Insights and Stories from Sapa and the Northern Borderbelt provinces of Vietnam.
Threads of Life: Stories of Craft and Culture in Northern Vietnam
Short films capturing the crafts, traditions, and everyday artistry of northern Vietnam. An invitation to travel slowly, ethically, and with connection.
A Window into Everyday Artistry
From the hum of the loom to the quiet rhythm of indigo dyeing, this film series offers glimpses into the artistry woven through the daily lives of northern Vietnam’s upland communities.
Crafted with Care and Respect
Created in collaboration with local people, these short films capture embroidery, foraging, weaving, farming, and festive ceremonies. These are not staged performances, but authentic expressions of life and labour, shared with generosity and pride.
Culture Beyond Spectacle
For us, culture is not a show. It is a relationship. One that is built slowly, with care, respect, and time. These films reflect that belief: culture is lived, not displayed.
Travel That Connects
If you feel drawn to this way of travelling, grounded, ethical, and rooted in community, we invite you to journey with us. From day visits to longer explorations, our experiences connect you directly with the people and landscapes you see on screen.
Watch and Experience
You can watch the full playlist here:
👉 Stories from the Mountains: Northern Vietnam Playlist
And if the stories move you, we welcome you to join us in person, walking the paths, sharing meals, and learning from those who call these mountains home.
Walking Beside, Not Ahead: Why Ethos is Different
Ethos is not just about trekking. It is about connection, community, and respect walking beside people, not just across landscapes.
Connection Beyond Trekking
When people ask what makes Ethos unique, our answer is simple: it is not just about trekking. It is about connection. It is about slowing down, walking beside someone, sharing a meal, and listening to their story.
What Travellers Have Told Us
We recently reviewed feedback shared across different platforms. The response was humbling. No negative comments, no low ratings—only heartfelt reflections from travellers who walked with our Hmong and Dao guides, stayed in family homes, and left with a deeper understanding of the land and its people.
More Than a Business
For us, this means more than numbers or reviews. Ethos is not just a business. It is a community. It is our home, and we want every journey to reflect honesty, immersion, and respect.
Walking the Path Together
If you are looking for something more than a trek, something rooted in real human connection, we would love to walk that path with you.
Foraging in the Misty Hills: A Trek That Awakens the Senses
Unlock the secrets of Sapa’s hills with Ethos foraging treks. Taste wild plants, cook over open fires, and learn from Hmong and Dao guides.
A Hidden Treasure in Sapa’s Hills
In the misty hills just beyond Sapa’s edge, tucked between ancient rice terraces and whispering forests, grows an unassuming little plant. Its leaves are deep green and veined like river maps, while its flower bursts golden and bright, no bigger than a coin. To walk past it is easy. To taste it is to unlock a secret.
Nature’s Quiet Wonder
Among our Hmong and Dao partners, this plant, Acmella oleracea, has been valued for generations. Bite into its flower and a tingling, fizzing sensation dances across your tongue. It is not spicy or sour. It is electric, like the forest itself speaking through your senses.
Tradition and Flavour Combined
Known locally as the “toothache plant” for its numbing properties, it has long been used in traditional medicine to soothe pain and treat infections. But it has also found its way into wild soups and foraged salads, adding flavour and a little surprise to the plate.
More Than a Hike
On our Ethos-exclusive foraging and wild camping tours, you will discover secrets like this side by side with local experts. These are not just hikes. They are invitations to learn directly from Hmong and Dao guides whose knowledge is rooted in the land, passed from hand to hand, season to season.
Belonging to the Landscape
Whether you join a one-day walk or a two-day overnight adventure under the stars, you will gather wild greens, cook over open flames, and sleep to the rhythm of the forest. Along the way, you will learn what it means to truly belong to a landscape not just to see it, but to taste it, hear it, and feel its quiet magic.
Spaces are limited and the season waits for no one. Bookings are now open. Come forage with us.
The Girl and the Bird: A Tale from the Mountains of Sapa
In the mountains of Sapa, a hungry girl finds a bird in need. What begins as a struggle for survival becomes a story of love and hope.
A Story Rooted in the Hills
High in the mountains of Sapa, where mist lingers over rice terraces and shadows move through the valleys, lives My, a young Hmong girl. Each day begins with the challenge of foraging for food—wild mushrooms, snails, and greens—to ease her family’s hunger.
An Unexpected Discovery
One evening, while searching for berries, My climbed into the branches of a tree. Hidden among the leaves she found not fruit but a fragile nest, home to a tiny bird left alone. Though hunger gripped her, she carried the trembling creature home.
Love Stronger than Hunger
At first, the thought of food tugged at her, yet as the bird sang in her ear, My’s hunger softened. She began feeding it corn from her meagre store. Each chirp brought joy, each small bond stitched love into her heart.
A Bond Forged in Twilight
Though her stomach remained empty, My crafted a nest for her new companion. As the fire burned low, she shared her bed with the bird, their small bodies pressed close against the night. Together they sang beneath the stars, weaving a melody of hope, resilience, and dreams.
