Opal House Ta Van

Great stay at Chocho Homestay, amazing trekking, and a lovely family. A magnificent view, delicious meals, and a very cute little village.

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.

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.

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.