My wife and I were in Vietnam for only one week. We had just done a 2 night cruise in Ha Long Bay which was great, but I wanted to see some of the countryside and get off the beaten tourist path. I was a little nervous about the Yen Duc village tour. I almost waved off and spent another day on the coast. I am so glad that we did the tour in Yen Duc Village. It exceeded my expectations in every way. I can honestly say that if I had to choose only one thing to do in Vietnam, between Ha Long Bay and Yen Duc Village, I would take Yen Duc Village.
The staff were immediately warm and welcoming with very personal service. My wife and I were the only people staying there that evening, but we were told that at most, there would only be 8 families. This decision is to keep the service personal, and also to limit that “beaten path” problem that I was trying to avoid.
Yen Duc is way off the beaten path. Our guide was Na, a wonderful woman that filled every moment we spent there with laughter and who clearly took great joy in her work, and pride in her village. We were delighted with her company and she made every experience a special moment. We caught fish by hand from a local fish farm pond, worked traditional equipment for harvesting rice, visited the village temple, did some hands on broom making, and visited a local fellow in his home who explained local customs, and shared experiences with us. Na’s English was excellent, allowing us to truly interact with the people of the village, both in the planned activities and in completely spontaneous moments in the local market, and just on the street with the locals. We toured a vegetable garden where Na pointed out plants and herbs, and we saw those same elements in our meals.
The food was remarkable. All made from produce in the village, some (like the fish) that we acquired by our own hand. I bought some mangos in the market and Na prepared them for us later. We had a special show of some traditional folk songs and dancing. I’ve seen many such shows put on for tourists in Mexico at resorts for instance, and I generally don’t care for them. They generally have a very forced, canned feel to them, where the performers are going through motions. This Yen Duc performance was just with the two of us watching and it was fantastic. We even talked Na into getting up and doing a little routine. She is incredibly fun, but from reading other reviews, it seems all the guides are well chosen.
I highly recommend the overnight stay in Yen Duc Village.
Collection of reviews about Yen Duc village tour, luxury homestay near Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 