Sa Pa or Sapa (Westernized spelling) is a frontier town and district in the Lao Cai province in northwest Vietnam. It is one of the main market towns in the area, where many ethnic minority groups such as H'mong, Dao and Tay live. Sa Pa District is located in Lao Cai Province, north-west Vietnam, and 350 km north-west of Hanoi, close to the border with China. The Hoang Lien Son range of mountains dominates the district, which is at the eastern extremity of the Himalayas. This range includes Vietnam's highest mountain, Fan Si Pan or Phan si pan ( Fan Si Pang )at a height of 3142m above sea level The old hotels built by the French were allowed to fall into disrepair and Sapa was forgotten by all but a handful of residents. With the advent of tourism, Sapa has experienced a renaissance. Bad roads have been upgraded, many streets have been given names, countless new hotels have popped up, the electricity supply is reliable and the food has improved immeasurably. Inherent in all of this prosperity is cultural change for the Montagnards, many of whom are now well versed in the ways of the cash economy and are reaping the financial rewards of the tourism influx. The downside is a building boom that has seen one hotel after another raise the roof in a continual quest for better views. Hotels are popping up like mushrooms around Sapa. Luckily the mushroom man tra of 'keep them in the dark and feed them shit' that applies to the attitude of so many budget hotels in Hanoi is not common here. However, prices can fluctuate wildly according to the volume of tourist traffic and they often double on busy weekends. Look around and negotiate. Needless to say, it's wise to avoid the weekend rush. Accommodation is pie-arranged for travellers on tours hooked in Hanoi, although it is worth checking the standard of the hotel in advance so you don't get any unpleasant surprises. There are now dozens of accommodation options, from a solid string of cheap guesthouses to a luxury resort. The hotels named here generally offer rooms and/or balconies with views - the scenery is, after all, one of the main reasons for visiting Sapa, the highest city of Vietnam. Travelers from all over the world throng here for exploring a host of destinations. The places like Cat Cat, Sin chai, Lao Chai and Ta Van Village etc. reveal the scenic beauty of Sapa, while Ham Rong Mountain etc. give the glance of the previous times of the town. A wide range of hotels in Sapa provide accommodation to all types of travelers including budget travelers, and luxury loving travelers. We, at Sapa Vietnam Hotel have covered various hotels in Sapa and provided here the details of the hotels. Apart from that, online hotel reservation facility is also available here with which travelers can book hotels in Vietnam. So, with Sapa vietnam Hotel, make your Sapa holiday an unforgettable experience.

If you want more than just a beach holiday, this book could be for you.

The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your LifeAuthor: Pam GroutPublished by: National Geographic (288 pages)RRP: £12.99

A growing number of travellers are looking for more than just sun and sand. Sometimes, holiday-makers go in search of meaning or a new experience and this book has many inspiring suggestions.

From helping to build a health clinic in Tanzania to learning massage in Thailand to aiding green turle conservation in Belize, this book is full of fun, meaningful and memorable possiblities for today's discerning travellers.

The lively text conveys the charm and excitement of each location and delivers solid, travel planning information. Sidebars reveal little known facts, nearby places to visit and lists of things to do.

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The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life

A story of nature, adventure, commerce and obsession

Title: The Fruit HuntersAuthor: Adam Leith GollnerPublished by: Souvenir Press RRP: £18.99

When Canadian journalist Adam Leith Gollner visited Brazil he had what can only be called a fruit epihany. For the first time in his life, he discovered fruit. Of course he alraey knew the common garden fruit, the apples, oranges and pears which populate our supermarkets all year round. But this time, Adam saw past these familiar foods and discovered a whole new world of exotic fruit, some delicious, some disgusting. These include jackfruits, the ice cream beans, mangosteens, cloudberries, egg fruits, rambutans. And he came face to face with the Grapple. Intrigued by the role of fruit within human life, Adam's fruit quest began.

His quest took him around the world through jungles of Borneo to the island of Bali,from the grit of the Bronx to the lush tropics of the Maldives. 

