Sapa in the rainy season is worth visiting, but not for everyone, and not without planning for two specific problems.

An honest look at Thác Bạc - what it costs, when it's impressive, when it isn't, and how long you actually need. Twelve kilometers northwest of Sapa town, the road to Lai Chau starts to climb. Pine forest closes in, the temperature drops a couple of degrees, and then - on your right, impossible to miss - a white ribbon of water comes down the mountainside straight at the tarmac. That's Thác Bạc, Silver Waterfall. Almost every tour bus, motorbike, and private car heading over O Quy Ho Pass...

Thác Tình Yêu is the best waterfall near Sapa - and it costs three times more than the one down the road. Here's what you get for it.