
Vietnam Best Homestays: A DMC’s insider guide to authentic local stays (part 1)
Beyond the comfort of luxury hotels and five-star resorts, staying in a local homestay offers travelers a different kind of richness, the chance to live alongside local people, share their traditions, and experience stories that only the community itself can tell.
As a trusted DMC in Vietnam, 365 Travel believes that these authentic connections are what make a journey truly memorable. With this in mind, we have carefully curated a list of homestays, each chosen for its unique character and genuine cultural value. We hope this insider guide will give you deeper insight into Vietnam’s diverse local life and inspire more meaningful travel experiences for your clients.
Top Homestay in Sapa
Sapa, located about 315 km northwest of Hanoi, is one of Vietnam’s most famous mountain destinations, renowned for its terraced rice fields, cool climate, and diverse ethnic minority cultures. Thanks to the Hanoi – Lao Cai expressway, the journey is now much more convenient, taking around 6 hours by bus or car, or 8 hours if combining an overnight train to Lao Cai with a short drive to Sapa.
Chapa Ecolodge Sapa
Located in Ta Van village, Chapa Ecolodge accommodates up to 40 guests with 6 bungalows in eco-friendly bungalows built from local materials. Terraced rice fields and mountain peaks surround the lodge, offering scenic views right from the room or veranda. Staying here, guests can engage with H’Mong and Dao families, learning traditional weaving and cooking techniques. From the lodge, guests can take guided treks and local village tours to experience daily mountain life.
Just 4.5 km from Sapa town, we often choose this stay for couples, small groups, and travelers seeking sustainable luxury in a tranquil setting.
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Eco Palm House
Eco Palms House is located in Lao Chai Village, overlooking the stunning Hoang Lien Son mountain range and the picturesque Muong Hoa Valley. Only 10 minutes by car from Sapa town, it combines easy access to markets and trekking trails with a serene mountain retreat. The homestay offers 12 wooden rooms blending traditional charm and modern comfort. With stunning terrace views, it’s perfect for couples, solo travelers, and small groups.
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Rùa’s house Mountain Hamlet Sapa
Rùa’s House is a small, charming wooden home located on the top of Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai, right in the middle of a quiet mountain hamlet. The homestay has just a few rooms, giving it an intimate and welcoming feel, especially suited for couples or small groups who value privacy and authenticity. It takes about 25 minutes by car from Sapa town, but the calm setting makes the journey worthwhile. We recommend this homestay for travelers looking to disconnect and enjoy Sapa’s mountain life at its simplest.
Community rooms at Rua House. Photo collected
Ger’s Sapa Valley Trekking and Homestay
Ger’s Homestay serves as a trekking base in Sapa. Guests have to trek through rice fields and bamboo forests to reach the home of Ger, a Black Hmong woman, who warmly welcomes travelers into her family’s daily life with 20 guest capacity. Staying here means joining guided hikes, sharing traditional home-cooked meals, and learning firsthand about Hmong culture and traditions. The accommodation is simple but genuine, with the focus on cultural immersion rather than comfort. We recommend this homestay for adventurous travelers who want a true community-based experience in Sapa.
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Top Homestay in Mai Chau
Mai Chau is a tranquil valley in Hoa Binh Province, located just 3–4 hours by car from Hanoi. Known for its scenic landscapes and traditional villages of Thai ethnic minority, it offers visitors an authentic rural experience while remaining easily accessible from the capital. This combination makes it a favorite destination for travelers, especially from the French market.
Mai Chau Ecolodge
Mai Chau Ecolodge features 43 guest rooms nestled against the hillside, built with local materials in the style of traditional Thai stilt houses. Each room comes with a spacious private balcony overlooking the Pu Tooc mountains and the sweeping Mai Chau valley. We recommend this ecolodge for travelers seeking scenic views and an eco-inspired stay.
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Mai Chau Lodge
Located in the heart of Mai Chau town, Mai Chau Lodge is a boutique property with fewer than 20 rooms. It features a swimming pool, spa, and easy access to local markets and cycling routes. Guests can join cultural activities such as traditional dances or handicraft workshops. This is an excellent option for travelers who want a mix of cultural immersion and town-center convenience.
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Mai Chau Hideaway
Situated on the banks of Hoa Binh Lake, Mai Chau Hideaway is more secluded, about 30 minutes’ drive from Mai Chau town. The resort offers 32 rooms in six categories, each with a private balcony overlooking the lake or surrounding mountains. The architecture follows a rustic style with wooden interiors, thatched roofs, and simple natural décor, creating a warm, nature-connected atmosphere. Guests come here for peace and views rather than nightlife, making it ideal for couples or small groups who value quiet retreats. The lake breeze, mountain backdrop, and eco-friendly design make this resort a distinctive choice in Northwest Vietnam.
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Mai Chau Valley Retreat
Mai Chau Valley Retreat is a hidden charm village of the White Thai Ethnic Minority in Mai Chau District, located 15 km away from tourist zone Lac Village. The homestay offers a smaller-scale stay in a stilt-house style homestay surrounded by rice fields. With just a handful of rooms, it provides a warm, family-run atmosphere and direct views of daily village life. Activities often include biking and walking tours through nearby hamlets.
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Mai Chau Onsen Retreat
Mai Chau Onsen Retreat is a secluded green hideaway with just 25 rooms, located in Xam Khoe village, about 15 km from Mai Chau town. Rather than aiming for luxury, the retreat embraces simplicity through stilt-house inspired architecture of the Thai ethnic people. Palm leaf roofs and rammed earth walls keep rooms cool in summer and warm in winter, while interiors feature understated décor with local cultural touches. Every room offers open views of terraced fields stretching across the mountains, creating a sense of calm and spaciousness. Built with eco-friendly materials, the retreat provides a serene base for travelers seeking authenticity, wellness, and a return to nature.
