Opal House

I spent two nights in early September with Cho Cho and her family at her homestay. It was an incredibly authentic experience and one that I enjoyed immensely. After arriving in Sapa at lunch time I was met at the bus stop by Cho Cho, where we then took a taxi to her home. Being a little bit wet on the first day I just enjoyed the scenery around the property. On the 2nd day Cho Cho took me trekking to her husband's house which involved walking along many narrow paths without seeing another tourist - again, a very authentic experience just seeing how many of the locals go about their lives. Cho Cho and her daughter in law took care of all meals during my stay, with dinners cooked over an open fire in her son's home. If you're looking for a real and non-touristy experience, I can highly recommend staying with Cho Cho.

At 15 Cho Cho married her husband, as arranged by their families. They liked her as she was 'not lazy'. This is evident, as now 53, she treks easily from her families village home into the mountains where she and her husband live without power and road access. Wearing the traditional selfmade clothes of her culture she takes small steps, but she never seems to tire. For 14 years Cho Cho has been sharing her culture and family with tourists, taking them on treks through the area surrounding her village. She considers her family poor, but she has an evident wealth of happiness with family surrounding her, with 15 grandchildren, many living within shouting distance. Being poor in her village means relying on the land to provide food, leading to a diet of rice and mostly vegetables which she shares with her guests. We were lucky enough to be staying with Cho Cho's family during school holidays, meaning our trekking also doubled as a school holiday activity for 5 of the boys. They could easily guide us through the winding back paths through the rice fields and the mountains to find a swimming home, even though they were no older than 8. Cho Cho was quick to smile and laugh. She was wholly authentic and shared herself and family with us, which we are very grateful for.

Thank you Mama Cho Cho and family. I had the most beautiful 3 days with Cho Cho and her gorgeous family. Cho Cho met me at the bus and took me back to her family home where I was greeted by all of her grandchildren. On day 2 Cho Cho took me trekking up the big mountain behind her village, off the beaten track we went, stopping for a home cooked lunch by her husband (I watched him harvest the pumpkin from their garden then chop it up and cook it for lunch!) up in their little mountain house. This was on the very top of the mountain, the most incredible views!!! Cho Cho and I shared many laughs along the way, she was so kind and knowledgeable. This trek was the highlight of my whole trip through Vietnam. On my last day Cho Cho taught me the process of Batik where I made my own. Such an eye opening, authentic, beautiful experience. Loved every minute of it and highly recommend to everyone! I’ll be backS

We’ve loved every minute with Cho Cho! She is such a wonderful lady and extremely knowledgeable! She met us at the bus station and took us back to her homestay where we helped prep dinner with her and her family. We had a wonderful evening, bedrooms are very cosy and have good facilities outside. We started our trek around the local village, Cho Cho was fantastic and packed 2 days worth of trekking into 1 for us (we didn’t have time to do 2 nights). We also took all 5 of her wonderful grandchildren along with us, they were so sweet , we went swimming with them and they helped guide us along the way to their family home for lunch. They have all been so wonderful and welcoming into their family and way of life, THANKYOU CHO CHO!! X

My trek with Cho Cho exceeded my expectations. She was attentive, fun, jovial and had so much knowledge to share about her culture and her own life. She took the time to make sure I was comfortable and went with me at my own pace. At one point, I ran out of water and she took me into a villagers home to drink, which was a very eye opening experience as well! Most of all, her positive demeanor and the smile she always had on her face made it an absolute joy to spend the day with her. I would highly recommend trekking with this lovely woman!❤️

I went to Sapa looking for an authentic home stay experience with a beautiful view. I stayed at Cho Cho’s Trekking and Homestay. I couldn’t recommend it enough. It is not a “home stay hotel.” It is the real deal. We stayed with her family for a day, playing with the kids and eating meals all together. Cho Cho told us about local culture, dying hemp, taught us a few phrases in the Black Hmong language, and laughed a lot. She asked us questions in order to tailor our experience to exactly what we wanted and was never pushy. Basic accommodations with a clean bathroom and hot water. I had COVID a few weeks ago and my cough got a lot worse while at her house. She went out of her way to make sure I was ok. We didn’t go on treks with her because of my cough, but I’m sure she would be an amazing guide. Also, it was some of the best food we ate in Vietnam (vegetarian friendly). We were her first guests since the pandemic and she is looking forward to more so I want to recommend her as a good option. You can contact her through Facebook. Photos are from the front porch and from the rice terraces looking at the homestay.