Ethical touring in Sa Pa - We spent three glorious days with Ethos guides and enjoyed our time hanging out at the Ethos center sipping tea and chatting with staff as well. Our guides, Dinh and My were so kind, caring and professional. We visited a Hmong market, hiked around rice patties, and did a mountain drive during our stay. We particularly enjoyed sharing delicious meals with local families. Both of our guides were quite knowledgeable about the geography, history and cultures of the area, making our time with them especially interesting. Hats off to this sustainable and ethical organization!

Ethos and no other - We spent 2 wonderful days in the mountains around Sapa in the Hmong community. A trek that we will remember all our lives with our fabulous guide Tra (I hope I spell it right!) who besides being nice and super funny (let's go my kiki!!) taught us a lot about customs, traditions and the daily life of the Hmong. A huge thank you to her! Many thanks also to Hoa and Ethos. Before going on a trek, Hoa or Phil will inform you like nowhere else about minorities and tourism in Vietnam, the beauty of the country and what to do and avoid to be an environmentally friendly traveler. They can also advise you on other places in Vietnam. Finally, Ethos is a community that exclusively employs people from minorities and funds many projects to help with education and combat aggression from the "outside" world. For all these reasons I strongly advise Ethos to all those who really want to travel off the beaten track and who want to learn about the cultures of Northern Viet Nam

Great experience with lots of culture and nature, I would really recommend! - I did the Spirit Tree trekking on my own, with guide Pang. The hike was amazing, with great routes and beautiful views. Pang knew a lot about the area, and told me about both what we came across in nature as well as about the culture of the ethnic minorities in the area. We had lunch at a local house, which was a great experience as well. I helped the host to cook, we ate and shared some happy water. All in all, it was a great experience and I would really recommend it!

Thank you Ethos for the most impactful and ethical tourism experience I’ve ever had! - Thank you Ethos for the most impactful and ethical tourism experience I’ve ever had! Our Sa Pa trek with Ah was fantastic. The views were beautiful, the homestay meaningful, the hospitality generous, the logistics seamless, the connections genuine. Our guide Ah taught so much with us about the region, her H’mong culture and the flora and fauna all around us. We learned more in our two days with Ethos and Ah than we did in the rest of our time in Vietnam. Days later and we are still discussing, absorbing, enjoying what you all shared with us. I was initially overwhelmed when trying to book a trek in Sa Pa. Online I found big companies with tonnes of treks, all with departures available every single day. In Hanoi (and even Hoi An) every third shop seemed to be selling Sa Pa tours. Even a nail salon I went into (?) From afar it’s hard to understand how this tourism ecosystem works and things are not always as they seem. At one point we Whatsapped two different tour companies to enquire, only to realise they actually had the same Whatsapp number listed. It’s murky and left a weird feeling in my stomach. I wanted to know who I was actually booking with and to understand if they were actually local to the area we’d be trekking in. I wanted to understand if the proceeds from the trek would stay in the community or just go back to a big boss in a big city. Then I found Ethos. And they truly deliver on their full name: Ethos Spirit of the Community. Each Ethos trek is actually local. We went on a trek through several Black H’mong villages. Which meant our driver, guide, and homestay hosts were all actually from the Black H’mong tribe. The many tribes found in Sa Pa and throughout Vietnam, as we learned, have their own languages, cultures, art forms etc. They are distinct to Vietnamese culture. Many of the larger Vietnamese tour companies, I learned, own and operate their own homestays and trekking companies through H’mong villages effectively marginalising those people in their own villages. With that model, little to none of the profit ends up in the village. Whereas with Ethos our lunches, dinner and overnight stay were all hosted by Black H’mong families in their true family homes. Our trek with Ethos and our guide Ah was stunning. We walked through rice paddies, small farms, bamboo forests, waterfall gorges, and peaceful streams. We saw many birds and butterflies. Ah did some foraging along the way and taught us about the many medicinal plants used in H’mong traditional medicine. She told us stories about her family, her journey to become a guide and what life is like in her village. She had the best energy throughout, looked after us and shared her knowledge so generously with us. At every stop she helped us get to know our hosts by translating for us. Trekking with Ah was a total joy! The homestay / overnight element also cannot be overlooked! It really deepened the experience. We had a really special evening with Ah at our host Lee and Loo’s house with their kids. Ah translated for us and we shared a delicious dinner and many laughs over a bit of rice wine. I slept like a baby. It was special to connect with Lee’s family, to support her and learn more about her H’mong village, farm, family and life. Her energy, generous hospitality and kindness felt like an expression of how her relationship with Ethos is a positive and impactful one. We learned so much from Ah and our homestay hosts but also from the wider Ethos team. Hua was incredibly helpful over email and answered all of my questions prior to booking. She told me later she was actually responding to some of my Qs while out on a trek of her own! Cha and Phil welcomed us on our first day and gave us a fanstic briefing before we went trekking - on everything from safety to some of the challenges H’mong communities face and more. They’re both great presenters and storytellers and helped us ‘put on’ curious, respectful ‘lenses’ before setting out. The Ethos team’s commitment to their community isn’t hard to see. In addition to the trekking business Ethos also has a community centre upstairs. They host workshops there and in the communities they work within to help people with everything from literacy, to language skills, hygiene education, reproductive health, and sex trafficking prevention workshops (this is a big problem in the area with 1 girl disappearing every 5 days). They also run programmes to help people reduce pollution in their homes, get warm jackets for winter time and more. On the whole our experience with Ethos was incredible. It’s not everyday that you meet people so wholly committed to a purpose of helping others thrive. But we did at Ethos. It was such a privilege and a joy to support your work, thank you!