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Top Homestay in Pu Luong
Nestled in Thanh Hoa Province, around 4.5 hours from Hanoi, Pu Luong, home to the Pu Luong Nature Reserve, is a hidden gem of northern Vietnam. Rising nearly 1,700 meters, it is home to lush forests, limestone mountains, and terraced rice fields that change color with the seasons. The rice terraces here are not as dramatic as those in Mu Cang Chai or Sapa but instead gently cascade down the lower hillsides, creating a soft and soothing landscape. The best times to visit are late May to early June and late September to early October, when the golden harvest paints the terraces in their most spectacular shades.
Pu Luong Retreat
Pu Luong Retreat sits at nearly 500 meters above sea level and is designed as a tranquil eco-paradise. Its rooms and bungalows are scattered along the hillside, separated by lush greenery for privacy. Every accommodation, along with the restaurant and infinity pool, faces east, opening to breathtaking views of terraced fields and limestone mountains. With a capacity of around 200 guests and 5 star standards, this retreat is one of the largest and most established properties in Pu Luong, making it a favorite for couples, families, and groups seeking a nature-focused stay with premium services.
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Pu Luong Natura Bungalow
Set on more than 10,000 square meters of land, Pu Luong Natura is especially known for its stunning hillside infinity pool, one of the most photographed in Vietnam. Bungalows line the rice terraces, placing guests right at the heart of nature with a capacity of around 30 rooms and bungalows. The retreat also organizes day tours to nearby attractions, making it ideal for families and groups who want both relaxation and exploration.
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Amigo Pu Luong Resort
Amigo brings together modern resort amenities with the rustic beauty of Pu Luong. Featuring 22 rooms across various categories, it offers thoughtful facilities while maintaining a more compact and practical scale. The resort is easily accessible, with a convenient location for excursions to the reserve’s highlights. Its unique lies in combining accessibility with a full-service resort experience, making it a versatile choice for many types of travelers, especially larger groups and incentive trips.
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Pu Luong Bocbandi Retreat
Surrounded by pristine rainforest, Pu Luong Bocbandi Retreat offers one of the most upscale experiences in the reserve. Its hillside rooms open onto panoramic valley views, while six categories of accommodation range from basic to luxurious suites. With 5 star standards, extensive facilities, and the capacity to host corporate events and team building activities, Bocbandi is a strong choice for those seeking a premium stay. It caters equally to leisure travelers looking for a longer retreat and groups in need of a venue that combines nature with modern convenience.
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Puluong Boutique Garden
With only ten bungalows and two original Black Thai stilt houses, Puluong Boutique Garden provides a more intimate and culturally rooted experience. Each bungalow has a private balcony overlooking terraced rice fields, while the stilt houses preserve an authentic communal style of living. A hillside restaurant, vegetable gardens, and a swimming pool create a warm and welcoming setting. Its smaller capacity makes Boutique Garden particularly attractive for couples and small groups who value cultural connection, authenticity, and tranquility alongside comfort.
Shared space at the homestay. Photo collected
Top Homestay in Binh Lieu
Binh Lieu, located in the northeastern mountains of Quang Ninh Province, lies about 270 km from Hanoi and 110 km from Halong. Often referred to as the “miniature Sapa,” it is known for its serene rice terraces, cool climate, and rolling hills blanketed with cinnamon and star anise forests. What makes Binh Lieu unique is its late rice harvest in November, about a month later than in Sapa or Mu Cang Chai. This makes it a perfect alternative for travelers who miss the golden harvest season in the Northwest. Beyond its natural beauty, Binh Lieu is also home to ethnic communities such as the Dao Thanh Phan, Tay, and San Chay, offering not only stunning landscapes but also genuine cultural encounters.
Despite still being pristine and authentic, much like Sapa 20 years ago, Binh Lieu remains underrated and often overlooked, partly due to its limited tourism infrastructure and its border location with China. Because of this, foreign visitors are required to obtain a local permit before entering the area.
Below are some of the homestay highlights worth discovering.
Khe Tien Clay House
Khe Tien Clay House is a rare standard homestay built in traditional earth-wall architecture at Binh Lieu, blending harmoniously with the surrounding cinnamon and anise forests. With a maximum capacity of just 15 guests, it provides an intimate atmosphere. Staying here, visitors can camp, join a bonfire, swim in nearby waterfalls, taste highland cuisine. This is an ideal destination for nature lovers seeking an authentic and rustic experience amidst the mountains, offering a less touristy escape rather than quick access to town.
Photo by Binh Lieu Tourist
Homestay SongMooc House
Located in the heart of the Dao Thanh Phan village, SongMooc House sits on a hillside overlooking the valley, built and run by a local family. The homestay is built in the distinctive Dao stilt-house style on the foundations of traditional earthen walls, creating a unique blend of rustic heritage and modern comfort.
The property is divided into two areas: a traditional stilt house for communal stays and a private wing with eight well-appointed rooms for singles and couples. This setup makes SongMooc House suitable for both independent travelers and small groups who want flexibility between privacy and cultural immersion.
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Your local partner for authentic Vietnam experiences
With countless homestay options across the country, finding the right one for each traveler can be overwhelming. That’s where a trusted DMC partner makes the difference. With our local expertise and deep connections, we know exactly which homestays fit your clients’ needs while ensuring authenticity and comfort. Partner with us to create journeys that truly connect travelers with the heart of Vietnam.