Traveller Stories – ETHOS Community Tours in Sapa (Testimonials)
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“One of the best, most culturally-rich guided experiences we have ever done.”
- Gijs Groeneboom (Google Review)
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"The most authentic travel experience we've ever had the privilege of immersing ourselves in"
- Sophie Baker (Google Review)
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“I cannot recommend ETHOS enough, the best thing we did while travelling in Vietnam.”
- Jonathan Byers (Google Review)
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"If you want an authentic experience in Vietnam this is the place to come. It will completely change the way you view the world".
- Camilla Andelin (Google Review)
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My daughter and I spent 4 days in Sapa with ETHOS in late March and we absolutely loved it! It was such a wonderful and unforgettable experience on so many levels. When we arrived in Sapa we had already been in Vietnam for 4 weeks but we learned more about Vietnam, especially its minority ethnic groups, in the 4 days we spent at ETHOS than during our whole trip. The ETHOS Centre has a very warm and friendly vibe, thanks to their wonderful team.
- Nathalie Normandeau (Google Review)
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After 3 days with the Ethos team, It's hard to know where to start. It's hands down been the most incredible and impactful part of my time in Vietnam. I feel up until my mum and I met with the Ethos team, that I was traveling with a blindfold on - and Ethos opened our eyes to so many important realities, empowering us with information to guide us in being tourists in a more ethical way".
- Lucy Curno (Google Review)
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We had the absolute best experience with Ethos in Sapa, and I can safely say it will be a firm number one highlight of our entire trip round Vietnam. From the second we arrived it was clear that everyone working at Ethos cared about us, the community, and the local ethnic groups deeply. This care was key to our experience, and we left wishing we could come back immediately".
- Fraser Forrest. (Google Review)
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We had two experiences: an overnight stay in a Hmong house with embroidery workshop and a hike then a batik workshop in Sapa. We had a beautiful time with both: exploring, discovering the very long techniques, meeting with the lovely locals, etc. If you are looking for a genuine experience of these amazing tribes’ life, then contact Ethos with no hesitation! Everyone was very friendly and extremely helpful, from the owners to our guides.
- Ceora LECLERCQ (Google Review)
Why Travellers Love ETHOS – Real Stories. Life-Changing Journeys
At ETHOS – Spirit of the Community, we believe in travel that connects cultures. Don’t just take our word for it. Please read these authentic traveller stories and testimonials from our guests in Sapa, Vietnam, and see why ETHOS tours are often described as life-changing.
“The thought that is put into creating a truly authentic experience is not lost – from start to end. If you have the time, try and do more than a day trip!”
“Beautiful, knowledgeable people taking us on a trek to a real Hmong home where we helped prepare a sensational lunch from herbs we’d picked. Definitely the highlight of our group’s stay in Vietnam.”
“Expérience mémorable avec Ethos… Expérience très enrichissante, dont nous nous souviendrons longtemps !”
“We were looking for an authentic opportunity to get closer to local people and understand their lifestyle, culture and traditions – Ethos delivered completely.”
“Amazing experience with Ethos! We were looking for a unique adventure, not a ‘one size fits all’ program, and were more than happy to choose this one.”
“We just finished our 2-day trek with May Sieu and we are blown away! She explained traditional herbal medicines and rice culture with vast knowledge. I felt that I was at someone’s home, spending meaningful time in Sapa – not with an agency.”
Recommended by:
Lonely Planet
Rough Guides
Le Routard
Brandt Guides
TripAdvisor
Simplissime
Inspired to Explore? Create your unique ETHOS experience now.
Step behind the scenes of life in the highlands. Our blog is where we gather stories of travel, craft, and connection, written together with our Hmong, Dao, and other local partners.
It’s less about where to go, and more about what you might feel along the way.
Lonely Planet (Travel guide, 2025): A first-time travel guide to Sapa recommends arranging treks with reputable local companies “like ETHOS” for an authentic experience. The guide (published 2025) notes that ETHOS provides tailored treks with local guides, ensuring cultural immersion while supporting the local economy. ETHOS is highlighted as an ethical choice for trekking, in line with its reputation in major guidebooks (ETHOS is featured in Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Le Routard and Bradt Guides as a top community-based tour option in Sapa).
