Lao Chai FAM Trip: Working Together to Achieve Sustainable Tourism

On May 31st the homestay owners of Lao Chai Village welcomed special guests: representatives from nearly 20 tourism companies in Hanoi and Sapa. The familiarization trip (FAM) began with breakfast at Sapa O'Chau and soon everyone was off on the scenic trek to Lao Chai Village via the Cat Cat and Y Linh Ho route. This  route is particularly special because it is peaceful as well as scenic, in contrast to more popular treks in Sapa that experience a higher volume of guests.

The route first winds through the colourful village of Cat Cat where vendors can be found lining pathways selling textiles, trinkets and food. Past Cat Cat the landscape opens up. Here green rice patties and rolling hills dominate the view.  Lao Chai's homestay owners selected this route to showcase the best of Sapa's vast expanses of rolling hillside, mountains and rice patties. Collaboration between Sapa's homestay owners, trekking guides and Vietnam's tour operators could make Sapa a world-renowned multi-day trekking destination. In fact, the morning's trek was intended to highlight this possibility.

FAM trip guests making their way through Cat Cat

Heading to Y Linh Ho

After five hours, many kilometers, rain, mud and a lot of photos we arrived in Lao Chai village! Everyone was excited to learn about batik, a traditional Black Hmong textile dyeing technique using wax and indigo. Ms.Di and Ms.Sao assisted guests in creating their very own batik art using local materials such as hemp textile and plant-based indigo dye. Everyone loved dipping wax to press and draw a myriad of mosaics, flags, writing and even a cat! We learned the next day that Ms.Di devoted several hours that evening - when everyone was cleaning up, eating and resting - to touch up each and every batik piece. One by one she pressed wax as necessary to ensure that images would be visible when soaked in the indigo dye. This is an extraordinary display of dedication, professionalism and craft.

Group batik lesson 

Bruce McPhie of Intrepid, standing with Ms. My, shows off his one-of-a-kind batik art

Batik painting was a hit among the tour operators!

After batik we divided ourselves into homestay groups and headed onward to wash up and eat. Dinner was spectacular. Among all of the homestays we had spring rolls, crispy pork, fresh picked greens of all varieties, purple sticky rice, yellow sticky rice, whole chickens and fragrant herbs! Of course, rice wine was also poured and everyone went to bed well fed and relaxed. 

The level of preparation, attention to detail and care invested in the FAM trip by Lao Chai's homestay owners is remarkable. Business cards were exchanged, telephone numbers swapped and needs assessed. It was sincerely a privilege to be involved and to witness the savvy of the women as they embark on the next phase of their homestay businesses and tourism careers. We received only positive and encouraging feedback from the tour operators who participated, and we're eager to check in with everyone to learn about the connections made as a result of the FAM. Stay tuned for a follow up!

Thank you to everyone who participated:

Amazing Hotel Sapa, Dao's Travel, Ecosea Travel, Eviva Tours, Fansipan View Hotel, Footprint Travel, Hanoi City Tours, HG Travel, Intrepid Travel, Little Hanoi Hostel, More Fun Tours, Mountain View Hostel, Nomad Tours, Sunny Mountain View Hotel, Sapa O'Chau, The Responsible Travel Club of Vietnam (RTC), Travel Sense Asia, Viet Dan Travel, Vietnam Nomad Trails, Viet Vision.  

Beautiful Lao Chai village