When you visit Sapa, or are searching for things to do when in Sapa, you will often hear about Love Waterfall. Along with Silver Waterfall, they are two of the most recommended places to visit in the region. The fact that they are not located close to the town causes most visitors to skip them, which is a pity. In this guide, I will go through everything that you need to know about Love Waterfall Sapa, and how you can visit it.
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Table of Contents
- Where is Love Waterfall Sapa?
- About Love Waterfall
- Entrance fees and parking
- Hiking to the waterfall
- What to expect
- Tips for visiting Love Waterfall
- How to get to Love Waterfall Sapa
- What else is nearby?
- Can I take a tour?
- Where to stay
- Summary
Where is Love Waterfall Sapa?
Love Waterfall Sapa is located 14 kilometers to the north west of the township itself. From Sapa, it is able to be reached by a good, well maintained road that runs right past the ticket office.
Just a couple of kilometers before you reach Love Waterfall Sapa, you will pass by Silver Waterfall, which is also a good stop off if you have the time. The waterfall here is very impressive, and also very close to the road and you will require no longer than 30 minutes to see it even if you take your time.
About Love Waterfall
Love Waterfall Sapa is a very, (at this stage) under rated destination. Although quite well documented in blogs online, and listed around Sapa as a place to visit, not too many visitors make the trek there due to the distance on foot, combined with no public transport options.
It is well worth the visit though, as Love Waterfall Sapa is extraordinary, as is the hike to reach it. I’ll touch a little bit more on that later in this article.
There is a nice little legend that surrounds the waterfall, and how it got its name.
Once, a long time ago it is said that Fairies would bathe at the waterfall. One particular fairy became enamored by a young boy that would visit the falls and play beautiful tunes on his flute. The fairy would come to the waterfall to listen for hours to him play. Her parents, once they found out, forbade her to visit anymore. Instead, she came to the mountain nearby where she hoped to still be able to hear his tunes. Unfortunately, she was unable to hear him or even see him. As a last resort, she turned herself into a bird, where she could spend eternity circling the mountain peak above, and therefore listen to the boy’s flute playing whenever she wished.
It was this reason that the falls were named Love Waterfall.
Entrance fees and parking
Once you arrive at Love Waterfall Sapa, you can pull right into the large parking area. If you are on a scooter, there are plenty of places to park.
Walk past the large building and approach the trail head to the right of the big sign that dominates the left hand side. Here, you will find the small ticket office.
Tickets to visit the waterfall cost 70,000 Dong each. This seems a little high, but the hike, views and waterfall itself are certainly worth it! Tickets for children are 30,000 Dong.
Hiking to the waterfall
The hike down to Love Waterfall Sapa is a surprisingly easy one. For someone who has hiked to over 70 waterfalls in Indonesia, I honestly was not prepared for how well maintained the path to this, fairly remote, waterfall in Vietnam was. It was a pleasant walk, to say the least.
From the ticket office, the path is fully paved. I expected that this would peter out eventually, but to my surprise the paved path leads all the way to the very foot of the falls.
The hike will start on a nice flat terrain, but after only a minute or two you begin to head down. The slope is gradual, and certainly would not be taxing for anyone with minor mobility issues. A few stairs will be encountered, but at this stage they are the long, gradual type of stairs. Once you hit the bottom of the valley, the views open up, and are extraordinary.
Love Waterfall Sapa originates way up in the dizzying peaks of Mount Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam. The views along the path as you wind gracefully through the lightly wooded valley are beautiful. The mountains tower in the near distance, and you will find yourself stopping on more than one occasion to marvel at their majesty. I personally sat for around 20 minutes at one stage, trying to soak in every detail.
We visited late in the day, and the sun dropping over the peaks was incredible. The colors and the shadows highlighted the beauty of the gorgeous mountains and gorges. I would almost go so far as to say that the hike to Love Waterfall was almost as good, if not better than the waterfall itself.
As you near the river, there will be the small crossings of a couple of streams. You may have to hop across some stepping stones here and there, but it is still easy for anyone with some sort of mobility. Closer to the falls, once you reach the river, you will be faced with a couple of bridges to the other side, made out of very large “stepping stone” slabs. These are also easy to walk across without even having to break your stride.
If you don’t want to cross the river to the opposite path, there is an option to walk along the path on the near side. On the day I was there, this path was blocked by a fallen tree, and as it didn’t seem as scenic as the path that meanders along the river bank, I opted for the main path.
Closer to the waterfall there are a couple of smaller falls, along with some very beautiful waterholes to swim in. They were extremely inviting, but being there in winter, you would have to be a polar bear to have tried them out!
