Mama Chao’s: The Best Homestay in Sapa, Vietnam

Looking for an authentic Vietnamese experience to take you away from the hustle and bustle of big cities and hostel life? There really is no better way to experience the culture of a place than to connect with a local! Experiencing a homestay in SaPa is popular amongst backpackers and tourists in Vietnam. I can vouch that staying at Mama Chao’s Homestay in Sapa was one of the best experiences I had while abroad.

Thinking about venturing up to SaPa? Below are some details on how to visit Sapa and why Mama Chao’s is the BEST homestay in SAPA!

Already sold? Let Mama Chao know you’re coming. Contact her via Facebook here.

Tour or Wing It?

I heard about Mama Chao’s Homestay from one of my best friends who had stayed with her a couple years before I made my trip. She raved about her experience with Mama Chao, and I really wanted to have a similar time. I was staying at a hostel in Hanoi that offered cheap “tours to Sapa” and I was so close to booking one for the ease of it, but my gut told me to be adventurous, ditch the tours and figure it out all by myself. I was in search of a more authentic version of Sa Pa, and I knew I needed to find Mama Chao. So, I bought a night bus ticket to Sa Pa and hoped for the best. I honestly had no plan when I got on that bus, and I had no idea how I was going to find Mama Chao.

Funny Selfie of what the Night bus to Sapa looked like. I was on the top row

How to get to SAPA – Night Bus

Taking the night bus to SAPA is the easiest and cheapest way to arrive (The alternative is an overnight train or a 2 day motorbike). $18 USD round trip gets you a seat on the night bus from Hanoi to Sa Pa. This was my first night bus experience and I was pretty excited. I thought the set up was hilarious because you get on a bus with these little bed pods. They are pretty small and if you are a tall person you will be scrunched up in your seat. The bed reclines most of the way so you are able to sleep easier than being on a normal bus.

However, I had very little success sleeping on the bus. Mostly, because there was a man snoring like a chain saw and the bus makes a lot of stops to pick up locals along the way and you always get woken up to loud Vietnamese banter whenever they pick someone up. Anyways, I was too excited to care, and thankfully when the bus arrived in Sa Pa at 4 am they let everyone sleep on the bus for 2 more hours. Overall, it was a good experience; just don’t expect to be fully rested after a night bus.

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View of the lake in the middle of Sapa, Vietnam

Finding Mama Chao

As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t really have a plan as to how I was going to find Mama Chao. I had her name, and a photo of her on my phone. At 6 am, the bus driver announced that everyone needed to wake up and get off the bus. Thank goodness I brought some warm clothes with me because Sapa can be FREEZING!! I was happy to finally get to use the down jacket, fleece and wool socks that I had been carrying around Asia.

When you step off the bus, you are greeted by 20 + smiling Mamas. All of them are dressed in their traditional attire, some have babies slung across their bodies, and all of them want you to come stay with them. Thankfully I was expecting a scene like this so I started asking around for Mama Chao. At first, none of the Mamas knew whom I was talking about, but once I showed them her photo their faces lit up with recollection.

One mama told me to wait by the bus and that she would find Mama Chao for me. Within minutes, the bright, bubbly mama Chao greeted me. She recognized me as Sarah’s friend and gave me a huge hug, expressing how happy she was that I had found her. I was happily surprised by how easy it was, and I was very thankful I had asked Sarah for a photo of Mama Chao.

Mama Chao – our trekking guide

What to expect at Mama Chao’s Homestay:

You can choose to stay with Mama Chao for 1 to 2 nights. Either option is good, but I would recommend 2 nights in order to get the full feel of the culture and lifestyle. Mama Chao also picked up 4 other travelers the morning I arrived so I got to meet two girls from Canada and a couple from Czech Republic. I was happy to get to know some people, as I didn’t know if there would be anyone else staying with Mama Chao. Her house could accommodate 6 people maximum, which is good because I heard of other homestays that slept 10+ people and I don’t think you would have as intimate of an experience.

