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Cat Cat Village – not your typical blog guide.
As part of a recent one-month trip around northern Vietnam, we headed to the renowned trekking mecca of Sapa. This mountainous region, not far from the border with China, is a famed area for tourists to trek, hike and partake in homestays with numerous regional ethnic tribes. If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’ve come across Cat Cat Village, a small ethnic settlement adjacent to the centre of Sapa Town.
Before we arrived in Sapa, our expectations had already been tempered. Opinions online of Sapa were split and the consequences of over-tourism well documented. For us though, the biggest initial issue when arriving was the weather! It was October and the days we spent there were surrounded by thick cloud – not a single view of the apparently impressive mountains.
On our last day, the clouds cleared a little and with only a few hours to spare before our night bus to Cat Ba, we settled with a quick descent into Cat Cat Village. Once again, we had read mixed assessments of the village, but some people we met in Sapa thoroughly recommended it, so off we went. This turned out to be an abysmal idea – it is one of the most offensive, tactless, tourist-oriented places we have ever visited. Normally, we’re pretty good at avoiding these, but we really messed this one up!
Here, we write about what this ‘village’ is, why it is so unethical and why you should absolutely give it a miss.
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IN THIS GUIDE //
Cat Cat Village | Sapa, Vietnam
WHERE AND WHAT IS CAT CAT VILLAGE?
– ENTRY FEE FOR CAT CAT VILLAGE
WHY DO PEOPLE VISIT CAT CAT VILLAGE?
THE TRUTH ABOUT SAPA, VIETNAM
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID CAT CAT VILLAGE
THE APPROPRIATION OF LOCAL CULTURE AND CUSTOMS
WHAT IS CULTURAL APPROPRIATION
IS CULTURAL APPROPRIATION HAPPENING IN CAT CAT VILLAGE?
FINAL THOUGHTS
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WHAT AND WHERE IS CAT CAT VILLAGE?
Cat Cat Village is three kilometres outside of the main city of Sapa in Lao Cai Province, northwest Vietnam. Sapa is the hub and starting point for most trekking activities in the region, set at the base of Mount Fansipan, Vietnam’s tallest mountain. The journey down to Cat Cat Village is steep but on a paved road – so if you don’t want to walk it is easy to get driven to the entrance area. This therefore results in the constant potential of being run-over as a pedestrian – don’t trust any descriptions that describe this as a ‘hike’ or ‘trek’ – it is unquestionably not.
Set at the base of Muong Hoa Valley, Cat Cat Village was established in the 19th century by some families from the Hmong and Dzao tribes. From initial observations and information, it could be understandably considered an interesting destination (until you actually see it).
Apparently, it was the French who ‘discovered’ the village and developed it as a tourist attraction and gave it the unique name of Cat Cat.
CAT CAT VILLAGE ENTRANCE FEE
At the Cat Cat Village entrance, there are several men in some booths who charge an admission fee. We paid 90,000 dong each (about £3.50) and had read others were charged anywhere between 70,000 and 100,000 dong (it does not appear consistent). At any rate, admission has roughly tripled over the past several years, when the fees used to be around 25-30,000 dong before the pandemic. As of 2024 the entry fee for Cat Cat Village has now increased to 70,000 dong for children, and 150,000 dong for adults.
It’s such a pleasure to be charged an entrance fee, then being expected to spend money on what is basically a glorified outdoor warehouse full of Chinese junk. You are also supposed to be provided with a map but neither of us were (you don’t need a map – one direction is junk; the other direction is also junk).
WHY DO PEOPLE VISIT CAT CAT VILLAGE?
Cat Cat Village is sold to visitors who are looking for an ‘authentic’ cultural experience, where you can learn about the local tribespeople, crafts and lifestyle. It’s also sold as a ‘hiking/nature’ experience, when in reality, it’s more like a boring, steep walk around a poverty-stricken Disneyland and certainly not like any hill/village trek you are imagining.
It’s a badly constructed theme park without any of the fun rides and just a bunch of scams instead.
THE TRUTH ABOUT SAPA, VIETNAM
Sapa is a famed region of Vietnam with hundreds of miles of trekking trails and rich cultural diversity. It’s an area I had been excited to visit for more than twenty years and 2022 was the year I made it happen. Unfortunately, the town does not live up to the hype.
