Vietnam's Sa Pa runs out of room as visitors flock to see frost

Tourists walk in artificial snow in Sa Pa Town, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam, December 31, 2020. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

Many hotels and accommodation bases in Sa Pa have had their rooms fully occupied as tourists have flocked to the tourism hot spot in the northern province of Lao Cai during the New Year holiday to watch frost and expect snow fall.

The wave of tourists has poured to Sa Pa Town since Thursday afternoon.

It is estimated that about 80,000-100,000 visitors will go to the popular destination for their New Year holiday, which will generally run from Friday through Sunday for most people in Vietnam, according to Hoang Thi Vuong – head of Sa Pa Town’s culture and information division.

Despite the rate increase of 15-20 percent, barely any room of a total of about 8,000 rooms in Sa Pa has been left available, Vuong said.

“Sa Pa has ran out of hotel rooms for tourists since the beginning of this week,” she said, adding that many visitors had no choice but to opt for rooms in Lao Cai City, which is 30km away from the town.

According to Vuong, the majority of visitors to Sa Pa during this holiday come from central and southern regions, who are excited to immerse themselves in the cold weather of the northern area.

Tourists visit Sa Pa Town, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam, December 31, 2020. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

Le Yen, a vacationer from Ho Chi Minh City who visited Sa Pa before in summer, said that she expected frost and snow fall during her two-day vacation in the town.

Like Yen, Do Phu Quy, a visitor from the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho in a group of 34 tourists, said that they had booked the tour to Sa Pa since the start of December 2020 following the forecast of frost and snow fall in the locality.

“There is no snow today, but experiencing the temperature of 3 degrees Celsius is already wonderful for us,” said Quy.

“We will stay until tomorrow and hope to see frost in the northwestern region for once,” he added.

Pham Cao Vy, chairman of the Sa Pa Tourism Association, advised people against visiting Sa Pa during this high-demand holiday unless they successfully booked a room in advance.