It's not difficult to see why Sapa, a small town in Vietnam's mountainous and less populated north-west region not far from the border with China, was once known as the Summer Kingdom of the North. At 1,600 metres, it has plenty in common with other former hill stations located in various parts of Asia - Dalat, Nuwara Eliya, Cameron Highlands, and so on - each with individual charm and the same pleasant climate and natural beauty that once lured colonial administrators and their families in droves, seeking respite from the heat and humidity of the lower plains.

Highland encounters: It is common to see women carrying either an infant or a basket of goods on their back.

Nowadays, almost a century since Europeans first discovered Sapa, the colonials are long gone, replaced by foreigners of a different variety - tourists with a sense of adventure and a love of the nature. Surrounded by mountains and forests and characterised by weather variations that can shroud the town in layers of mist and fog - snow is also not unheard of - Sapa has natural appeal to spare.

It was first settled by the Black Hmong, the most prominent of the six ethnic minority tribes that live in the area (there are 54 different tribes in Vietnam). With their distinctive native dress and headgear, members of the Black Hmong and other ethnic minorities such as the Red Dao will provide visitors to Sapa with colourful signs of authentic local culture.

The natives can be a little persistent when peddling their hand-made wares such as embroidered bags, tribal earrings and soapstone carvings, but firm refusals in the face of their constant approaches - there's simply no avoiding them in town - should do the trick. Sapa is a market town and the local economy is driven by agriculture in addition to tourism, so there is always some form of trade going on among the locals.

A smattering of colonial-era buildings gives the place a laid-back feel and a sense of faded charm, but there are also many non-descript new buildings in the centre of town, most of which appear to be budget hotels, travel agencies and French-style bakeries. A man-made lake with well-manicured greens on one side of the town gives residents on the hillsides above nice views to enjoy.

Sapa's simple charms: A bakery and restaurant in town. Sapa is a market town and the local economy is driven by agriculture in addition to tourism.

Perhaps the most recognisable local landmark is the stone church in the centre of town. It was built by the French in the 1930s but has gone through a few incarnations since then, having been badly damaged during the Indochina War. Historians will note that Sapa is in an adjacent valley to Dien Bien Phu, where the defining battle of the Indochina War between the Vietnamese and French colonial troops was fought in 1954. Given that Vietnam is a rapidly- growing tourist destination these days, Sapa is still slightly off the beaten track - mainly because it takes some getting to and requires a significant travel commitment. The flight from Singapore on Vietnam Airlines is just the first step. Then there's another 380 km to cover on an eight-hour overnight train journey to the border town of Lao Cai, followed by an hour-long road trip to Sapa.

The best way to get there is to book a sleeping berth on the Victoria Express from Hanoi, which, while not luxurious in the true sense, is as close to a comfortable ride as you will experience - let's just say the alternative is a little too down-market.

The train - or three carriages of it, anyway - is operated by Victoria Sapa Resort, and travellers who opt to take it will also have to stay at the hotel, a rustic alpine-style lodge on a hilltop with sweeping views over Sapa. With a newly-opened spa and a resident chef who has worked in Paris with the likes of Alain Ducasse, the hotel is a safe if unspectacular choice. The 37 km drive to Sapa from Lao Cai is marked by a noticeable improvement in photo opportunities, and visitors will encounter picturesque scenes such as steep, terraced rice paddies, tall bamboo thickets and verdant forests, mud-caked buffaloes crossing the road, and ethnic minorities on their way to market.

Here is a road less travelled, but for many visitors, the real attraction of Sapa involves going way off-road. The Sapa region is replete with beautiful landscapes, tribal villages and local markets, all of which can be discovered by trekking through the area.

During the colonial period, the region was nicknamed the Tonkinese Alps. A gentle trek through parts of the Hoang Lien National Park, along rivers and rice fields and through minority villages, gives visitors a good idea of both the natural habitat and the local lifestyle. Hardcore trekkers may want to tackle Mount Fan Si Pan, which at 3,143 metres is the highest peak in the country. They won't be the first to do it, of course - tourist brochures advertised tours to the mountain as early as 1924.

From your hotel, you can arrange excursions to waterfalls and markets - including the so-called Love Market, where young singles from the ethnic minorities go to find a partner. Perhaps not surprisingly, females from the Black Hmong tribe marry when they are as young as 15 - female members of the tribe seem to be carrying either an infant or a basket of goods on their back. Living standards are reasonably primitive, but the people are generally hospitable and receptive to strangers in their midst.

Winters are cold and foggy while summers are warm and clear in Sapa, but no matter when you schedule a visit - once you leave the more commercial aspects of tourism behind - there is plenty of nature to admire. This is the kind of destination where people come to "recharge the batteries" and appreciate the simple things in life - where designer boutiques and fancy restaurants are a world (and at least an eight-hour train ride) away. Sapa offers pine trees and peace of mind - and sometimes, that's all we really need.

Photos by Geoffrey Eu

This article was first published in The Business Times, Weekend Edition,April 12 2008.