hogwarts express dupe

chapa express to Sapa

Like most bookworm geeks, the Harry Potter series holds a special place in my heart. I’ve always been enthralled by the magic & sense of nostalgia the movies & books present.

My dream is to visit Edinburgh one day but for now, my train ride to Sapa shall suffice.

I’ve got it down on my vision board

While planning our trip up to Sapa, we found ourselves in a pickle — a sleeper bus for a fraction of the price (though coupled with many horror stories of road accidents) or a comfy overnight train for a ~400-ish euros (but a peace of mind)?

Weighing the cost of each mode of transport, alongside it’s risks & cost to cover the risk, we eventually landed ourselves in the cosy cabin of Chapa Express via 12go.

Upon peeking at the train station facilities (a simple toilet sans toilet paper), I’d most certainly pay a premium for the comfort & cleanliness if I could afford it. We were granted access to the toilets at the VIP train station lounge that offered shower amenities, clean toilets & toilet paper (as a frequent pee-er, clean toilets are essential for me).

Here’s some videos of the train experience!

My inner child was extremely tickled by the whole experience & I’m actually surprised by how soundly I slept on the train (at least, till I spotted a suspicious bug on the return train, thank god I wore a hoodie)!