KHƯ FAMILY HOMESTAY

Lovely homestay with excellent hosts and family. Mrs Khu and Mr Chim are locals traditional Hmong people. This is a very local experience. Excellent location at the top of Lao Chai Village. Breakfast and dinner is very nice - soup or rice or pancake meals.

My experience in Sapa was unforgettable thanks to one super star woman: Mama Khu. Words can't begin to describe how amazing this homestay was. I have been in Vietnam for over a month and was looking for a truly authentic, unique local experience, which is exactly what Khu provided. She whizzed in with her motorbike to pick me up directly from the bus station at 7am in the morning, and the trek started right then and there. We began the day with a local breakfast (Khu gives you the option for a local or western breakfast) and set off for our trek to her village. I wanted something a bit more challenging, so we took the long way over mountains and through valleys for about 6 hours, stopping for lunch on the way (the food was delicious!). We experienced all 4 seasons that day - sweating under the blazing sun one second and shivering under my puffy jacket as the clouds rolled in and the mist took over the next. When we reached the homestay that evening there was a small fire right in the middle of the main room to help keep us warm as I helped Khu and her daughter prepare dinner. I was exhausted so went to my room right after dinner which consisted of a bed (which was more like a cloud it was so comfortable), mosquito net and a plug - all the essentials. There was also hot water for the shower which I was quite excited about!

Day 2 exceeded all my expectations. Khu took me to her father's village - about a 3 hour uphill trek - climbing 500 meters through farms and rice fields (we legitimately walked on the edge of rice fields, balancing on small narrow walkways and passing right by giant water buffalo grazing in the fields). We did not see another tourist for hours - which is extremely rare in Vietnam. When we reached her father's farm, we were greeted by baby goats, a cat, a puppy and her mom, a pig (who the goats loved) and about a dozen chickens. I was nervous about going back down the mountain as it was quite steep, so Khu found a nice bamboo tree and made me a walking stick right then and there (she is absolutely hilarious - prepare to laugh non-stop!)

I learned so much throughout the entire trek, asking question about local customs and traditions, the education and health systems, history of Vietnam etc. Khu is incredibly knowledgeable and willing to share her life with you. This is a true homestay experience - not like the ecolodges being built up all around Sapa. It was unique to see exactly how Khu and her family live and bonus: you get to meet her 2 year old son who is cheeky and adorable!She really goes above and beyond to customize the experience to fit what you are looking for. I could not recommend this home stay more - I will be sending all my friends to Khu in the future!