"For the first time in the 6 years we've been doing tourism, our homestay has been fully booked for 3 months, with hundreds of booking inquiries I haven't been able to answer," said Vang Thi Thong, owner of Ban Lien Pine Homestay in Bac Ha, Lao Cai.

The homestay, also the family's residence, is located in Ban Lien village, over 20 km from the Bac Ha district center. Last April, a reality TV show chose her homestay as a filming location and accommodation for the cast for a week. After the show aired in early July, the 36-year-old Tay woman unexpectedly became an internet sensation. Videos of her daily life posted on her personal page have attracted millions of views.

Ms. Thong guides the artists through village life experiences on the reality TV show. Photo: *Gia dinh Ha Ha*

"During filming, I wasn't thinking about anything, and I didn't know how famous the artists staying at my place were," she said, adding that the widespread recognition of her homestay came as a surprise and a great joy.

After the program aired, bookings at the homestay surged, leaving no vacancies for three months (July-September), even on weekdays. Ms. Thong's family is experiencing their "busiest period in 6 years of tourism." However, they are not accepting guests continuously, instead opting for a three-days-on, two-days-off schedule for cleaning and upkeep.

Pham Hoang Long, a Hanoi resident, visited Ban Lien and stayed at Ms. Thong's homestay in June. He was pleased to see the remote Bac Ha destination featured on television. He described his stay as a truly "healing" vacation, praising the beautiful scenery, fresh air, and delicious tea.

"What's special is the multi-talented host, Ms. Thong. She's a great cook, knows how to play the leaf horn, and organizes many interesting tours like palm-leaf hat weaving, stream fishing, tea picking, and learning how to process tea traditionally right at the homestay," Long said, adding that he would return to Ban Lien soon if he could book a room.

Vang Thi Thong and her husband started their homestay business in late 2019 after participating in a sustainable rural tourism project with 4 other households in the village. The project provided training on hospitality, food safety, accommodation management, and offered a 50 million VND loan for facility upgrades. From their traditional stilt house on a 100 m2 plot, Ms. Thong has dedicated seven dormitory rooms and one private room to the homestay, accommodating up to 20 guests. The accommodation costs 150,000 VND per person per night.

Ms. Thong says tourism is less strenuous than fieldwork under the "sun and dew," but the family still maintains their fields. She integrates farming activities into the experiential tours to give guests a deeper understanding of village life. She still has to be "under the sun" when guiding guests, but the opportunity to interact with new people brings her joy.

Ms. Thong guides foreign tourists in wearing a traditional carrying basket. Photo: *Ban Lien Pine Homestay*

Experiential tours are designed flexibly, integrated with daily life. If the family goes tea picking in the morning, guests can join. In the afternoon, guests can participate in field activities like harrowing or rice planting. If guests want to visit waterfalls or streams outside of the farming schedule, the couple will divide the housework to guide them, with an additional fee.

"80% of guests enjoy following the family's schedule, doing what the family does, and eating what the family eats," Ms. Thong said.

Guests trying their hand at farm work are often unfamiliar with the tasks, sometimes working slowly or giving up midway. This requires the family to hire extra help to finish the work in time for the harvest. Potentially dangerous activities, like grass cutting with sharp knives, have been removed from the schedule. Before each experience, the family discusses safety thoroughly, and guests who wish to participate must commit to ensuring their own safety. Activities like vegetable picking, pottery making, rice planting, and tea picking usually take a whole morning or sometimes extend into the evening. The fee for 4-5 experiences with the family ranges from 400,000-500,000 VND per group.

Foreign tourists experience fishing in Ban Lien. Photo: *Ban Lien Pine Homestay*

Despite the increased workload compared to purely farming, Ms. Thong sees tourism as a way to preserve traditional lifestyles and generate stable income. A typical day for her family starts between 4-5 a.m. and ends well past midnight.

While guests are still asleep, she works in the fields. Around 7 a.m., when guests wake up, she returns home to prepare breakfast. Housework is shared: her husband cooks, Ms. Thong guides guests, and her daughter helps with cleaning and tea picking when she is free. For larger groups of around 20 people, she often asks neighbors to assist with cooking, while she continues to personally guide the guests.

A group of foreign tourists dines with Ms. Thong's family. Photo: *Ban Lien Pine Homestay*

The newfound fame has made it easier for Ms. Thong's family to attract guests and increase their income. However, she maintains her principle of sustainable tourism, avoiding overwhelming crowds to prevent disruption to their lives. If a large group of 8-10 people has already booked, she will not accept additional bookings to avoid exceeding capacity. If more guests arrive than she can accommodate, she refers them to other families in the village, sharing the tourism benefits and boosting the community's income.

This Tay woman is passionate about developing tourism that preserves the culture of the highlands. At 39, Ms. Thong farms, runs a homestay, and continues learning to improve her tourism services. She hopes tourism will ease the hardships of the villagers while preserving their unique identity.

"Tourism is only sustainable when the whole village shares and preserves its unique characteristics," she said.

Bich Phuong