Fun fruit facts: 

There are many, many varieties of apple - so many that you could eat a different one every day for the next 55 years.

Kiwi fruit was originally called the Chinese Gooseberry and because of this had to struggle to get into the US as the McCarthyists didn't want to be infiltrated by a Communit-sounding fruit.

Only a tiny fraction of fruits are actually for sale: 90% of the foods we eat drived from only thirst plant species.

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The Fruit Hunters

The iconic broadcasting legends dusts down his suitcase for a final journey around the globe.

Alan Whicker, Journey of a LifetimeAuthor: Alan WhickerPublished by: Harper CollinsPrice: £20.00

"You might say I'm set in my airways. I'm one of those lucky people whose professional and private lives blend exactly." Alan Which, 2007

This book accompanies the major BBC TV series of the same name and is a celebration of 50 years in front of the camera.

Whicker has roamed far and wide in search of the eccentric, the ludicrous and the socialy-revealing aspects of everyday life as lived by some of the more colourful of the world's inhabitants.

Since the late 1950's, when the long-running Whicker's World documentary was first screened, he has probed and dissected theoften secretive and unobserved worlds of the rich and famous, rooting out the most implausible and sometimes ridiculous characters after gaining admittance to the places where they conduct their leisure hours.

This new book is the end product of a very personal journey. Whicker retraces his steps, catching up with some past interviewees and reflecting on how the world has changed - for good and bad - over the passing of time. 

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A considered meditation on one man"s obsession with one of India"s most extraordinary cities

Delhi: Adventures in a MegacityPublished by: The Random House Group, PaperbackAuthor: Sam MillerPrice: £14.99

This book is a portrait of one of the world's largest cities. Samil Miller sets out to discover the real Delhi, a city he describes as being 'India's dreamtown - and its purgatory'. He treads the city streets, making his way through Delhi and its suburbs, visiting its less celebrated destinations. Miller's quest is the here and now, the unexpected, the ignored and the eccentric. All the obvious ports of call - the ancient monuments, the imperial buildings and the celebrities of modern Delhi - making only passing appearances.

Through his encounters with Delthi's people - from a profess of astrophysics to a crematoriam attendant from ragpickers to members of the Police Bras Band - Miller creates a richly entertaining portrait of what Delhi means to its residents, and of what kind of city it is becoming. Miller is, like so many people he meets, a migrant in one of the world's fastest growing cities - and the modern Delhi he depicts is one whose future concerns us all.

Miller posses an intense curiosity; he has an infallible eye for life's people's lives. This is a humurous portrait of a great city; one which utteringly locates the humanity beneath the mundane, the unsung and the unfamiliar.

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Delhi: Adventures in a megacity

Fictional stories and photographs based in Florence

Title: The Doorbells of FlorenceAuthor: Andrew LosowskyPublished by: Chronicle BooksRRP: £11.99 (hardback)

Leeds born writer and photographer Andrew Losowsky captured the alluring and varied doorbells of Florence, Italy and then imagined the stories of those who might dwell within. Charming, whimsical and elegant, each story relates well to its photo, balancing the old-world appeal of Florence and the contemporary, gritty realities of a modern city.

This books delves into hidden worlds of fated love, chance encounters, invented languages, false maps and a secret beneath the floorboards. 

With its hand-drawn lettering and a silk-screened cover this book may ring your bell.

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The new edition marks the centenary of Synge"s death

Title: Travels in Wicklow, West Kerry and ConnemaraAuthor: J M SyngePublished by: SerifRRP: £9.99

Travels in Wicklow, West Kerry and Connemara was first published in 1910. This new edition reunites Synge's haunting prose with the evocative illustrations by Jack B Yeats that were specially made for the 1911 library edition.

Synge captured the idiosyncrasies of everyday speech better, perhaps, than any other Irish writer, while his eye caught the details of a way of life that has long since disappeared. The weavers and kelp-makers, tinkers and boat-builders of the Blasket Islands and the Wicklow Glens people. For those who love Ireland and her literature, this is a delightful read.