Vendors | the harassment on the street from vendors, especially young women trying to sell trinkets and tours, was unbearable and manipulative. At one point, we were followed by the same two girls for around 20 minutes, who started off pleasantly but quickly became aggressive. It is not possible to eat a meal in the town either without being approached. ‘Your partner doesn’t love you if he doesn’t buy you my gifts’ gets pretty old, pretty quickly.
Child labour | this is a significant problem. I’m aware that it happens all over Vietnam, and southeast Asia generally, however from our experience it was the most extreme in Sapa.
Animals | the stray animal situation was the worst we’d seen in southeast Asia. We would not recommend heading down any back alleys. There was some extreme animal cruelty and often parts of the streets had blood all over them. At night, you could hear dogs being tortured. It was honestly really awful – we’d never heard anything like this anywhere else we had been.
Other tourists | the tourists that visit Sapa were the most obnoxious we met on our trip. As we detail later, things like cultural appropriation and a lack of sensitivity to the poverty issues were abound.
Sapa is more than just the town. Outside, there are homestays with wonderful, welcoming people but the town itself is not somewhere we would recommend visiting, based on our experience.
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WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID CAT CAT VILLAGE
People visit for a variety of reasons – here are some of them and why you shouldn’t make that mistake yourself:
Easy Access From Sapa With No Need For A Guide
Cat Cat Village attracts people who want an independent experience in a Hmong environment without having to be accompanied all day (this was an appeal for us). As much as local guides can be incredibly educational and forthcoming, it’s a gamble who you get, and the situation forces you to be in the presence of others all day.
However, visiting Cat Cat Village involves being surrounded by tourists and hawkers the entire time with minimal information provided. It’s a tourist trap and basically a tacky shopping complex – plain and simple.
Also, although the close proximity of Cat Cat Village to Sapa may seem like a benefit, there is a monopoly on transport back up the very, very steep hill. We ended up walking the entire way out because we didn’t want to spend around £5 for a several minute journey shared with four other passengers.
Fake Instagrammable Locations
As you head to the village, you’ll see weird sculptures and fabricated photo opportunities. These reminded us of the swings, wooden hearts and other tacky posing crap you find in Bali. At least Bali is kind of beautiful though. In Cat Cat Village, the scenery isn’t even pretty, the views are often full of construction. Also, even after paying your entry fee, there are people waiting to request extra money to access some of these points (I’m unsure if they are official charges, but either way, it’s indicative of the scammy, fakeness of this place).
Even the water wheels at the bottom of the valley had a man turn them by hand at random intervals – they didn’t actually have any function! The entire place is fake.
Visiting Hmong Homes
For starters, nobody should expect access into somebody’s home – that’s weird and inappropriate. A resident might allow it if they are being compensated, but are they really comfortable having strangers gawp at them all day? Secondly, there are a few ‘show homes’ at Cat Cat Village, but in reality, you’re getting about as an ‘authentic’ experience as you would at Disney. The village is mostly full of tourists pointing their camera phones at various fake buildings and mass-produced wares.
Local Handicrafts
This is a big issue for me. I’m not one to ever buy souvenirs and trinkets generally. (Once I bought some clay chickens from a man on the top of a mountain in Ethiopia, but that’s as far as I’ve ever gone). I’m always suspicious that I’m buying mass-produced, environmentally damaging crap. I wasn’t suspicious in Cat Cat Village though – I was one hundred percent certain this was the case.
Do not buy anything that doesn’t ‘make sense’. For example, the hundreds of weird fake cats in baskets wrapped in plastic – they’re clearly not local made handicrafts, are they? Also, most stalls sell identical products – doesn’t seem very unique and handmade, does it?
Waterfalls
The waterfall is a big tourist draw and is kind of pretty. If you’ve seen other waterfalls in the world though, this one is average at best and not worth your time or money. It’s also built up with tourist related infrastructure and construction (would you expect anything less?). Also, the Cat Cat Village waterfall is where you’ll find the majority of obnoxious tourists, posing in their Hmong outfits they paid just a few dollars to rent.
THE APPROPRIATION OF LOCAL CULTURE AND CUSTOMS
For me, all the issues above were just typical cheap annoyances that I just walked quickly past and ignored. The nail in the coffin that made me write this article was actually the cultural appropriation and lack of awareness from tourists.
