, selling souvenirs such as brocade bags, silver jewelry,... these restaurants are also homes to the indigenous Hmong people.
3 - The giant water wheel in the center of Cat Cat Village in Sapa
Following the paved road, you will go to the central area of this village, where there are giant water wheels on a crystal clear stream. On both sides of the stream, there are small houses made of corn or palm leaves for you to sit and rest. If you feel hungry, you can enjoy grilled corn, grilled eggs, rice in bamboo tubes,... sold by the locals in the nearby area.
Walking along the banks of the stream, you will meet the wooden bridge across it, leading you to a garden full of flowers such as brown mustard flowers, buckwheat flowers,... You can take off your shoes to feel the cool water of the stream, but it should be noted that the slabs of stone will be very slippery.
4 - The bird’s nest and Tien Sa Waterfall in Cat Cat Village Vietnam
This bird's nest is about a few hundred meters from the bridge over the stream, which is likened to Cat Cat's Bali bird nest. To take beautiful photos, you should wear brocade costumes of the locals. From the bird's nests, you walk a few more dozen meters to see the milky white water from the Tien Sa waterfall pouring.
IV - Cultural exploration
Source: Greekembassy
As said above, Cat Cat is one of the villages possessing beautiful scenery and still retains almost the intactly unique cultural values of the Hmong people. Cultural experiences that you should try on a Cat Cat Village tour include:
- Contemplating the skillful hands of the Hmong woman when weaving beautiful and colorful brocade fabrics.
- Enjoying local cuisine including corn wine, apple wine, rice in bamboo tubes, buffalo meat, buffalo with grilled bitter brown mustard rolls,... These are all delicious and daily dishes of the Hmong people in Cat Cat villgae.
- Joining the festival with the locals. In the early spring, the Hmong people will organize the Gau Tao Festival, a festival of blessings. The festival is held for 3 consecutive days between January 1st and 15th of the lunar calendar. Within the framework of the festival, there will be many attractive folk games such as love singing, antiphonal singing, festival singing, archery competitions, crossbow shooting competitions, spinning fights,...
Cat Cat Village Map
Cat Cat Village Sapa Vietnam can be seen as a cultural tourist attraction that should not be missed when coming to Sapa. Go to feel the simplicity of humans and the magnificence of nature,...
— Ha Bich
