Ha Giang is slowly but surely becoming the eco-tourism hotspot of the country. The northern province has a preserved environment to envy and is home to various ethnic minority people including the Dao, Thai and Muong groups and attracts millions of tourists every year.
In Nam An, which inhabits a village of Dao people in Bac Quang district and is nestled between the two provinces Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang, it costs tourists as little as US$10 to spend the night in a traditional stilt house made from wood.
From the stilt homes you get a stunning view of the still-surface lake of the hydropower plant Nam Mu. Nearby, traditional plats, such as black-boned chicken and small pork are served by Dao people for next to nothing.
Families and groups after floating on a bamboo boat on the Nam Mu lake can gather around the campfire, have hot drinks due to the cold weather and listen to locals recite some of their people’s folklore.
In the cultural center of Dao village, which holds more than 30 ethnic families, tourists can join in daily activities and even become part of their ancient rituals during festival times, which usually takes place during spring.