They came
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Tom - United Kingdom
This tour was undoubtedly one of the highlights of our travels. We went with our guides to an isolated market town with relatively low foreign footfall. We were able to interact with several of the ethnic groups with greater intimacy than we had previously experienced on other treks in the region. We also had the chance to plant rice with a Hmong family who quickly became our friends. Our direct interaction with the local people was a great experience and we left with the overriding feeling that our visit was an ethical and environmentally-friendly one :) Visited June 2013 |
Sophie - Germany
Our day started when our English speaking tour guide, a H'mong woman in traditional clothes, came to our hotel ( H'mong sapa hotel) and went to the market into town with us. we could decide what we wanted to have for lunch so we could choose the food with the help of our guide. after that we took the taxi to the families house.( a mother and three girls (aged 6, 9, 11)). we helped with the cooking and after an hour we had the whole table full of food, around 12 different courses, which were cooked on the open fire. The food was so delicious, the best we had in whole vietnam until that day! after the lunch we went down to the valley with our H'mong guide and the three girls to swim in the river. we had the perfect day for a very fair price although we only booked it the day before! |
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Fleur - Australia
Don't worry about booking tours before you come as it is best to make up your mind once you arrive. We had pre organised a tour with a separate company prior to arrival which was terrific but typical of the majority of trekking tours run from Sapa town. Ethos - a new tour company run from the Sapa H'mong hotel deliver truly authentic experiences. We had an amazing time meeting a local H'mong family as part of our experience with Ethos. The day started out with buying ingredients from the local market and then we joined in with the preparation and cooking of the meal in their home. This was such a special day spent with our guide Chai, her sister-in-law Do and other members of their family. We wish we'd had more time to take in some of the other experiences offered by Ethos! Both the hotel and Ethos aim to give back to the local community, this sentiment and action resonate deeply with us! Visited November 2013 |
Jamie - United Kingdom
We organised a number of trips through Ethos Adventures. Our first day was spent with a Hmong family. We travelled to their home then divided into two groups. Half of us cooked with the family, preparing an amazing pumpkin soup unlike anything you'd find back home. The rest of us walked uphill to collect water for the family. Having eaten, we went to the rice fields to help the family with their planting; how much we actually helped I don't know, but it was certainly a unique experience and one I won't forget. Afterwards we rode down to the valley floor for a swim. We were surrounded by people from the villages washing, cooling off and sunning themselves on the warm rocks. If there's a better introduction to an area's way of life and scenery please tell me! We also organised a day trip to the top of Fanxipan. It was a tough climb with the weather a little unkind to us, though looking back it made it all the more memorable. Key to the experience was our guide who was organised through the company. He explained the local flora to us, picked bamboo shoots for a meal that evening and most importantly kept our morale up! Personally speaking, it was good to know that our use of the tour company was ethical and directly benefited the locals that we spent time with. Visited June 2013 |
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Iza - Australia
Ethos - a new tour company deliver truly authentic experiences. We had an amazing time meeting a local H'mong family and sharing in the preparation and cooking of a meal as part of our day organised with Ethos. We wish we'd had more time to take in some of their other experiences! Ethos aim to give back to the local community, this sentiment and action resonate with us! November 2013 |
John - Australia
Our stay in Sapa became the highlight of our three weeks in Vietnam, not just because of the magnificent scenery that Sapa can offer but also through the local experience provided by Ethos. Their guides led us on a visit to a local school which they are trying to establish a supportive partnership with and also shared a meal out with us, sharing their passion to assist the local community in a culturally sensitive manner. Guides employed by Ethos Adventures are also Hmong women with a wealth of knowledge and being invited to their homes for a meal was a memorable and humbling experience. Highly recommended. November 2013, travelled as a couple |
Emily - USA
We contacted Phil on Wednesday (based on TripAdvisor Reviews), hoping for a tour for 6 of us (3 adults, 3 kids ages 12, 12 and 9) that would feel more authentic than the "conga line" of tourists walking around Cat Cat (which we learned is owned by a corporation….), where we would really get a glimpse of life for the Hmong in the villages. Phil was great about communication, despite being in Laos for a day, and answered all questions promptly.
We arranged for a day trekking with a Hmong guide who would bring us to the market and then her home for a home-cooked meal. Sounded like what we were hoping for - but we got SO MUCH more than that. The day started with Phil pulling up on his motorcycle with a traditionally dressed Black Hmong woman on the back of his bike. He introduced us to the fabulous Ker, explained our day again, confirmed everything with Ker and us, gave my kids some assignments for the day (learn 3 Hmong words, help cook spring rolls, play a Hmong instrument), and left us in Ker's very capable hands.