Trekking

In addition to experiencing a homestay, a big draw to Sapa is the trekking. All the Mamas will take you trekking when you stay with them. The villages where all the Mamas live are tucked into the hills outside of Sapa. We did not know what we were getting ourselves into when we began the journey to Mama Chao’s homestay. I was happy I ate a lot for breakfast because we started the day off with a 16 km hike.

Day 1 Trek to Mama Chao’s Homestay

The journey to Mama Chao’s village started with a hike to the top of the mountain surrounding Sapa. At one point we had to pass some Buffalo. Apparently the male ones can be aggressive so Mama Chao protected us by throwing some stones at them and yelling in Vietnamese. I found it hilarious that this tiny little woman was fending off a massive buffalo. At the top of the hill we had a beautiful view of Sa Pa down below.

The rest of the trek was beautiful. We passed through a lot of rice patties, farms and small villages. I visited Sa Pa in November so the rice had already been harvested for the year and most of the rice fields were just the left over mud. It was still an incredible sight, but if you are able to visit before they cut all the rice down it will be even more magical. The trek to Mama Chao’s house was very long, but not too strenuous. It gave us all a chance to ask her a million questions about Sapa, her family and her culture. Mama Chao speaks English a lot better than the other Mamas; the crazy thing is she cannot read or write it at all.

Day 2 Trek Through Villages of Sapa

The trek on the first day was definitely the most strenuous, but we still did a lot the next 2 days. On the second day Mama Chao took us to a waterfall, and also led us through a couple different villages. It was cool to visit the other villages because you can see how their tribal dress varies. The waterfall was a pretty site tucked into the hills, and I had a chance to climb up the boulders to the top of it.

Climbing waterfalls

Day 3 Trek: Small Hike

The third day was the least amount of hiking, but we passed through multiple villages. There was even a chance to buy some of the hand made crafts and goods. I bought a beautiful piece of hand-dyed indigo fabric that is now being used as a table runner back home.

Mama Chao’s Home

After the 16km from the town of Sapa, we finally arrived at Mama Chao’s home. Tucked on the side of a hill, and surrounded by rice fields, is the humble abode of Mama Chao. When I visited, their house was under construction. They had just expanded it, and the walls were not finished so half of the house was actually a blue tarp. It was like staying in a really big tent. The house is split into 3 sections. The first is where Mama Chao and her family sleep, and also includes the kitchen area. The middle section has a table and some extra space, and the third section has the beds for her guests. There were 2 double beds and 2 single beds available. Don’t expect a very soft mattress, but the blankets will keep you warm.

There is surprisingly Wifi available in her house. This shocked me because it felt like we were staying in the middle of nowhere. There is definitely no heating or AC in the house. I visited in the beginning of winter, and it was pretty cold at night. We spent most of the time huddled around a tiny fire that was also used for the cooking.

Mama Chao’s Family

Mama Chao lives with her husband, daughter and two sons. There were also a few nieces and nephews hanging around and even spending the night. When we arrived the first day, we were just in time to relax a bit before her kids returned from school. All of us sat down exhausted, but Mama Chao kept bustling around cooking and cleaning the house. She is truly an incredible woman and I was so amazed by her hard work and selfless attitude. She packs a lot of energy into her tiny little body.

Queen Lily

Lily and her two sons brought the entertainment to the home when they returned from school. Lily is a sassy, active two year old who basically controls the household; whatever Lily wants, she gets. The two boys were running around like tornados dressed in matching camouflage outfits all afternoon. One of the funniest stunts they pulled was when they were flying around pushing each other in the wheelbarrow. While the boys were enjoying their afternoon adventures, Lily was making sure she was the center of attention, and we all loved it.

Let’s not forget about the animals! There were all sorts of farm animals running around – my favorite was the mini pig and adorable puppy. The whole afternoon felt like I was watching a movie, I was so entertained watching Mama Chao’s family live their life. It made me remember my childhood, running around the neighborhood with all my friends, and it made me sad for all the kids these days who spend more time looking at a screen than at the outside world.

