Cat Cat village is the oldest village in the Northwest region located right at the foot of the majestic Hoang Lien Son mountain range. The village belongs to San Sa Ho commune, Sapa district, Lao Cai province. Cat Cat village is located 1500 to 1800 meters above sea level, so the climate is cool all year round. This place is the home of the H'Mong ethnic people. Cat Cat village is located very close to Sapa town at a distance of 3 km. It is no coincidence that Cat Cat village is considered the most beautiful ancient village in the Northwest. When you come here, you will witness the simple, rustic wooden roofs located along the clear streams covered by the green of the mountains and forests or discover firsthand the culture of the H'Mong ethnic group through daily living activities.

The entry fee is on the high side. After entering the village, a long row of souvenir shops greet visitors. Entry fee is payable to visit the tree house. The waterfall area is fine. Folk dance performance is interesting. Advisable to take taxi back to town.

Everything we read said that Cat Cat Village is very touristy, not authentic, crowded & not worth going to. We say: none of the above is true & we are so glad that we went! If you imagine that his created village is more than just that then you, too, will enjoy it. Yes, you have to first walk through a long line of small scale vendors who sell everything from buffalo jerky (it was quite good!), to silver jewelry, woven bags, belts, blankets, food, drinks, you name it. Once in the valley area, you will see TONS of people, mostly Vietnamese tourists who rent traditional clothes to have their pictures taken alongside one of the waterfalls, on horses, next to one of the many water wheels, near the river...it's all so colorful. We happened to walk into one of the small theaters in time to see dancers practicing their routines as their leader beat out the rhythms & perfected their movements. Suddenly, a local vendor came in with baskets of greens & all the dancers stopped their practice so that they could buy some herbs & veggies for their families. We saw beautiful waterfalls, huge birdhouses, gardens of flowers & fruits trees, people coming & going everywhere, taking in all of the sights. We enjoyed the rural feeling, the stone stairways, trees hugging the hillside, the slow-moving river, & we, too, took one of the best pictures here. A good memory.

The village is fixed up for tourists with lots of shops selling stuff, but we still had fun. Lots of guests rent ethnic costumes to wear during their visit, which made it even more fun. A beautiful little valley with stream and small waterfalls.

We were a little hesitant to visit Cat Cat village due to the not so pleasant reviews. However, we had a pleasant time there. There are various viewpoints which offer nice views of the river terraces and mountains. The waterfall in the middle of the village is scenic. Although this is a so called 'manufactured' village, it is still scenic and a pleasant place to visit. Do note however that there are lots of steps and you will pass by many shops selling similar stuff at the beginning. We walked there from Sapa town which is about 2km away. The views along the way are breathtakingly beautiful. However the roads are steep and you have to share paths with the motorbikes/cars. There are motorbike taxis if you are too tired to walk back.

Cat Cat Village in Sapa is a charming destination known for its ethnic Hmong culture and scenic landscapes. Visitors often appreciate the traditional handicrafts, cultural performances, and trekking opportunities. The terraced rice fields and cascading waterfalls add to the picturesque setting. Keep in mind that it can get crowded, but the unique cultural experience and stunning views make it a worthwhile visit.

If not for the ending area where there's traditional performance and the waterful, probaby would have rated as 1 star. Find it too commercialised. At the entrance after paying for the tickets, you will pass by a long stetch of shops and some photospots. For some photospot, it seems like you will have to pay a small sum, or buy a little stuff or drinks from the shop before you could take the photo. You will get a better deal if you skip buying your stuff from the earlier stall, if not please do some bargaining. Note: this is a one way route. Right from the entrance to the ending where you need to get transport back by taxi, or by your tour coach. We had ask a staff at the shop who told us the other way. Even though we did use google translate to asked. Which was actually for scooter ride out only. Look out for sign "Come back", as a exit sign. Once you follow the "Come back" sign, hiking a flight of steep steps up then either you walk a while to get to the taxi area or could just ride the electric car. Cant remember how much we paid for. There's free washroom available when you see the village. This place might be tricky for who people who have knees problem. As there's alot of stairs.

We visited Cat Cat Village on a wet day, after touring Fansipan Mountain. What we didn't expect was that Cat Cat Village is actually a valley at the foot of the mountains. From the car park area we walked down a slope, then lots of stone steps to get down to the valley. My wife and I took a slow walk down hill. We were rewarded with picturesque views all round, gentle small waterfalls and a cool December afternoon. There are shops that rent colourful ethnic costumes to tourists, which made for a great photoshoot as a souvenir for your visit. It is a touristic place and I can imagine the crowd if it's the high peak season. We took a walk around the valley, to the bridge of the far waterfall and then walked back to the car park. The walking back was a tough one as we had to walk up slope! Overall I would rate this place a 3.5, unfortunately I can only give it a 3 or 4 rating here. We did enjoyed our time exploring Cat Cat Village.

Having read the reviews, we were wary whether to go to Cat Cat Village or give it a miss. I think what people are forgetting is that yes, there are people peddling their wares, but what do you expect from a touristic area ... And yes, there is an entry fee, like lots of places the world over. If you can get your head beyond that, then it's a pleasant day out. They were doing some construction work at the bottom near the waterfalls, and even that didn't detract from the visit. It is a steep hike down many steps to the waterfall and a killer coming back up, in my opinion. You will be mithered if you want to opt for a motorbike transfer back up to the top, rather than having a cardiac, but we politely declined every time (only because l wanted to prove to myself I am fitter than what I think).

The main attraction was the waterfall and the bridge area. Yes it was beautiful but Cat Cat Village is more to market than the village itself. You can’t really see and feel the culture because it is just a walk trip market. Nevertheless, it has beautiful scenery and products here are very good quality and handmade.