ETHOS - Spirit of the Community

05/09/2026

Getting to Know Sapa: The ETHOS Treasure Hunt

Moving to a new place is about much more than finding somewhere to live. If you are going to feel settled, confident and independent, you need to understand the place around you. That was the purpose of our ETHOS Treasure Hunt.

For Pang, Sinh and Ta May, the activity was designed to build friendships, encourage teamwork and give them the opportunity to explore Sapa together as they begin their new lives here.

Their route took them across very different parts of the town, from the Sapa Museum to the grand entrance halls of five-star hotels, from fast-food restaurants to the temple and Sapa Market, but the challenge was not simply to find places.

We encouraged the apprentices to look beyond the obvious and focus on the variety of Sapa. Which areas feel peaceful? Where are you most likely to meet large crowds? Where can you find the best-value food? Which parts of town are dominated by tourism, and which still feel connected to everyday local life?

These details matter. Over time, this kind of knowledge creates a much deeper understanding of where you live. It helps you navigate confidently, make better decisions, discover useful places and begin to feel that a new town is becoming home.

For Pang, Sinh and Ta May, the Treasure Hunt was also something simpler and equally important: a chance to explore, solve problems, laugh together and begin building friendships as a new team.

https://youtu.be/hO0z50E-QBo?si=BBpneCc3i4rDN4nq

For regular updates, please visit our Shared Programme Updates page.

https://www.ethosspirit.com/shared-programme-updates

2nd September 2026Moving to a new place is about much more than f...

04/09/2026

Needs Must: Before You Judge a Child Selling in Sapa, Ask Why

A boy approaches you in Sapa selling a key ring. He has a baby on his back wrapped in a blanket.

You say no but he keeps trying. It is easy to see a nuisance but is harder to empathise with the family circumstances that led him there.

In this case, that means a father left with permanent injuries after a serious accident. A home damaged by landslides more than once. A mother travelling a difficult mountain road to sell only when weather and circumstances allow. An 11-year-old boy carrying his two-year-old sister through the night market, selling enough to help cover the fuel that brought the family into town, sometimes collecting uneaten food before making the long journey home.

Then, after only a few hours of sleep, he is expected at school before 7am. When he falls asleep in class, he is called lazy.

This is why “just don’t buy from children” is not the whole answer.

We are not defending child selling but this article is written to encourage people to look beyond the behaviour and understand the circumstances that create it. Poverty, unstable income, poor access, damaged homes, limited employment and enormous differences in spending power do not disappear because a tourist says no.

Privilege can make judgement very easy. Empathy requires us to ask harder questions.

Read the full story: https://www.ethosspirit.com/blog/needs-must-understanding-why-some-hmong-children-sell-in-sapa

02/09/2026

(Tiếng Việt ở dưới)

Today is Day One.

This morning, Ta May, Sinh and Pang arrived at the ETHOS Apprentice House carrying bags, clothes and all the practical things needed to make a new place feel like home, but they were also stepping into something much bigger.

Today marks the beginning of a two-and-a-half-year journey. Over the months ahead there will be classroom based learning and fieldwork, new skills and unfamiliar situations, successes and mistakes, difficult days and very good ones. There will be plenty of questions. Hopefully there will be lots of laughter. We hope this is the beginning of new friendships and, we hope, the beginning of new found confidence.

Around them is a community of people who will teach, encourage, challenge, listen, work alongside them and be there when things become difficult.

Thirty months is a long time. None of us knows exactly who these three young women will be when they reach the other end of it, and perhaps that is one of the most exciting things about today.

For now, there a new house to settle into and the first small steps of a very long journey to take. Ta May, Sinh and Pang, from all of us in the ETHOS community: welcome. We are very happy to have you as part of our team.

More details here: https://www.ethosspirit.com/shared-programme-updates

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Hôm nay là ngày đầu tiên.

Sáng nay, Ta May, Sinh và Pang đến Ngôi nhà Học viên ETHOS với hành trang cho một cuộc sống mới. Những bộ quần áo, những vật dụng quen thuộc rồi sẽ dần làm nên cảm giác của một mái nhà. Nhưng phía sau những điều giản dị ấy là một bước ngoặt lớn, khi ba cô gái bắt đầu viết nên một chương mới của cuộc đời mình.

Hai năm rưỡi phía trước sẽ có lớp học và những chuyến đi thực địa, những kỹ năng mới, những trải nghiệm chưa từng có, những thành công và cả những lần vấp ngã. Sẽ có những ngày không dễ dàng, nhưng cũng sẽ có thật nhiều tiếng cười, những tình bạn đẹp và những khoảnh khắc khiến các em nhận ra mình mạnh mẽ, độc lập và có khả năng hơn mình từng nghĩ.

Ba mươi tháng là một quãng thời gian dài. Chúng ta chưa thể biết Ta May, Sinh và Pang sẽ trở thành những người phụ nữ như thế nào khi chạm đến điểm cuối. Và có lẽ, điều đẹp đẽ nhất chính là được chứng kiến sự trưởng thành ấy từng ngày.

Trước mắt các em là một mái nhà để thuộc về, những tình bạn để vun đắp và vô vàn điều mới mẻ để khám phá. Bên cạnh các em sẽ luôn có một cộng đồng sẵn sàng chỉ dẫn, khích lệ, lắng nghe, đồng hành và cùng các em vượt qua những lúc khó khăn.

Ta May, Sinh và Pang, thay mặt tất ca cô, bác, anh, chi, em trong cộng đồng ETHOS, thật hân hạnh được chào đón các em.

Chúc các em một khởi đầu thật tốt đẹp.

