@redjon

Possible to rent motorbike/scooter in Sapa. Only reason to go there, and then quickly out. You wont regret Mu Cang Chai.

Renting motorbike/scooter: if you don't want to go to SaPa, try at the westerner-oriented cafe/guesthouse place by the Lao Cai train station - they used to do this, but it was a long time ago.

What is mean sticker

visa

?

Valid just for short time ?

@USAteacher2017 A "sticker visa" is a rectangular/square piece of paper that allows you to enter a country for purposes specified on the visa such as tourism or employment. It is stuck in the passport with a type of adhesive.

Clarification:

1) I am a White Anglo Saxon Presbyterian not Chinese!

2) I entered twice because I have my own car and brought my bicycle too. Also, I only had a week off work so time was against me. (Originally I wanted to bicycle Hagiang but it was too hot so I rented a 150cc motorcycle from a Hostel and did a few day trips but I didn't do the "loop" because the roads were too dusty, I got really sunburnt and I saw the aftermath of a collision of a bus and SUV which put me off motorcycling) So, I drove from Tianbao to Hekou on country roads along the border and was there in several hours.

3)I never said that I was questioned the 2nd time I entered, just the first time and only by the Chinese (who were polite)

4) I never said the stamp was 30 day. I don't have my passport at hand and I can't remember of the top of my head.

5) I never bribed anybody! Once the Vietnamese at Laocai saw that I've been stamped before at Hagiang they called for a english-speaking colleague who explained the situation to me and told me that i could pay $5

for the "sticker visa" (please look at my above post for the definition of a sticker visa).

6) You can definitely cross at the Malipo/Hagiang border as I did it and if that isn't enough proof then just look at the website below:

military.cnr.cn/bfjc/sbsh/20140930/t20140930_516537125.html

7) The purpose of this thread is purely informative and crossing at the

Malipo/Tianbao border crossing IS the most convenient way to travel to Hagiang from Kunming

OK so that website does seem to confirm foreigners can cross. Finally something. In general, it should be in English because sometimes Chinese websites claim a border is open but fail to mention it's only for Chinese and citizens of the neighboring country. This link is an exception to that.

Chinese cars can't enter Vietnam, no wonder you were forced to drive to Hekou via Chinese territory. This means you would have had to park your car at the border and enter Vietnam on foot.

Please also state your nationality. By the sounds of it you are probably from one of the 4 Scandinavian countries that can enter Vietnam visa-free for 15 days.

@Tom69. So you're debating the website when we have a first hand current account of a foreigner actually crossing there. I don't think jiangwu has to clarify anymore.

@jiangwu. I appreciate you letting us know about your experience at that crossing.

@AlexKMG your very welcome.

Looking at my passport now, it appears that I was given a 2 week sticker visa at Laocai. the stamps I got at Hagiang don't tell me how long it was valid for.

@Tom69 I'm British and I parked my car in the hotel car park. BTW I doubt there are many WASP's in Scandinavia. I guess they're more Nordic rather than Anglo Saxon.

Final thing I'll say on this thread......Hagiang is well worth a visit

All - quick Vietnam Visa questions. What documents required to issue a visa in the Kunming consulate?

Cheers!

Eli: Your passport and a photo or two, plus the form you will get at the consulate and fill out.