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Travels in Wicklow, West Kerry and Connemara

Berets, baguettes and strings of onions are all very well, but to really fit in across the Channel takes a certain je ne sais quoi...

Ooh La La! How to be infuriatingly French Author: Mimi MalonePublished by: Summersdale (hardback)RRP: £6.99

Just 26 miles of water separates the French and the Brits, but the culture is worlds apart. This quirky, illustrated guide to the Gallic Nation contains all you need to know about being correctly French. Inside you'll find out important things like what cheese has in common with marmosets, the real rules of the road, how to be a natural in the art of air-kissing and how to attract the opposite sex.

This little book of fun will find you smiling as you learn to embrace your croissant-nibbling, queue-jumping inner Frenchman!

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Ooh La La! How to be infuriatingly French

A guide to the extraordinary adventures for the seasoned traveller - perfect for the over 40s

Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic OceanAuthors: Don Mankin and Shannon StowellPublished by: National Geographic Books (312 pages)RRP: £10.99

Many people over the age of 40 want to travel to places that offer a real sense of adventure and this guide to exotic trips tells of the varied experiences out there for the taking.

The free-wandering '60's are long gone, you sold your backpack years ago, raised a family, enjoyed a fruitful career. Finally, it's time to indulge your wanderlust and rediscover the incredible fun and excitement of travelling off the beaten path.

This book offers dozens of travel options with the more mature traveller in mind. Both an inspiring collection of experiences and a practical how-to guide, the book details 50 of the world's best adventures for people over 40. In-depth narratives convey the rich alllure of 25 destinations - with first-person descriptions, lively anecdotes, and subjects of special interest - while concise third-person descriptions highlight the remaining 25 amazing adventures. Both formats show whey the experts chose each locale and lay out all the wheres, whys and hows you need to pick the trips most suited to your time and interests.

The most active possibilities include eight days in interior Antarctica, hiking Peru's Inca Trail and canoeing the lush backwaters of India. For those with more spirit than stamina, irresistable adventures still beckon; explore history, culture and scenery in Tunisa.. visit the jungle tribes of Papua New Guinea, tour Scotland's rugged Outer Hebrides for a taste of island life.

It's all about inspiration, and this book has lots of it.

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Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean

Over 1000 places for you and dog to enjoy

The Good Guide to Dog Friendly Pubs, Hotels and B&BsBy: Alisdair Aird and Fiona StapleyPublished by: Ebury PressPrice: £9.99

What happens when you want to take a holiday or even just pop out for a drink and your dog looks up at you with expectant eyes? Do you know which pubs welcome muddy paws with a bowl of water and a dog biscuit? Or where you and your dog can both enjoy a comfortable overnight stay?

If you don't want to leave your furry best friend at home, then this book is a must-have for any man and his dog.

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Dog Friendly Pubs, Hotels and B&Bs

The story of a river

Empires of the IndusThe Story of a Riverby: Alice AlbiniaPublished by: John Murray paperbackPrice: £8.99

From Tibet to Pakistan, a mixture of travel, adventure and the history of the Indus River's civilizations and explorers.

One of the largest rivers in the workd, the Indus rises in the Tibetan mountains, flows west across northern India and south through Pakistan. For millennia it has been worshipped as a god; today it is the the cement of Pakistan's fractious union.

Five thousand years ago, a series of sophisticated cities grew and traded on its banks. In the ruins of these elaborate metropolises, Sanskrit-speaking nomads explored the river, extolling its virtues in India's most ancient text, the Rig-Veda. During the past two thousand years such as Alexander the Great, made conquering the Indus valley their mission. For the people of the river, the Indus valley became a nodal point on the Silk Road, a centre of Sufi pilgrimage and the birthplace of Sikhism.

The young historian Alice Albinia follows the river upstream and back in time, taking you on a voyage of two thousand miles of geography and five millenia of history.

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Empires of the Indus