01/09/2026

Hi, my name is Cha. I’m from Sapa, and I’m part of the Black Hmong community.

Sapa is a big place, and while the town was busy with tourists today celebrating our National Holiday, life in many of the villages continued as normal. Away from the crowds, the villages remained peaceful, quiet and staggeringly beautiful.

People were taking care of their animals, working in the fields, making clothes and simply continuing with everyday life.

Here are a few beautiful moments from today in my home, Sapa.

1st September 2026

01/09/2026

Sapa’s golden season is upon us. Ripening rice and the harvest will continue across the valleys over the next few weeks. If you’ve been thinking about coming to Sa Pa, we’d love to welcome you to the mountains and share this beautiful time of year with you.

31/08/2026

When Did Travel Advice Stop Coming From People Who Actually Know the Place?

AI can produce a polished northern Vietnam itinerary in seconds, but there is a serious problem hidden behind that convenience - digital visibility is increasingly being confused with genuine knowledge.

A farmer who has watched the same Sa Pa valley through forty harvests may have no website, no YouTube channel and no searchable article, while an influencer who spent four hours here can publish an “ultimate guide” and potentially reach hundreds of thousands of travellers. AI then absorbs that imbalance, repeatedly encountering the voices that publish the most rather than necessarily the people who know the most. The result is a travel landscape in which the ability to publish can carry more authority than the ability to know.

The consequences go far beyond occasional bad advice. AI, bloggers and influencers increasingly funnel travellers towards the same attractions, the same photographs and the same heavily travelled routes, while small-scale community experiences and locally held knowledge become harder to find. Adventure risks becoming itinerary consumption, and repetition begins masquerading as exploration.

There needs to be a kickback. Travellers can still choose depth over volume, local knowledge over online popularity and genuine discovery over another recycled checklist. The most important question may no longer be, “What does the internet say about this place?”, but “Who actually knows it?”

Read our full article on why AI should be the beginning of your travel research, not the end: https://www.ethosspirit.com/blog/why-ai-cant-be-trusted-to-plan-your-travels?utm_source=chatgpt.com

AI travel plans can spread bad advice, overcrowding and shallow itineraries. Learn why local knowledge still matters when planning travel in Sa Pa.

27/08/2026

Muong Hoa Funicular: Worth It Without Fansipan?

The Muong Hoa Funicular is usually seen as the first step towards Fansipan, but is the iconic red train worth riding as an attraction in its own right?

In our latest video, we explore the journey from Sun Plaza, the funicular ride, accessibility, prices and what you can see and do around the Sun World gardens and temple area, without taking the cable car to the summit.

If you are short on time, travelling on a tighter budget, scared of heights or simply do not fancy the cable car, this could be a great alternative.

Watch the full video here:
https://youtu.be/s__tazbj3M8?si=V_bF4lJgKc3KW3hT

The Muong Hoa Funicular is usually seen as the first stage of the j...

24/08/2026

Sa Pa Today: A Clearer Picture of Current Conditions

There have been a number of weather warnings and social media posts circulating recently about conditions in Sa Pa, some of which give the impression that the area is currently experiencing continuous heavy rain or dangerous weather.

We wanted to share a little context from what we are actually seeing on the ground.

Over the past few days there has been no significant rainfall in the areas around Sa Pa where we have been travelling, and recent weeks have generally been seasonally warm and relatively dry. These photographs were all taken today and show the current conditions across several parts of the wider Sa Pa landscape.

Of course, Sa Pa is a mountainous region and weather can change quickly. Heavy rain, thunderstorms, landslides and difficult trail conditions are genuine risks at certain times, and official weather warnings should always be taken seriously. Conditions can also vary considerably from one valley or village to another, but it is equally important that information reflects what is actually happening locally.

At present, the countryside is green, the rice terraces are beginning their transition towards harvest, trails in many areas are dry, and conditions across much of the region are very good for exploring.

We will continue to monitor the weather locally and adapt our routes whenever conditions require it. For anyone visiting Sa Pa, the best approach is simple: check reliable forecasts, listen to local advice and make decisions based on the conditions on the day.

These are Sa Pa’s landscapes today, 24th August 2026.

23/08/2026

Sapa from Above: Rice Terraces Turning Gold

Mid-August is one of the most beautiful times to see the mountains of Sapa.

Filmed over two days across three villages in the wider Sapa region, our latest video captures the rice terraces as they slowly change from deep green to golden yellow, with the first signs of harvest beginning across the mountainsides.

Three minutes of aerial views, quiet valleys and some of northern Vietnam’s most extraordinary landscapes.

Watch the full video here:

https://youtu.be/jxAYNGJfwno?si=6kifUg1LtWwQ8txt

If you would like to experience this side of Sapa for yourself, well away from the main tourist trekking routes, get in touch with ETHOS.

In mid-August, the rice terraces of Sapa begin one of their most be...

01/08/2026

We are proud to share an important new chapter for ETHOS.

This September, Pang, Ta May and Sinh will begin a thirty-month apprenticeship combining formal education, English, tourism, digital skills, practical training and long-term mentoring.

The ETHOS Apprenticeship Programme grows directly from more than twenty-five years of community-based tourism in northern Vietnam. It represents our commitment not only to creating fair local employment today, but also to supporting the young women who can help shape the future of tourism, education and community leadership in Sa Pa.

Our new article explains why we created the programme, what the apprentices will learn and why we believe this is such an important milestone for ETHOS and the communities alongside whom we work.

Read the full story: https://www.ethosspirit.com/blog/building-the-future-of-community-based-tourism-in-northern-vietnam