One of the best experiences when travelling to Sapa is a stay in the home of a local Black Hmong family. We have been working with the Hmong of Lao Chai for two years and have seen their village grow immensely. The homestays listed below represent varying types of experiences, but all are friendly and welcoming.

Important information for tourists

Feel free to call any of the homestay owners directly. Please know that their English may not be perfect. When you do visit the homestay, please be sure to tell the homestay owner that you do not have a permit to stay overnight and they will assist you in ensuring that you have one.

The experience that you have in the village is up to you. We highly advise you to get engaged. The Hmong women may not always ask you to come and join them in the kitchen because they are somewhat shy. Be proactive and kindly ask to join in the cooking or in other village activities such as farming, embroidery, or feeding the animals.

Learn More about Lao Chai Village here

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Ms. May

Pronunciation: Ms. My
Telephone # 016620 66593
Sapa O’Chau Homestay
Capacity: 8-12

Ms. May is an extremely friendly and outgoing mother of two. Ms. May, who has excellent English skills, works as a tour guide for Sapa O’Chau in addition to managing her comfortable and clean homestay. Ms. May’s home is located just off the main road into the village, after crossing the river from the higher trekking route into Lao Chai from Sapa. There is plenty of space both inside and outside the home for guests to relax, and the close proximity to the amenities of Lao Chai village, such as shops, restaurants and batiking workshops, is an added bonus.

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Ms. Di and Mr. Thong Di / Ms. mee (Daughter)

Pronunciation: Ms. Dee and Mr. Tong Dee
Telephone # 01686 831160
Capacity: 6-12

Ms. Di’s homestay is a newer addition to Lao Chai village and offers the unique opportunity for guests to take part in batiking lessons. Ms. Di is one of the few women in the village that have continued this traditional art and loves to share her knowledge with willing guests. The homestay is clean and comfortable, located right in the main village, and has a shop selling Ms. Di’s handicrafts at the front.

Ms. Ai is Ms. Di's daughter-in-law and speaks great English!

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MR. CHINH

Pronunciation: Mr. Ching
Telephone # 09888 36424
Capacity: 15

Mr. Chinh and his family maintain a large and welcoming homestay on the main road into Lao Chai from Sapa. The facilities are quite basic, however the hospitality provided by Mr. Chinh and his family allow for an enjoyable experience in Lao Chai. There are numerous traditional handicrafts available for purchase in the front of the home, in addition to Hmong artifacts and corn grinding machinery to look at and learn about.

Mr. Chinh's daughter speaks great English.

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Ms. Di/Ai

Pronunciation: Ms. Dzee
Telephone # 0166 4472 745
Daughter’s Telephone # 8985 806736 (Speaks English)

Capacity: 2-4

Ms..Di's homestay is far off the beaten track. Way up and over the mountain that stands as the backdrop for Lao Chai, her homestay is a peaceful place to contemplate was is truly important in life. In the evening you can see the lights of Sapa lighting up the night sky. The trek to and from Ms. Di's is somewhat challenging so you will want to be in good shape if you plan on staying here.

Ms. Di's daughter, Ms. Ai, works as a local tour guide and speaks great English.

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Mr. Chinh (Hang A) and Ms. Ma

Pronunciation: Mr. Ching and Ms. Mah
Mr. Chinh: Telephone # 01236 677974 (Speaks Vietnamese, no English)
Ms. Ma: Telephone # 01234 764641 (Speaks English and is also a tour guide!)
Capacity: 6

Ms. Ma has an unforgettable smile. She will welcome you with laugher and kindness. Her home is literally in the rice paddies! In fact, the kitchen wall is a wall of one of the rice paddies. Her homestay is also very clean and has been recently outfitted with a western toilet and hot showers.

MS. SHO AND MR. HO

Pronunciation: Ms. Shoo and Mr. Ho
Telephone # 0162 6315870
Capacity: 4

Ms. Sho and Mr. Ho are extremely proud to announce that their homestay is ready to accept guests. Situated near the river and the Lao Chai bridge there is always a flurry of village life going on. Ms. Sho works as a local tour guide in and around Sapa and speaks excellent English.

HOMESTAYS UNDER DEVELOPMENT

Note: As of May 2014, these homestays are at varying levels of development and some may be ready sooner than others. If you are travelling through Lao Chai and find that any of these homestay owners are ready (and willing) to accept guests, please let us know at cbtvietnam@c apilanou.ca and we will update our directory accordingly. If you are a guest of one of these families, we would love to hear about your experience!