Sapa

Sapa needs 3 days: a full-day trek among terraced rice fields and Hmong and Red Dao ethnic villages on one, and the cable car ascent to Fansipan, Indochina's highest peak at 3,143 meters, on another, leaving the third for the weekly Bac Ha market. March-May and September-November bring the mildest weather, avoiding both winter fog and summer rains. It's inexpensive, though the Fansipan cable car and trekking guides add to the budget. It was a hill station founded by French colonists in the early 20th century to escape the delta heat, and today it remains home to Hmong and Red Dao communities that keep their traditional dress and crafts despite mass tourism.