Ha Giang, Vietnam – Tour operator Local Vietnam is rolling out a series of traditional craft workshops held inside active Hmong and Dao homes at its Ha Giang Aya Lodge. The program is designed to steer tourism revenue toward the mountain settlements along the Ha Giang Loop, a route that over the past ten years has become one of Southeast Asia's most popular motorbike itineraries yet generates very little income for the communities it passes through.
At present, the bulk of earnings from the well-known circuit goes to operators based in Hanoi or Ha Giang City. To correct this imbalance, Local Vietnam's new initiative features six traditional crafts still practiced in the area: harvesting flax and hand-weaving, beeswax batik combined with indigo dyeing, Red Dao embroidery using forest-herb dyes, corn wine brewed over a wood fire with leaf yeast, incense made from forest bark, and hearth cooking in family homes. Participating households receive direct payment for welcoming visitors.
In contrast to typical demonstration centers, these workshops occur inside functioning family residences, with availability shifting according to the local farming calendar. Corn wine is made only after the maize harvest ends, and flax work takes place strictly during its season.
"Most craft experiences in Vietnam are built for the visitor," said Marnick Schoonderwoerd, co-owner of Local Vietnam, who operates the lodge with his wife, Nhung Phung. "A room is set up, someone performs the craft, everyone photographs it and leaves. That is not what happens here. If the season is wrong, the workshop does not run. It sounds like a commercial weakness, but it is the only version that is real."
Cultural Heritage Within a UNESCO Global Geopark
Ha Giang Aya Lodge sits in Sung Trai, a village on the Dong Van Karst Plateau. This area holds UNESCO Global Geopark status, a designation that explicitly honors both the local population and its geological features. UNESCO's framework points to sustainable tourism and education as key tools for preserving cultural identity and strengthening livelihoods in the region.
The geopark is home to 17 ethnic groups, some of which have lived on the plateau for 500 to 800 years. Hmong communities make up more than 60 percent of the population, forming the largest Hmong community in Vietnam. Beyond the plateau's limestone canyons and 550-million-year geological record, UNESCO documents a wealth of local crafts, oral traditions, festivals, and musical practices.
Yet several of these traditional crafts are in decline as younger residents increasingly move to lowland cities for paid work. Local Vietnam's direct-payment approach aims to make it economically viable for local families to continue practicing these skills.
"When a craft earns nothing, it becomes a hobby for old people and then it disappears," said Duong Phung, co-director of Local Vietnam and manager at Ha Giang Aya Lodge. "When it earns money, daughters learn it from their mothers. That is the whole idea. We are not preserving anything. The families are. We are making it worth their time."
Information on Ha Giang Aya Lodge
Ha Giang Aya Lodge debuted in early 2026 with 14 rooms and is staffed almost entirely by residents from neighboring villages, who receive fixed wages along with English language and hospitality training. The lodge is located within a functioning village rather than a repurposed homestay compound. After administrative changes in 2025, the province was merged into Tuyen Quang, although the region's famous travel route still carries the Ha Giang name.
The lodge provides year-round cultural day tours as well as seasonal craft workshops. Guided treks into Sung Trai and adjacent valleys run from April through June and September through November.
For additional details, visit localvietnam.com.
Details on Local Vietnam
Local Vietnam is an independent travel company that focuses on custom and private itineraries across Vietnam. Founded by Marnick Schoonderwoerd and Nhung Phung, the firm has been active in the region for more than a decade and publishes travel guides in English, Dutch, and German. Local Vietnam owns and manages Ha Giang Aya Lodge in Sung Trai along the Ha Giang Loop.
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Media contact
Company Name: Local Vietnam
Contact Person: Marnick Schoonderwoerd
Email: marnick@localvietnam.com
Website: localvietnam.com
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