Consider this. You walk past wizened older ladies, crouched along the winding paths in Cat Cat Village, wearing rags for clothes, pleading for money. You see tiny children in traditional clothing, begging. Ask yourself – do you feel comfortable dressing up, just like them, to have your photo taken on a horse whilst holding a gun, reminiscent of the wild west?
Would you feel okay dressing your own child up in an identical outfit that the small, begging toddler is wearing? That same barefoot child with tear tracks running down her face?
It may be tempting to assume that the several dollars spent to rent outfits for the photoshoot will financially help the local inhabitants. However, as I’ve written elsewhere before, that’s very much a saviour complex that doesn’t always result in a positive outcome. Always ask yourself – how would you feel, having much richer people snooping about your house, donning your traditional dress? You’d probably tolerate it if you needed money but would not be happy about it.
Cultural appropriation is a complex issue in many cases, worthy of discussion, but in Cat Cat Village it is not – it is obvious and crass.
I’ve written a quick description of what it is below, in case it’s an unfamiliar concept.
WHAT IS CULTURAL APPROPRIATION?
‘the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.’
Examples of cultural appropriation that you may have read about in current media include:
◊ Dressing in blackface, or blackfishing (adopting hairstyles, phrases, fashion etc from black culture, or even changing the colour of your skin using photoshop or surgery to appear more black).
◊ Wearing traditional dress, such as native American clothing or Kimonos.
◊ Wearing religious garb, such as a hijab or burka.
◊ Using dialects.
Why is cultural appropriation bad?
◊ Turns a cultural or religious symbol into a fashion statement, therefore ignoring the meaning and significance behind its use.
◊ It can be seen as a simple sign of disrespect/disregard, especially towards less dominant groups who may have suffered hardship purely for being who they are or are disenfranchised. This can be particularly problematic when the dominant group that is appropriating the culture is historically the oppressor.
◊ Re-enforces or perpetuates stereotypes and contributes to persecution and exploitation while potentially lifting the image of the oppressors.
◊ Dehumanises minority groups.
Real Life Examples
◊ If white people wear their hair in a traditionally black style, such as corn rows or dreadlocks, they generally experience no discrimination, even getting compliments. This shows a clear disparity between skin colour and acceptance.
◊ Another example is wearing something as high fashion that was stolen from a maligned group, which is then celebrated.
◊ Kim Kardashian is the ultimate in appropriation. She has knowingly and intelligently taken advantage of the ambiguous nature of her race to dip into various culturally sensitive fashion aesthetics. Even the shape of her body is celebrated (and world renowned) but would be at risk of criticism if she were a black woman. She takes full advantage of being the ‘exotic white woman’. This means that she has all the substantial benefits of being white in America but being able to dress, act and speak using the cultures of minority groups.
Anyway, I’m not here to bash the Kardashians, they’re just a clear example of what is wrong with appropriating culture.
IS CULTURAL APPROPRIATION HAPPENING IN CAT CAT VILLAGE?
Some people may argue that, from the definition above, visitors have permission to wear the clothing of the local tribes in Cat Cat Village, after all, they are rented from people who live or work there. That could absolutely construe a form of permission.
However, as mentioned above, I’m pretty sure that the older women begging on the streets haven’t given their permission, and the tiny babies who wander around with their hands out don’t understand why richer children from other places on the planet are dressed like them.
From my perspective, there is no part of the tourist behaviour here that constitutes cultural appreciation rather than appropriation.
FINAL THOUGHTS – CAT CAT VILLAGE
Ok, so my opinion of Cat Cat Village is that this place is an abomination. Others may not agree, but if you have any discomfort with excessively touristy, fake, crowded and disrespectful places, steer well clear of Cat Cat Village.
Straight up though – it’s not even pretty or fun either. There’s not a single redeeming feature. It felt grim and we couldn’t wait to leave. We would thoroughly recommend Ha Giang as an alternative to Sapa.
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Thank you, Claire + Nick
I’m glad there are people writing about the real world of travel and not just the “5 best brainless things to do in [insert city here]” : ) My wife and I ended up in Sapa in 2016 on a long motorcycle ride from Siem Reap, though mostly because it turned out to be a convenient stopping point for a couple of days more than it was a desired destination (because we’d heard of the over tourism thing).
