Vietnam and Cambodia Trip Report, 2025 Day 9: Sa Pa Lonely tree, O Quy Ho Pass Viewpoint, Heaven's Gate, Love waterfall. Silver waterfall

 Day 9 Friday Apr 25 

Sa Pa Lonely tree, O Quy Ho Pass Viewpoint, Heaven's Gate, Love waterfall. Silver waterfall

Tram Ton Pass / Heaven's Gate

Tram Ton Pass, also known as Heaven's Gate, is a mountain pass located in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range in Northern Vietnam. It is the highest mountain pass in Vietnam, reaching an elevation of 1,900 meters above sea level. The pass is located on the road that connects Sapa and Lai Chau, offering stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.

 Located just a short distance from Sapa’s vibrant center, accessing this stunning Pass is effortless. Whether we opt for a a thrilling motorbike ride, or a convenient taxi journey, we can arrive at Tram Ton Pass in 15 minutes from town.

There is a choice of hiking trails, cascading waterfalls, and breathtaking vistas on this pass. We had lined up what we proposed to do and see

Our hotel had arranged a taxi for us at viable rates and we drove up

O Quy Ho Pass

O Quy Ho Pass connects Lai Chau province with Lao Cai province, and is one of the four great mountain passes in Vietnam, reaching a peak altitude of over 2,000 meters above sea level. The pass boasts stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, with lush forests, rolling hills, and winding rivers stretching as far as the eye can see.

There is a romantic folklore that adds allure to this spectacular location. It is a tragic love story between a fairy and a mortal man named O Quy Ho. the fairy's father, the Heavenly Emperor, intervened, separating them. O Quy Ho was transformed into a black turtle at the top of the pass near a waterfall, and the fairy became a bird perched atop the pass, forever calling out for her beloved ' O Quy Ho'

We reached our chosen viewpoint, the Lonely tree.

Sa Pa Lonely tree, O Quy Ho Pass Viewpoint:

In scenic places in Vietnam we noticed  people open up small parks at viewpoints from where we can enjoy the views of that area . They create photo opportunities with some sculptures and interesting heart structures and inevitably there is a swing also. Some of these places have rides also. These view points are ticketed and once we enter we can enjoy the view as well as the sculptures they may have put up. Some of them look pretty, some of them are quite tacky but anyway we have come for the view and if we get the view, it all works out. While researching I had looked at a various options and decided to skip the tacky ones and the rides

 we came to this viewpoint. It claims to be a lonely tree; as you can see it is part of a forest of trees but they have created a deck so that it looks like a lonely tree but the important thing is we have a very clear view of the snaky pass winding its way, hugging the mountain

some of these boards were so creaky and yielding when we walked on them...
This is a big mirror propped up...

We exited the Lonely tree

Tram Ton Pass, also known as Heaven's Gate by the locals, is a route that stands high and close to the clouds. We had asked our driver to take us there

Our driver did his best to make us buy the combo ticket for the heaven's gate as well as adjacent Fairy Valley but we were not one bit interested . As usual I think he gets a commission from the owners, we saw him approaching them after we buy the ticket and leave . No biggie Happens everywhere!

We were hoping we'll get a decent view from the Heaven's gate. Once in a while the white fog lifted and we did have some nice views of the steep roads and the valley and the villages . The Pagoda up at the top was pretty good too with very good goal leaf embellishments . The Dragon pool and the turtle Phoenix fountain was very beautifully done . We enjoyed our visit .

Heaven's Gate

Weather playing dicey... clear for a minute, white and foggy the next minute

Fairy valley park entrance...

 “Cong Troi” means Heaven’s Gate

What we saw... Heaven's gate shrouded in fog below...

What we could have seen in decent weather...

And this view is what was obscured by the fog! thankfully we did see this pass from Lonely tree, though this view is awesome. Sad we missed it1

We then went onward to the love waterfall and had a good short hike. 

Love Waterfall: 

The Love Waterfall carries a timeless legend of romance. It is said that long ago, this waterfall was the sacred bathing spot of celestial fairies. One fairy, enchanted by the soulful tunes of a young boy playing his flute nearby, began to visit the waterfall each night to hear his music.

However, when her parents found out about her secret visits, they forbade her from returning. Determined to stay close to her beloved, the fairy transformed herself into a bird, forever staying at this waterfall symbolizing undying love and loyalty. 