Unsurpassed experience - When we decided to visit Sapa, it was clear to us that we had to find a responsible alternative with the ethnic minorities in the area. We found ETHOS in networks and it was quite a hit. Beyond organizing wonderful experiences, the work they do in the community is admirable. We were a group of 3 people and did a 2 day homestay tour in a Red Dao community. The booking process was very easy and they helped us even with booking transportation to Sapa and back. As soon as we got to Ethos, they made us feel at home. Hoa gave us a good introduction to get closer to the realities of the local minorities and facilitate the adaptation. Then, we started the hike with the help of our guide Mey Lai. The route was beautiful, and at all times our guide was adapting the level according to our wishes. In our case, it lasted approximately 4h. Despite not being able to access formal education, Mey Lai spoke English perfectly and communication was always very smooth. At all times she was open to our questions and tried to transmit her way of life and culture to us in the best way she could, always with a smile. We ate at her mother's house, a lovely woman, and then, she welcomed us into her own home with her family. Although the other members did not speak English, the whole family was very friendly with us, trying to teach us words in their language. Of note is the excellent food we were offered during the 2 days. In the afternoon, we were able to attend a ceremony in the village, and we were able to plan the next morning between them all. We decided to stay at her house to sew next to her and help her in the garden. Accommodation is very basic, resources are limited, but we were offered clean beds and mosquito nets. We slept great! Hoa called us before bed to make sure everything was okay and we felt comfortable. One detail. The best experience we could have had!

UNIQUE EXPERIENCE - A unique and unforgettable experience! From the first moment they made this experience something special. We were facilitated by the train from Hanoi to Sapa, greeted with coffee/tea, fantastic breakfast, a hot shower and endless smiles that made us feel at home. Before embarking on the great adventure of receiving us at home, Hoa spoke to us about the history of the community, its culture and language, its customs and subsequently we were very lucky to meet May Lai, the eternal smile that would be our host and window to her community in the coming hours. His impeccable English opened a wonderful path to learn from his customs, share smiles and create unforgettable moments. We will always remember the moments we live sitting by the fire; eating with his family; the moment we met his mother with whom the words were not needed; our great attempt to sew (with the inevitable laughter of all of us); collecting vegetables from the garden and others impossible to list. Thank you for letting us enjoy your company and your community. In love with the landscape, the project and May Lai and her family. We will be forever grateful. Eskerrik asko bihotz bihotzez!

Trek with Ker /Ethos - Everything about Ethos was fantastic. From booking , their communication, the briefing session before our trek and then the trek - amazing . If you want a “real” experience and to be immersed with the Hmong way of life then this trek is a must . Ker our guide was outstanding. Her English is excellent. She tailored the walk to what we wanted . We took the harder option . Whilst challenging at times it was the best choice .

Minority and textile in Sapa - We have had a wonderful time with Ethos. If you want to connect to the minorities and the nature around Sa Pa this is the place to be. They know the people. They connect to and invest in the community. They will tell you all about the people, how they live, where they came from , why they build there houses like they are and much more. They promote a sustainable way of tourism and they live up to there statements on this. Our interest was mainly the minorities and the textile. Weaving, batik and embroidery. It is among the best and most beautiful in the world. We have had three workshops and a two day trip. The workshops where at the homes of the teachers. You appreciate the amount of work it takes to make these costumes. The trip was to various places people hardly visit (expect no other tourists like you do in Sa Pa itself). We stayed at a homestay and had diner with the family. Really recommend to contact them if you visit Sa Pa.

Amazing Experience, True Sustainable Tourism - We hiked with our guide Mai, from the Red Dao tribe, for two days including a homestay with a Red Dao family. We learned so much about the culture of the tribe, the day-to-day life of smilies while at the same time enjoying the beautiful landscape and enjoying the most delish food with local families along the way. We helped cut vegetables to cook one meal, made Vietnamese spring rolls with another family, experienced a Red Dao herbal bath. It really could not have been a better experience. Mai, our guide, was exceptional. Super knowledgeable, great sense of humor and all around amazing. The ETHOS team was also fantastic. Super responsive, organized pick-up and drop off from the train station and overall made this also an “easy” experience from a logistics perspective. Would give this experience more than 5 stars a d more than 2 thumbs up if I could.

THE best thing to do in Vietnam - THE best thing in Vietnam! We chose Ethos because a friend recommended it, and also because we felt it looked more authentic than others. When we came there we were met with even more! Ethos care so much for their community and we learnt a whole lot about how it is to live as an ethnic group in Vietnam. Our guide was May Lai and we could not be happier. Her laughter filled every room and she was happy to answer all our questions. 10/10 experience, would do again.