What to expect
Arriving at Love Waterfall Sapa, you will climb up a steep, but short, set of stairs. This will lead you to a great scenic lookout perfectly designed to give you the best view of the falls. This is also where you should take photos from. Beware of the spray though, because even at this distance you WILL get wet.
The path from here will wind down to the pool at the base of the waterfall, and give you another chance for photos, as well as the opportunity to have a swim to cool off. I can only imagine it would be beautiful in the summer, and I have to say that of all the waterfalls I have ever been to, this pool looks cleaner and clearer than the majority of them! Just be aware that the water WILL be cold. Very cold, and even in summer I think it would have a good mountain chill to it.
Follow the path across the stepping stones in front of the pool, and loop around across a small bridge to join the main path again to exit. This is where it might be useful on a busy day to use the opposite path if it is open. The walk back out is mostly uphill, so make sure you are fully rested when you leave.
Love Waterfall is gorgeous. It towers 100 meters into the sky, and tumbles down a mossy green cliff into a gorgeous green pool at the base. It is fully worth the half hour or so trek, and should not be missed if you are visiting the Sapa area.
Tips for visiting Love Waterfall
Here are some of my best tips for when you visit Love Waterfall Sapa.
- Wear comfortable and reliable hiking clothes and shoes. The walk isn’t taxing, but takes at least an hour for the round trip.
- Take swim wear if you are visiting in Summer. There are several spots to swim, so if there are a few already swimming at the base of the falls, consider another spot along the river.
- Come early or late in the day for the best lighting for photos. We visited late in the afternoon and it was gorgeous.
- Stop by at Silver Waterfall on the way to “whet your appetite” as a warm up for Love Waterfall.
- If you visit in the off season, as we did, you can have the waterfall to yourself. We only saw a couple of other people on the trail, and didn’t have anyone at the falls when we were there.
- If visiting in summer, make sure to bring water with you. It might be advisable to bring snacks as well, as this waterfall is a long way from anything else, even though it’s on the main road.
How to get to Love Waterfall Sapa
There is no public transport to Love Waterfall, so you will have to make your own way there. The best option, as we found out, is to hire your own scooter and ride. The ride isn’t far, and you just take the back road out of Sapa and up to where it joins the main road. It should only take about 20 minutes to ride, and there are only a couple of turns along the way.
If you ride, the road is well maintained and very wide for roads in South East Asia. It has only recently been upgraded, and even though there is a long of winding and twisting, it shouldn’t be hard. The main thing to be wary off is big trucks as they barrel along the road at high speed. I was riding at a good clip, but still pulled over twice to allow trucks to overtake. It’s just not worth pushing it when you have a crazy driver behind you. Remember, safety first!
If you don’t have a scooter or are not confident to ride one, you might be able to hire a driver or taxi to take you. You can hire either from Sapa, and to see both Love Waterfall and Silver Waterfall you should only pay around 500k to 600k Dong. Ask at your hotel or homestay if they have any suggestions, or can help to negotiate a price. Just remember to get the price settled in advance!
Sapa itself is located just over 300 kilometers from Hanoi, and takes about 5 to 6 hours to reach by bus.
Finally, you CAN take a tour to Love Waterfall! Check the details later in this article.
What else is nearby?
Silver Waterfall is only a short distance down the road on the way back to Sapa. You can stop by there on the way to or from Love Waterfall, and a walk up to the falls doesn’t take long as they are right beside the road. Doing Love Waterfall and Silver Waterfall on the same day is easy.
Otherwise there really aren’t that many things to do around Love Waterfall other than see the extraordinary views. You will find several nice viewpoints, and places where you can stop along the way and take some gorgeous photos of the mountains and valleys.
Can I take a tour?
Yes, you can take a tour from Sapa to see both Love Waterfall and Silver Waterfall. Booking through Klook, Traveloka, or getyourguide you can enjoy a wonderful tour of the falls, as well as visiting Ton Station viewpoint and having lunch included. Check it out through THIS link or the button below.
Tours are limited around Sapa, without having to break out the hiking boots, as that is what the area is famous for. This tour is highly rated though, and is well worth checking out.
Where to stay
The closest and best town to stay in is definitely Sapa. This is a no brainer, and is one of the most beautiful towns in Vietnam. Accommodation is plentiful, as Sapa gets a lot of tourism, and you will be spoiled for choice.
Check out all your options in Sapa by clicking on the button below.
Summary
Love Waterfall Sapa is worth going to see for the stunning beauty of not only the waterfall, but the gorgeous hike into it. If you are interested in views, waterfalls, trickling mountain streams, crystal clear waterholes and beautiful rivers, then you can’t miss a visit to Love Waterfall.
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