ETHOS Sapa – Authentic Community-Based Tours in Vietnam
Medium Travel Guide (Cai Bap): An in-depth Sapa travel guide on Medium strongly recommends Ethos Sapa as the “highly recommend” agency for trekking. The author explains that “Ethos Sapa is a tour company which recruits and trains local ethnic minorities to become their tour guides,” creating exceptional off-the-beaten-path tours (for example, visits to remote Lao and Lu communities in Lai Châu). The guide emphasises Ethos’s reasonable price and notes “I did not receive any money from this agency to write that,” underscoring the genuine esteem for Ethos’s services
Official Vietnam Tourism Website: The national tourism site’s sustainable travel itinerary for Sapa gives a special TIP to book ETHOS for community-based tours. It notes Ethos offers responsible experiences “ranging from motorbike rides to sewing classes to photography tours,” enabling visitors to engage deeply with local culture. This official endorsement underscores Ethos’s role in promoting sustainable tourism that preserves Sapa’s nature and heritage.
TripAdvisor (ongoing, 2014–2026): Ethos – Spirit of the Community is the top-ranked Sapa tour experience on TripAdvisor, with a perfect 5.0 rating from over 1,500 reviews to date. Travellers consistently praise the authenticity and social impact of Ethos’s tours. (One TripAdvisor reviewer clarifies: “ETHOS are an ethical Social Enterprise… facilitating conscientious travellers in creating unique adventures whilst supporting local minority tribal people”.) As of 2025/26, Ethos is proudly ranked #1 in Sapa for outdoor activities, reflecting its widespread acclaim and ethical reputation
The Guardian (UK, Nov 2016): In a Guardian “Travel Tips” feature, a reader describes a “magical” day with Ethos in Sapa’s hill tribes. The tip recounts how Ethos guide Ker met the travellers in town, took them shopping in the market for ingredients, then led a three-hour hike through the Hoàng Liên mountains to her Black Hmong village. At Ker’s home they prepared spring rolls and shared a meal with her family, gaining intimate insight into Hmong life and beliefs. The author notes Ker’s excellent English and the profound cultural exchange, calling the experience the most amazing in their Vietnam trip. This award-winning tip underscores Ethos’s ability to facilitate genuine connection between visitors and local people. Update (Dec 2023): In an update to its travel section, The Guardian noted that Ethos’s tours remain a standout experience in Sapa. One piece urges readers to book “an experience with Ethos, not just a tour,” describing how Ethos arranged homestays and even showcased a high-tech stove project aimed at reducing indoor smoke for Hmong families.
Tuổi Trẻ Online (Vietnamese, Sep 2017): A Vietnamese newspaper article on national tourism trends cites Ethos as a bright spot for Sapa. It notes that while Sapa town has become crowded and “not as pleasant as expected” for some tourists, “trekking tours with Ethos still top travellers’ choices and reviews.” These tours, led by Hmong, Dao and other minority women guides, are popular because of the rich local culture they provide. The piece emphasises that such community-based tours not only earn “5-star” traveller ratings but also “support the ethnic minorities” by providing income and empowering the guides.
The Ecologist (UK, Jan 2018): The Ecologist magazine featured Ethos in an article about ethical trekking groups in Vietnam’s north. Journalist Robyn Wilson explains that Ethos – Spirit of the Community are tackling issues like human trafficking, plastic pollution and poverty by reinvesting tourism profits into local communities. The article also notes Ethos provides medical assistance, environmental education, is developing clean-burning stoves for villages, and planned to help plant 10,000 trees in 2018. The Ecologist casts Ethos as a leader in using tourism as “a force for good,” empowering marginalized tribes and raising traveler awareness.
VietSense Travel News (Vietnamese, Nov 2020): A Vietnamese travel industry news post highlights Ethos’s role in connecting tourists with offbeat destinations. It reports that Lâm Bình district (Tuyên Quang province) partnered with tour companies to develop community tourism, “notably:… ETHOS (Sapa) which brings foreign tourists regularly to visit and explore [Lâm Bình].” Ethos is credited with introducing international visitors to this “little Ha Long” region, helping local homestay-based tourism grow. The article implies Ethos’s model – exclusive tours for foreigners into upland villages – has spurred economic benefits in a once-isolated area. (VietSense, 13/11/2020)
English blogs about ETHOS
The blog post “The Sapa Blues” describes the author’s visit to Sapa in northern Vietnam, where she reflects on how mass tourism has reshaped the town and highlights meeting Hmong and Red Dao artisans through an ethical program, learning about their traditional batik and embroidery while urging travelers to support local communities thoughtfully.
