sapa Homestays
sapa Homestays
BOOK YOUR HOMESTAY | LAO CHAI VILLAGE | TAPHIN VILLAGE | TAVAN VILLAGE | GIAN TA CHAI VILLAGE
What is a homestay? Homestays are an opportunity to stay with a local family. They are not hotels. They are an affordable accommodation alternative ideal for anyone seeking an authentic travel experience.
Scroll down to discover homestays in the Sapa hill tribe villages of Lao Chai, Taphin, Tavan and Giang Ta Chai.
We highly recommend booking through a tour operator. You may tell the tour operator which homestay you prefer after browsing through our site. If you choose to book independently, directly with a homestay owner, ensure they can acquire any necessary permits before you arrive in the village.
Tip: Go ahead and call homestay owners directly, but please understand that their English may not be perfect - patience will go a long way.
Lao Chai
Lao Chai
LAO CHAI
ETHNIC GROUPS - BLACK HMONG; KINH
Lao Chai is a Hmong village in a descending valley southwest of Sapa. Easily accessed by a number of trekking routes, this hilltribe village can be reached in three hours by the average trekker. Most of the local Black Hmong trekking and tour guides are from this village and many are homestay owners as well.
We definitely recommend doing the minimally challenging trek from Sapa to Lao Chai via Cat Cat Village and Y Linh Ho to spend an afternoon in a traditional batik art workshop followed with a night in one of the homestays for an amazing and authentic Hmong experience.
Click on the photos below to link to homestay owner bio and contact information.
Taphin
Taphin
TAPHIN
ETHNIC GROUPS - red dao; BLACK HMONG; KINH
The small village of Taphin is a 20 minute drive or 4 hour trek from Sapa, and has become a popular spot for day trekkers. At the entrance to the village, tourist vans and buses park and are greeted by numerous Red Dao street sellers. The majority of visitors passing through Taphin make the short round-trip through the centre of the village to a cave at the other end of town (See map).
Predominantly a Red Dao village, there is a small commune of Black Hmong on the west side of the valley. These groups have lived in this area for four hundred years and have sculpted the terraced landscapes and created irrigation routes for agriculture. They have planted the corn and forged the web of paths that get you to and from their homes and fields.
To find more information visit the Taphin community website, originally created for the village by Footprint Vietnam Travel.
Taphin offers visitors a truly authentic hill tribe experience. More than that, the Red Dao are some of the most welcoming people you may every meet. The homestays listed below represent varying types of experiences, but all are very friendly and welcoming.
Click on the photos below to link to homestay owner bio and contact information.
Tavan
Tavan
TAVAN
ETHNIC GROUPS - giay; red dao; HMONG; KINH
Once a quiet village with a mix of Dao, Hmong and Giay, the growth of the tourism industry has brought many changes to people of Tavan. Tourism now plays an integral yet somewhat boisterous role in the community. Currently there are rapid changes taking place, affecting the urban layout, houses, people, and culture. The people of Tavan have experienced the direct effects of this significant economic generator and have successfully built up capacity to manage this growth.
Tavan has become the most popular trekking destination in all of Sapa. The Giay (Day) ethnic minority has truly been entrepreneurial and industrious in retrofitting their homes to offer a place for trekkers to spend the night. It is not uncommon for Tavan to have 25 or more homestays being occupied with groups as large as 10 tourists. The small community is lively, picturesque and culturally significant.
Click on the photos below to link to homestay owner bio and contact information.
Giang Ta Chai
Giang Ta Chai
GIANG TA CHAI
Gian Ta Chai is a popular meeting point for half-day walkers and trekkers that sits at the base of a large waterfall that is at times just a trickle compared to the thundering water flow during rainy season....more information coming soon.
Click on the photos below to link to homestay owner bio and contact information.
