Classic Tourist Conundrum - Sapa, Vietnam

(Him: Charlie)

Sapa is an amazing place! The endless rice terraces canvassing the mountain slopes have transformed the otherwise ordinary valley into a breathtaking man-made wonder.

We took part in a two-day tour to the Muong Hoa Valley near Sapa and tribal villages in the surrounding area, I had the opportunity to get a sneak peek into the life of a Hmong family.

Hosting us at the Waterfall Homestay was Su, a member of the Hmong ethnic tribe in Giang Ta Chai village. The village is idyllic - children play in the muddy rice fields or catch fish in the river, livestock and baffalos wander aimlessly on village streets, elderly chit-chat under bamboo trees while sewing traditional dresses. The serenity is exactly the reward we needed to rest our worked up souls.

Su and her family live in a rustic house next to rice terrace, overlooking the river. The house itself is very simple with virtually no furniture - it takes "simple" to its most basic form. The only appliances, the fridge and hot water tank, are most likely added to service the tourists. Su's family has traditionally relied on the rice fields for their own food and rarely sell for money (I suspect there isn't much of a surplus anyway as crops only grow one round per year in this region due to high altitude). The tribal people have always managed to be self-sufficient, as they live off the mountains for firewood, water and food. They even sew their own traditional dresses every year. Once in a while, they would make a trip to town to buy essential items such as salt or tools. For generations, time seems to have stopped in the village.

Compared to the outside world, the villages in Sapa is severely under-developed. From an economics perspective, the tribal people and their society generate tremendously slow growth as they have very little surplus. So maybe it does make sense to bring in tourism to increase their revenue and to spur better economic growth so their life can be improved.

Or, does it? After years of tourism influence, the "development" has begun to take its toll on the local culture. A couple of Canadian travelers we met on the train told us that their group in Sapa consisted of 10 people and the homestay during their visit housed 20 people. The tourists were able to "enjoy" WiFi at the homestay and a bar in the village. What an authentic experience! Jo and I were lucky that our visit was a very pleasant and authentic one, but even Su also has her plan to expand her house to host up to 20 people.

Hosting more people will certainly boost income, but it is also the fastest way to change cultures. As the local community becomes heavily reliant on tourism income, things will never be the same! As a traveler puts it, “Sapa is changing fast, and the next generation will probably not be able to see the authenticity. So here comes the classic tourist conundrum – we often like to travel off the beaten track, but we are also at the forefront of making culture changes, particularly to places that are vulnerable to outside influence. The more we visit these places, the faster they will lose their characteristics and individualities. Alas… what to do? 

 Children selling souvenirs to tourists

Tribal women selling hand-made traditional cloth pieces