This waterfall visit offers a different experience to Silver waterfall as it is situated closer to the top and not directly next to the main road. To reach this hidden gem, we need to embark on a scenic 30-minute hike through lush greenery,  a pristine forest with an ancient bamboo canopy covered in soft moss with stunning views along the way. there are diverse landscapes, including open meadows, dense jungle, flowing streams, and bamboo forests. The path is well-paved and marked with signs pointing you in the right direction. 

Interestingly, because of this hike, many tourists tend to skip Love Waterfall, making it a more serene and peaceful escape compared to Silver Waterfall.

The hiking trail to Love Waterfall is well-maintained with stone steps, making it easy to navigate without a guide. The path stretches about 1.5 kilometers and typically takes around 30 minutes to walk.

Even saw some local Buffaloes gracing in the meadows. The volume of water obviously depends on the season but it was still a pretty decent outing .

 There are signboards indicating the path and on the way back there was an alternate way to exit instead of retracing the way we had come in . We decided to take that trail, it followed the river and it was pretty good. In quite a few places you have to jump over the stream but it was all not too difficult. Only in one place the jump was pretty big, the stones were a little too small to step on but anyway it was manageable. Anyway with the helping hand from my son it was easy for me to manage . If I had not been able to do it, there was always the option of retracing our way back but it did not come to that. In fact this was a shorter and more scenic way and did not involve so many climbs as the way in. We were happy we had tried this .

Sapa Silver Waterfall / Thac bac

The waterfall is among the most popular Sapa tourist attractions, and is known for its sparkling, silver-like appearance, which is caused by the sun/moon reflecting off the water as it cascades down the rocky cliff.

The waterfall is 200 meters high and  conveniently located right by the side of the road. To get closer look , you have the option to climb up the stairs for a small fee. 

In other parts of Sapa people go with guides for their hikes because it is very easy to get lost and there is no specific trails and paths but both these waterfalls were ticketed and they had very specific trails and paths, everything was easy for the independent tourists .

The silver waterfall had steps throughout to ascend. They had painted it green so that it is not too intrusive and we didn't mind it at all. There was a bit of a drizzle and the steps were pretty wet with the spray from the waterfall as well.. It is important to have good shoes with decent tread to avoid slipping. We loved this waterfall as well.

The drive though had kind of become a damp squib because of the thick white fog. It is not just the destinations but the journey itself which is important in such mountain drives.

Anyway we asked to be dropped back at our hotel. Our original intention was to trek to the catcat village nearby but with a thick fog we didn't think it'll be worth it . From our own balcony in front of our room we could see the rice fields and the village and it was pretty good when the fog chose to lift once in a while.

We had heard the parts open for the tourists where people normally walk over an artificial waterfall and the shops is quite touristy and not very authentic . Tourists also visit the homes of the local people where their guides take them. We have never been into visiting people's homes in foreign countries as we find it intrusive . In the end everybody on this earth live in a home where they cook and eat and live and sleep! we don't find it ok to visit tribal homes because the home is such an intimate place .

So sapa stay had turned out quite ok though the weather had been a little dicey. People stay on for more days and do a lot of hikes but we were intent on only catching the highlights ...The mountain scenery the rice terraces and the cute villages. Weather being what it was we decided to take the early morning bus back to Hanoi at 7:30 AM. Our other option as explained earlier would have been the 3:30 PM bus if we had felt the need to do some hikes in the morning but we felt we had enjoyed the highlights of this lovely mountain town and we were ready to leave . Son had already tried to buy tickets on that same Sapa Express bus online but the tickets were not being sent. So we stopped on our way back at the Sapa Express office. They were not able to fetch our booking and spent some 10/15 minutes trying to get the same thing which was kind of silly. They could have just issued new tickets and then they did issue our tickets for a limo again.

This was our stay where we did not have a kitchen to ourselves. They always advertise that there is a kitchen for use and they even say private kitchen in the booking.com listings. When we are doing our booking, we look at the pictures available and when we don't see a kitchen as part of the apartment then we know there is some issue . We had booked such a room in Sapa town itself with a view of the lake who had also claimed to have a private kitchen . When we sent a message through booking.com regarding the private kitchen they did not answer there but they sent a private whatsapp message saying their regular kitchen can be used at quite a high fee per use . We found it very wrong to use such false advertising, we cancelled and booked here . Asked these people also whether they have a private kitchen

normally what they are referring to as a private kitchen is an electric kettle in the room . They said we can use their restaurant I did make rice there and we managed to self cater there also. the reception lady who may probably be the owner was the nicest and so we did not have any issues.  

we went back to our room and called it a day

Report continues here

https://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2025/07/vietnam-and-cambodia-trip-report-2025_12.html