On 7/2, Tuan Anh, a visitor from Ha Noi, sought accommodation in Lo Lo Chai for the 3rd to 5th day of Tet. He contacted more than 10 homestays, all reported being fully booked. Subsequently, he reached out to intermediaries who suggested sleeping in a tent, located about 300 meters from the village gate, for 500,000 VND per night without a private bathroom. The vendor stated that about 10 tents were available and quickly sold out due to the reasonable price.

"Traveling and having to sleep in a tent is too inconvenient, so I will likely skip the plan to stay overnight in Lo Lo village", he said.

A tent rental spot in Lo Lo Chai. Photo: NVCC

Sinh Gi Gai, the head of Lo Lo Chai village, confirmed that as of the afternoon of 7/2, most rooms in the 63 homestay businesses in Lo Lo Chai were fully booked for the Lunar New Year holiday. Linh Son, owner of Amazing Lo Lo Chai homestay, maintained regular room rates, ranging from 600,000 VND to 800,000 VND, leading to all Tet rooms being sold out a month in advance. According to Son, finding a Tet room in Lo Lo Chai is currently difficult, with availability unlikely until after the 10th day of the Lunar calendar.

Last-minute travelers find it almost impossible to book rooms directly from homestays, as most visitors secured their Tet reservations months ago. Additionally, some tour operators pre-book rooms for their own package tours, which typically cost around 4.5 million VND for a three-day, three-night itinerary.

Currently, good rooms in Lo Lo Chai are almost impossible to book individually. Travelers are left with limited options for lower-quality rooms, priced from 600,000 VND to 900,000 VND, which is comparable to standard rooms in well-known homestays.

A room available for rent at 900,000 VND during Tet through an intermediary. Photo: NVCC

Regarding tent rentals, Lung Cu Commune People's Committee stated that this situation occurred previously during the buckwheat flower festival, and local authorities addressed it to maintain aesthetic standards. For the Lunar New Year, functional forces are increasing inspections of tourist service conditions.

Sinh Gi Gai reported that he collaborated with Lung Cu commune authorities to encourage homestay businesses to stabilize prices during Tet. They are continuously checking room rate listings in Lo Lo Chai to prevent price gouging and overcharging visitors.

Gai added that finding a room in Lo Lo Chai is currently "very difficult," so visitors should be cautious when dealing with vendors. If deciding to transact through an intermediary, travelers should contact the homestay owner first or directly reach out to local management authorities for verification.

Lo Lo Chai began developing tourism activities in 2011 and was recognized by UN Tourism in October as the "Best Tourism Village 2025." From 2023 to 2025, the total number of households in Lo Lo Chai increased from 119 to 122, and the number of homestay businesses grew from 29 to 63. Concurrently, the percentage of households involved in tourism rose from 26% to 52%. During major holidays throughout the year, Lo Lo Chai frequently experiences fully booked accommodations.

Hoai Anh