Travelers often have a lot of questions about homestay in Sapa (Vietnam). Hope that our sharing will help you have more information
What is a suitable give to a home stay family?
Trekking Sapa appreciates your kindness and generosity. Gift giving is appropriate throughout Vietnam. Acceptable and appropriate gifts include: something unique from your country this could be a pin, calendar, small trinket, small sized t-shirt, a baseball cap, or a picture book). School supplies such as notebooks, pens, or a calculator are both acceptable and extremely useful. Something fun for children is always gratefully received; a kite, board game, or a soccer ball would be excellent , whilst for adults a tea set, tools, picture frame, or a bottle of wine.
Will it be cold in Sapa?
The average temperature in Sapa during the winter months (November to March) is about 10 ºC. At this time of year it is wise to bring several layers including a good jacket. We would recommended not bringing cotton clothes in the winter months if possible.
Snow falls are not unheard of during the winter time. Whilst quite rare, global climate change is making it harder for us to predict the weather. In recent years, the coldest temperature we have experienced has been 3 degrees celsius. These cold spells never last long. Usually after 2 or 3 days the sun comes out and the temperature begins to rise.
If you are trekking to the remote villages, please note that the temperature in the village is always warmer than in Sapa, about 3 – 7 degrees different.
What are the sleeping arrangements in the home stays?
For groups of 4 or less, you will be staying in one house.Larger groups will divide into smaller parties and stay with multiple neighbouring families. Most of the family members will retire early, although one will stay up until all the guests go to bed. Keep a flashlight close to your bed, as the light switches can be difficult to find. Roosters will begin to crow at about 5.00am. By 5:30 the fire to boil water will have already been lit
Do I need to prepare before going to the home stay?
Basic fitness is required for trekking in Sapa, so if you are not relatively fit, it is a good idea to get into the habit of walking.
Not much preparation is needed for the home stay. Make sure that you have packed everything need to make your stay more comfortable: a small bag for a change of clothes, a mirror, flashlight, toilet paper and possibly your favourite tea or snack, and a book, if you wish.
Some warm clothing is needed as the nights can be quite cool.
To really impress your hosts learning a short song to sing after dinner, is a big winner. It is a cultural tradition to sing after the evening meal. Starting off the singing will really impress them.
What will the food be at the home stay?
There will be a good variety of food available. For your main meal there will be a mix of traditional Dao and Vietnamese cuisine. Trekking Sapa brings a lot of food in from Sapa to share with the family. You will get a chance to share in the cooking. Breakfast consists of pancakes and bananas, this has become very popular with trekkers and home stays. If you wish to have a traditional Dao breakfast it can be arranged. It is usually rice, an egg and some vegetables.
Will we be expected to participate in any activities at the home stay?
It really is up to you how involved you wish to be. It is though, very rewarding. Some of our guests have enjoyed getting into the fields and planting rice. Others, have befriended local people and visited their houses to have tea. Sometimes the guests have been keen for some more trekking and have taken short walks in the mountains. Whilst others have preferred to just relax. Assisting with cooking and household chores is both encouraged and interesting as it provides a better understanding of local life.
You will normally enjoy dinner and stay with the same family. However as the neighbours all enjoy the company of guests, sometimes, the neighbours will share the benefits of tourism equally and cooking and eating will be at different houses.
The people at the home stay are quite introvert. Especially with their use of English. They can speak enough to have a conversation, though do need encouragement. We ask our guests to be active in communicating with the family; asking questions about their lives, helps their English skills. They are always more than happy to answer and often encourage you to be more involved in their daily life in order for you to further understand, their lifestyle.
What is meant by CBT home stay?
A CBT (Community Based Tourism) home stay simply means an overnight stay in the home of one of the local ethnic minorities. Here at Trekking Sapa, we always promote responsible travel. CBT is extremely important to the area and we will always promote CBT products. This type of tourism benefits the entire community.
Seemore about Sapa tours (Vietnam): https://www.trekkingsapa.com/
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