Meet Hiep’s Family in Tam Coc, to understand how we from Hanoi Voyages, strive to bring authenticity!
The travel industry has come a long way from providing the best, luxurious services at 5-star hotels in the past to creating authenticity to the travellers’ experience. Authenticity, to us, means making sure that all of our clients realize and understand the life of locals, rather than the glamour from travel-designated destinations
We have been concerned with these terms since our beginning and our business is build up only by collaboration with locally owned partners. To be able to maintain the authenticity of our destinations, we know the importance of focusing on local people and help them to survive in the industry.
One of our secret destinations in Vietnam is to Ninh Binh also known as Ha Long Bay on Land, where you will stay in a homestay. Here the family opens their door and invite you in to experience the authentic experience of living as a Vietnamese farmer. At the beginning of Hanoi Voyages’ startup, our director, Mr. Pham, wanted to make tours to Ninh Binh, but not many homestays were found in the area at that time.
One day, as we were talking about the idea of developing tourism in Tam Coc while improving local families’ lives in a café, Hiep, a local farmer, told us he was interested in the concept. He did not know anything about homestays or how to operate one, but he wanted to show tourist the area and how a local family lives in Vietnam. When we saw the area of Hiep’s home, we were convinced. It was the place we had been looking for.
Hanoi Voyages provided training to the family in how to run a homestay and provided all materials for the sleeping areas. Good beds, pillows and mosquito nets were set up in the farmers home. Farming is the lowest paid profession in Vietnam, and getting the opportunity to have a homestay on the side have benefitted Hiep’s family with economic freedom since opening up their home.
To this day, we are still providing guidance to how Hiep and his family should deliver good quality service while still keeping the authenticity of their place. The homestay is not limited to Hanoi Voyages customers and the family can work with other companies as well. We do not seek any economic benefits from the place, but just want to make sure, that we have a homestay in the area we can use, that follow our vision for our company. At Hanoi Voyages, we genuinely want to improve local farmers’ lives. By bringing guests to stay at their homestay. Hanoi Voyages ensures that Hiep’s homestay always has a steady supply of customers, all eager to explore a more relaxed pace of life in the countryside. Discover a different side to modern Vietnam, and be welcomed into Hiep’s family!
