Lo Lo Chai people get rich thanks to homestay business

Người Lô Lô Chải phất lên nhờ kinh doanh homestay

Lo Lo Chai Village is located about 1 km from Lung Cu flagpole (Dong Van, Ha Giang ) and has been recognized as a Cultural Tourism Village since 2022. This place is likened to a fairyland thanks to its beautiful natural scenery.

The people living in Lo Lo Chai today are mainly Lo Lo and H'Mong people.

Traditional mud walls, tiled roofs, small courtyards, steep slopes... are the characteristics of this tourist destination. Currently, accommodation for one person in a communal house costs from 100,000 to 180,000 VND, and a private room costs from 300,000 to 1 million VND/room.

Since switching to the experiential tourism business model, the economy and life of families in Lo Lo Chai have had many positive changes. Previously, people mainly worked on the fields, but now they do tourism business, with a stable income.

Mr. Diu Di Thue (Lo Lo ethnic) runs a homestay business in Lo Lo Chai. He said that at the end of 2019, after the government mobilized and supported each family with 60 million VND to change their economic method. "At first, I was very confused because I didn't know if I could make money. Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, tourism stagnated, there were very few visitors, and the whole family returned to farming and raising livestock. For more than a year now, my family has completely switched to providing services, renting out rooms, selling food and drinks. Since then, the family's economy has been stable and prosperous. My children are all studying at boarding schools in the province," said Mr. Thue.

The homestay owner (Mr. Thue's wife) also revealed that the tourist season is from around October to March of the following year. During this time, the family's revenue is about 50 million VND/month. Currently, the couple has built another house right next door to live in. "The old house is for rent. Tourism is still seasonal. Summer often has a lot of rain, few guests. Accommodation services in Lo Lo Chai are mainly popular in winter and spring," the couple shared.

Since being recognized as a Cultural Tourism Village, the way people do tourism here has become more professional. Visitors to Lo Lo Chai are mainly in groups or "backpackers" who love to travel and experience.

Thu Uyen (a female tourist from Ho Chi Minh City) came to Ha Giang for the first time and confided: "Lo Lo Chai has a very pleasant and cool atmosphere like Da Lat, but the architecture and services are more imbued with ethnic culture, so I really like it. I will definitely visit again."

Visitors to Lo Lo Chai often stay 1-2 nights to experience the ethnic cultural life. On Friday and Saturday nights or during holidays and Tet, homestay services in this village are often fully booked. Due to not booking accommodation in advance, many groups of young people then have to return to Dong Van and Meo Vac to find a place to stay overnight.

Ms. Vang Thi Huong has been working at a coffee shop in Lo Lo Chai village for nearly 2 months now. Before, in addition to farming, she stayed home to weave, occasionally went to the forest or did some manual work to increase her income. "Working at a coffee shop makes me feel more relaxed than going to the forest or the fields, and the income is stable," Ms. Huong said.

After finishing high school, Vang Thi Uyen also applied for a job at a store in Lo Lo Chai village. She was assigned to do bookkeeping. "I feel lucky to have a job. Many times I witnessed my grandparents and parents living on the fields struggling to make a living," Uyen confided.

Lo Lo Chai village has 114 households, currently 29 of which are doing community tourism. Each homestay is arranged in a traditional style: the toilet system, drinking water table, and common living space are spacious. Ancient artifacts of the Lo Lo people are also displayed in the rooms, creating a close and friendly atmosphere.

Source