The author describes meeting So, a Black Hmong guide, and joining an ETHOS ecotourism tour. They highlight TripAdvisor reviews calling ETHOS tours “life-changing” and praise the organisation’s mission of empowering Hmong communities through responsible tourism
Claire calls ETHOS “the best Sapa trekking tour company.” She explains that ETHOS employs women guides, offers customised treks and homestays, provides drinking water to villages and runs projects to prevent human trafficking
A personal travel essay where the author arranges a 36‑hour adventure with ETHOS, praises the home‑cooked meals and cultural immersion, and credits ETHOS for tailoring the experience to her interests
The writer states that ETHOS, the organisation they booked through, is “the real deal,” offering immersive and ethical experiences that work directly with minority communities. They note that ETHOS partners with different ethnic groups for homestays and workshops and emphasise that “you’re investing in a community”
This listing summarises traveller reviews praising ETHOS for authentic, informative and culturally immersive treks with local Hmong guides. Reviewers mention meals with families, guidance from local women and professional organisation
In a reader‑submitted travel tip, the writer describes a “magical” day with a Black Hmong guide arranged via ETHOS. They recall trekking to the guide’s village, cooking together and learning about her life
The author urges readers to book an experience with ETHOS, not just a tour. They describe two days arranged by ETHOS, highlight homestays and note that ETHOS is testing a high‑tech stove to reduce indoor smoke
The writers recount meeting ETHOS founders Hoa and Phil and joining a two‑day trek. They highlight personalised market shopping, trekking with guide Cha and ETHOS’s mission to support communities while respecting culture
Discusses ethical trekking companies including ETHOS. It quotes ETHOS co‑founder Phil Hoolihan on reinvesting profits in local education programmes and describes projects such as efficient stoves and planting trees
Suggests booking ETHOS community‑based tours for responsible travellers, positioning ETHOS as an ethical option
In the larger guide, the author notes that booking a guided trek with ETHOS gives deeper insight into Hmong and Red Dao culture
ETHOS’s own “They Came” page collects testimonials from travellers who describe authentic experiences, cooking with Hmong families and the feeling that tours were ethical and environmentally friendly
On travel platform Peek.com, writer Kai Nakamura documented “Discovering the Heart of Sapa: A Trekking Experience with ETHOS.” Kai describes being warmly welcomed by Hoa and Phil (Ethos’s owners) and guided by Cha, a Black Hmong guide. The trek through “buffalo valleys” and misty rice terraces was challenging yet rewarding, and the night spent at a Hmong homestay was a highlight – filled with cooking over an open fire, sharing rice wine, and waking to a rooster’s crow. Kai was impressed by Ethos’s commitment to sustainability: “Their dedication to sustainable tourism and support for ethnic minority communities was evident from the start,” he writes. He notes Ethos organizes workshops on human trafficking awareness, supports community education and healthcare projects, and generally serves as “a model for how tourism can be a force for good”.
French blogs about ETHOS
The blogger cautions readers that Sapa town is overrun by tourists but says the secret is choosing the right agency. She praises ETHOS, founded by an Anglo‑Vietnamese couple, for paying Hmong guides fairly, supporting them in times of need and preserving ancestral crafts like batik. She acknowledges that tours cost more but feels the money is well used.
Ethos offers authentic and responsible travel experiences in Sapa, far from mass tourism. A journey that is sustainability, respectful, and deeply meaningful.
Ethos is recommended for travellers who wanto to go beyond mass tourism and experience the real Sapa. With local Hmong guides, every trek becomes a genuine encounter that also supports the community.
German blogs about ETHOS
This Swiss travel blog recounts a trek with ETHOS and a conversation with founders Phil and Hoa. The article describes ETHOS’s mission to support ethnic minorities and details a project to design a stove reducing indoor smoke for Hmong families
Another article emphasises that most ETHOS revenue goes directly back to ethnic minorities and that all guides are Hmong or Red Dao women. The travellers recount shopping at a market, trekking along rice terraces and staying overnight with a family
Dutch blog about ETHOS
The author calls the 2-day trek with ETHOS Travel the highlight of their Vietnam trip. Although the price (USD 77) is high by Vietnamese standards, they write that it was "100% worth" it. The fee included a private guide, meals, an overnight stay and free water refills. They add that the money goes entirely to education for local people, Hmong women guides and Hmong families where visitors share meals