We ended up enjoying the town because we weren’t looking to get anything out of it other than a decent (budget) room with a nearby place that had good noodle soup. But we encountered plenty of cultural appropriation in our travels in India—both by foreign tourists and by nationals. If you travel a lot, you’re going to see it everywhere. Both sides are winners AND looser in the game and both sides pretend that what they get out of it is worth the money. It’s best when you can recognize such places as Cat Cat Village for what they are beforehand and avoid them altogether.
Thanks for your article.
Hi Chris! Lovely to hear your thoughts on this post and really appreciate your comment. Cultural appropriation is definitely a complex issue that I’ve seen elsewhere, but Cat Cat Village really pushed me over the edge – it was so bad! Sapa is generally a bit like a zoo nowadays – pretty much just oriented around tourism, it’s not much fun.
We are really, really looking forward to visiting India, hopefully for an extended period next year – very grateful for your observations.
Nick (the other half of this website) is currently browsing through the adventures on your website! We absolutely love riding motorcycles in southeast Asia but have never done any trip as long as yours (yet!). I’m jealous of your journaling ability – we’re not that organised or meticulous!
Wow. Full appreciation on bringing this in the light. I cringed reading all the moments you endured.
Is there another area you recommended that is closer than Ha Giang. Maybe two hour radius from Hanoi?
Thank you.
Hey Jessica,
Yeah, it’s really cringeworthy – that’s a great way to describe it.
I don’t really know about other areas in the mountains (other than Ha Giang). There are lots of great places to explore independently on a motorbike, but they’d be further than two hours away (I think). If you were considering Sapa, it would still be worthy of a visit but I’d avoid the main city as much as possible.
Ninh Binh is a few hours south from Hanoi and is pretty and mostly quiet, but not with huge mountains – more karst rocks.
Whatever you choose, I hope you have a great time 🙂
Hi to be honest Sapa is an amazing place to visit if u make some serious research before come.
I saw lot of peoples who only go to sapa town,, visit cat cat, or make the touristy trek between sapa and ta van village. And after they said haaa it’s not “authentic”, it’s over touristy… So go make the ha giang loop. Result now ha giang loop is crowded as hell, with very very few benefits for ethnic minorities (tour companies, hotels, bike locations, restrant are almost all owned by vietnamese kihn and not minorities so it’s totally possible to make 4 days ha giang loop without give any dong to locals. Same in sapa).
For my experience I have travel two times in Sapa Area and I can show some experiences I make:
-2 days trek with Red Dao and one night in a red dao familly homestay . No other tourist saw in 2 days, night and food with only locals families.
– 1 days trek between sapa and ta van village, great landscape but it’s the main trek (most a walk than a trek), not the greatest experience
– 1 days motorbike loop around Muong Hua valley in the south of Sapa district. AMAZING landscape and no other tourist saw during the day.
– 1 days motorbike for visit the ethnic market of Muong Hum 2h drive north of sapa, no tourist…
So in 5 days I literally saw no other traveler than me for 4 days and I stay only in minority owned homestay.
And I can plan another trip for make the 3 days loop from sapa to sin ho or visit y ty area. Btw thanks for ur blog article and I wish you the best for ur future travel. Best regards
This is excellent advice, thank you so much! You’re absolutely right – the area has so much potential – we just wanted to warn people to about Cat Cat! Sapa generally is so commercial now, but there are ways of minimising your interaction with that aspect of the area. I also agree about the Ha Giang loop – I went a few years ago now and there were few tourists.
We had the intention of taking on a few motorbike loops in Sapa but the weather was so bad, I didn’t think it was safe. I will definitely return in the future though! Thanks so much again for your recommendations 🙂
Sure Claire i hope u will be able to visit sapa (and north vietnam in general again), for Cat Cat …. i’m agree at 100% and btw locals say me this place is owned by a private tour compagny. It’s just a theme park.
And for other cultural appropriation in this city u have a restrant named Red Dao where waitress are dressed with Red Dao traditionals costumes, but the owner and the employees are mostly all vietnamese,
Hello Guil, maybe you have more detailed plan for1 days motorbike loop around Muong Hua valley in the south of Sapa district? I would like to try it and your advice would be very helpfull.