The boys were adorable

The Food

Once the sun went down, all activity was focused around the tiny fire Mama Chao made in her house. She continued to do a lot of cooking on it and we all huddled as close as possible for warmth. What amazed me most about the fire was that Lily was free to wander around it as much as she wanted – any American parent would be terrified that their 2 year old would fall in but here it was totally normal.

Cooking in the house

Mama Chao makes the best spring rolls in Vietnam, and the rest of the feast she provided was amazing as well. We had rice, chicken, veggies, potatoes and soups. It was a feast, and some of the best food I experienced while in Vietnam. We ate so much every night after all the trekking.

Top 5 meals I had in Vietnam

Banana Pancake Breakfast

For breakfast, we were fed a massive serving of banana pancakes. This is a common food throughout Vietnam and the Mama’s know how to cook a great pancake.

During the treks, we usually stopped for food and had the option of noodle soup, fried noodles or fried rice.

You cannot beat the food that you receive when you stay at a homestay in Vietnam. Mama Chao’s was the first of many delicious family dinners I experience throughout Vietnam. I love how communal it is – everyone has their bowl of rice and then the rest of the dishes are shared around. I know that Mama Chao and her family don’t normally eat such a decadent meal, but they definitely exceed expectations when they have guests.

Cultural Immersion

It is hard for me to fully explain the impact that staying with Mama Chao had on me. The homestay in Sapa was definitely one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had. I learned so much about their culture and way of life by talking to Mama Chao and listening to her stories. It is really incredible how well she can speak English, and I am sure she is even better now! Being able to ask her all sorts of questions about the culture of her village and the surrounding villages was really rewarding.

One of my favorite parts was getting to try on Mama Chao’s traditional clothing, and also have her do my hair like hers (I have very long hair and it was still difficult to pin it up like hers). Me and the other girls from Canada also got to style Mama Chao’s hair into a French braid. She has never cut her hair, and it practically goes to the floor!

Mama Chao doing my hair

We had to take turns braiding her hair. So Long!

All the girls dressed up!

I will mention that doing a homestay in Sapa is a popular experience for most people visiting Vietnam. You will see other tourists trekking with their Mama’s and there will be older village ladies trying to sell you their crafts along the way. The tourism has definitely changed the lifestyle in good and bad ways. I still viewed it as a positive thing though because the women are running the show. All the mamas are essentially running their own businesses. I mean, Mama Chao has a Facebook Page to make bookings. They are all providing for their families, learning English and kicking butt.

Had to feature the puppy

How to book/Price

I definitely took the last minute approach to booking my stay with Mama Chao, and I would recommend getting in touch with her before you decide to visit Sapa. As I mentioned, she can speak English, but she cannot read it. So the best thing to do is call Mama Chao through Facebook. This way when you arrive she will already be waiting at the bus. The other people at the homestay had booked through their hostels in Hanoi.

It is impossible to put a price on the whole experience. Mama Chao did not ask me for any money beforehand and I ended up paying her at the very end. I would recommend paying at least $30 USD per day! Remember that Mama Chao covers all your food, accommodation, and transportation when you are with her. Not to mention it’s an experience you will never forget!

Such an amazing woman! and only 28 years old

Other Things to Note

• Mama Chao and her husband transport your Bags from Sapa to their house while you trek
• You don’t have to trek 16kms to her house, they can arrange to pick you up and bring you to the house
• We didn’t have to hike 16km back to Sapa. We got picked up in a taxi from one of the villages we had trekked to that day.
• Book of Facebook!
• Prepare to be filled with so much Love from Mama Chao and her Family! It is the best homestay in Sapa

Miss little Lily!

I will never forget my time spent with Mama Chao and her family! We still keep in contact, and I am always happy to be woken up by a Mama Chao Facetime.

Visit Mama Chao Homestay of Facebook! 

Please leave a comment if you have any questions!