First of all, her English is impeccable. There were almost no words she didn't understand, and her accent was so tiny that we had no trouble understanding her. She brought us first to the market where we shopped for the day's food, then we drove to the entrance to the walk to the village. Along the way, we saw village life going on all about us - from the woman running after the water buffalo trying to eat the crops, to the kids getting out of school and running home for lunch, to the villagers working around their homes. The scenery was magical, and we took some incredible pictures. After trekking a while, we started on the steep ascent to Ker's house, stopping at the bottom of her village to visit her grandmother-in-law (a village shaman). By the time we reached Ker's house, we were exhausted and hungry! We watched (my son helped) the family make some dinner, and met some of the neighborhood men as well, who came to join us for lunch. Ker did a great job translating for us, and we sat down to an elaborate, delicious meal, complete with chicken, pork, vegetables, rice, and LOTS of rice wine.
The whole family, including her husband, mother-in-law, children, and various other relatives were incredibly friendly and welcoming.
After lunch, the kids and some of the men (and Ker when she wasn't finishing up in the house) played with the little "hacky" that we had brought with us (the little feather-kicking thing so popular in parts of Vietnam) for a while, and all seemed to have a great time.
We said our goodbyes to the family, then walked with Ker to a nearby cave, and then out to where the truck met us to bring us back to our hotel in Sapa. Phil met us back at the hotel to debrief with us, and we tried to relay what a fabulous day it was.
A couple of things made this day particularly great: 1) we didn't see other foreigners walking around (just one group, and they looked very jealous that we had Ker with us), so we felt like we were there to observe and learn - not that the village was there for tourism. Huge difference than our walk through CatCat. 2) Ker was a perfect guide - didn't pepper us with a million facts, but instead let us ask her whatever questions we had about H'mong life - and her answers were thoughtful, honest, and interesting. We learned SO MUCH more this way, than had we been put through a typical shpiel that we could read on Wikipedia! 3) The food! Delicious, amazing, etc - not a meal we will forget!
Huge thanks to Phil and to Ker for a perfect day. All three kids and all three grownups agreed that our day with Ker and her family was one of our best in Vietnam!
December 2013
We contacted Phil on Wednesday (based on TripAdvisor Reviews), hoping for a tour for 6 of us (3 adults, 3 kids ages 12, 12 and 9) that would feel more authentic than the "conga line" of tourists walking around Cat Cat (which we learned is owned by a corporation….), where we would really get a glimpse of life for the Hmong in the villages. Phil was great about communication, despite being in Laos for a day, and answered all questions promptly.
We arranged for a day trekking with a Hmong guide who would bring us to the market and then her home for a home-cooked meal. Sounded like what we were hoping for - but we got SO MUCH more than that. The day started with Phil pulling up on his motorcycle with a traditionally dressed Black Hmong woman on the back of his bike. He introduced us to the fabulous Ker, explained our day again, confirmed everything with Ker and us, gave my kids some assignments for the day (learn 3 Hmong words, help cook spring rolls, play a Hmong instrument), and left us in Ker's very capable hands.
First of all, her English is impeccable. There were almost no words she didn't understand, and her accent was so tiny that we had no trouble understanding her. She brought us first to the market where we shopped for the day's food, then we drove to the entrance to the walk to the village. Along the way, we saw village life going on all about us - from the woman running after the water buffalo trying to eat the crops, to the kids getting out of school and running home for lunch, to the villagers working around their homes. The scenery was magical, and we took some incredible pictures. After trekking a while, we started on the steep ascent to Ker's house, stopping at the bottom of her village to visit her grandmother-in-law (a village shaman). By the time we reached Ker's house, we were exhausted and hungry! We watched (my son helped) the family make some dinner, and met some of the neighborhood men as well, who came to join us for lunch. Ker did a great job translating for us, and we sat down to an elaborate, delicious meal, complete with chicken, pork, vegetables, rice, and LOTS of rice wine.
The whole family, including her husband, mother-in-law, children, and various other relatives were incredibly friendly and welcoming.
After lunch, the kids and some of the men (and Ker when she wasn't finishing up in the house) played with the little "hacky" that we had brought with us (the little feather-kicking thing so popular in parts of Vietnam) for a while, and all seemed to have a great time.
We said our goodbyes to the family, then walked with Ker to a nearby cave, and then out to where the truck met us to bring us back to our hotel in Sapa. Phil met us back at the hotel to debrief with us, and we tried to relay what a fabulous day it was.
A couple of things made this day particularly great: 1) we didn't see other foreigners walking around (just one group, and they looked very jealous that we had Ker with us), so we felt like we were there to observe and learn - not that the village was there for tourism. Huge difference than our walk through CatCat. 2) Ker was a perfect guide - didn't pepper us with a million facts, but instead let us ask her whatever questions we had about H'mong life - and her answers were thoughtful, honest, and interesting. We learned SO MUCH more this way, than had we been put through a typical shpiel that we could read on Wikipedia! 3) The food! Delicious, amazing, etc - not a meal we will forget!
Huge thanks to Phil and to Ker for a perfect day. All three kids and all three grownups agreed that our day with Ker and her family was one of our best in Vietnam!
December 2013