Sapa has been becoming a major tourist destination of North Vietnam, a natural starting point for the unique experiences in the mountainous area, which includes the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, Indochina's highest peak of Fansipan (3143m) and 5 different hill-tribes, each one colorful, distinct, and with its own language and cultural values. Some of the villages, especially the more remote ones, are still largely untouched by modern ways of life.