Ying was our guide for 6 days when traveling from Hanoi to Tam Coc and Sa Pa. We also did a 1 day hiking tour in Sa Pa. I would definitely recommend her! She is so sweet; her English is perfect, she knows the area very well (good restaurants, places to go, etc) & has a lot to tell about the culture and the country.

We did half-day private tour with Dragon Mountain Family to Love Waterfall, Silver Waterfall, and Hell Gate, and it was great. The waterfalls were stunning. Each one had its own unique beauty, and we enjoyed plenty of time to soak in the scenery and take photos. The serene atmosphere made it easy to appreciate the natural wonders around us. Our guide, Ying, was exceptional. She tailored the tour to our interests, allowing us to see exactly what we wanted without feeling rushed. Her knowledge of the local culture was great, and she was more than happy to answer all of our questions. It felt more like a conversation with a friend than a typical tour, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The included lunch was great, the best meal we had in Sapa city. Overall, I highly recommend the half-day private tour with Dragon Mountain Family. If you want a personalized experience that combines breathtaking sights with cultural insights, this tour is a must! Thank you, Ying, for an unforgettable day! Would love to go back and do the Ha Giang tour one day.

Ying was an amazing and flexible guide. Full of knowledge and enthusiasm, we learnt about the different cultures and histories of the tribes in northern Vietnam doing the Ha Giang loop. Short hikes through villages gave immersive experiences of day-to-day living and homestays were comfortable.

We had an AWESOME time on our trip with Dragon Mountain Family! The tour was informative, and we saw so many beautiful places. Ying is lovely and the whole experience was wonderful. We'll definitely book with them again when we head back to Sapa next!

We can’t give this review high enough ratings. Our guide, Pang, gave us the highlight of our entire trip to Vietnam with this trek. She spoke wonderful English, and set up all our transportation to and from the train station for seamless transfers. She even met us at the train station and rode back there with us to make sure we had our tickets set up correctly so we didn’t have to worry about any potential language barriers. While on the trek she listened to us and took us on a trail that she thought we would enjoy more which included a long walk by the river where we got to see a lot of locals playing in the rivers and planting crops for the upcoming seasons. She was so kind, and answered any questions we had while we taught her some new English words. She was so joyful and truly gave us a better experience than we ever expected. HIGHLY recommend trekking with this company. They are wonderful people and made our experience seamless with their effective communication. Thank you for a wonderful experience Pang!

I just came back from a 3 day trekking with Sue, Zen's sister. I have had such a wonderful time i find it difficult to find the right words. The views were amazing, decent accommodations, tasty food and nice interactions with locals. What set Sue and Zen apart though is the following. I've been in touch with Zen voor de booking process. This went incredibly smooth. She answered every question i had almost immediately. Every request i had was met with a smile. I foe example asked for a private driver to take me from the airport to my hotel in Sapa. Or a more lively homestay. Also Sue adjusted the trekking routes and increased the intensity to my experience level. Sue shared so many insights about her culture and the other villages. She was very cheerful and has a great sense of humor. She took me to delicious restaurants as well. It felt like i had a friend instead of only a guide. I'm grateful for my time in Sapa and would love to come back. In that case I'll make sure to contact Sue and Zen again. Thanks for everything!

We were disappointed by the trip organized by Zen (dragon mountain family) for a few reasons (5 fays / 4 nights in march 2024): 1. Zen confirmed that she will be our guide (conversation screenshots below). This is also what the website advertises. Zen has many amazing reviews online and we were thrilled to have her as our guide. The price was a little higher than other companies, but it seemed to be totally worth it. 2. However, at the last minute (literally at 7.58 am, only 2 minutes before picking us up on the 1st day), she informed us that “something came up”, she could not be our guide and that her “brother” will replace her. We find it very unprofessional. Zen clearly has years of experience as a guide, tons of good reviews, this is why we booked her. Switching to a random person at the last minute is simply unprofessional. We believe she should have told us beforehand. 3. After this last-minute change, Zen also wrote down that she will “see us later during our trip”. For the record, we never saw her during that trip, she also never called us to see how everything was going. 4. The “last minute” new guide could speak good English and was a very nice. However, he was not a guide but more of a “helper”, here to help with translations in restaurants and make the trip comfortable. He did not have much knowledge and did not share much about local culture. We were expecting (and excited!) to learn about local culture, know more about ethnic minorities, see different customs and visit truly local places (rather than tourists traps). This did not happen. Again, this “last minute” guide was a very nice person, but not a real knowledgeable guide. 5. This last-minute guide also appeared to be somewhat “greedy”. Often asking for presents or things in gift shops. On the last day, I gave him a reasonable tip of 50 usd. He immediately turned to my wife and asked “What about you madam, any tip?”. This is a bit rich; we believe we already paid a fair price for the tour and our guide. The driver was given the same tip amount and did not show such attitude. On the + side: 1. Ha Giang was amazing. The landscapes are incredible. It’s a MUST DO for sure. 2. Our driver was AMAZING. He drove very safely and always tried to help. Although he could not speak English, he was so happy to drive us and used google translate several times to share information about some buildings, landscapes, and local customs. Some interesting information that our “last minute” guide seemed to have had no idea about.

Ying was the guide for our trip to Sa Pa and Ha Giang, where we did a couple of treks. Best thing about travelling with Ying was that it felt more like travelling with a friend instead of with just a tour guide. Along the 4-day trip, we all conversed about life and Ying was always willing to share just enough details about the places, culture, and the people we encountered. That way, we still had space on our own to pause, observe, listen and experience.

Our guide Su took us on an adventure along trails and rice fields no other tourists were on. On day 2-4 we literally saw no other tourists as we hiked along the Buffalo Trails. The homestays were welcoming and the food perfect. If you're fit and willing to take some risks the 4 day trek with Su is more than worth it. Highly recommend.

A decent sized hike through the valleys and mountains with lovely sights all around. A very friendly/informative guide from an authentic Hmong family

I went with Zen on a four day tour of Ha Giang loop. I highly recommend Zen. She really is the best! Read her reviews, and you will know why. She will customize the trip to your needs and skill level. (my skill level is low) Weather you want to Trek, motor bike or go by car talk with Zen.

Energetic 3-day trekking tour - definitely not one for normal sneakers, especially not in the rain! Guide Xa threaded us through rice terraces, bamboo forests, and mountain views. Don't forget to get up early in the morning - the pics will be worth it. Both homestays were welcoming, friendly, clean, and comfortable. The first one had a private bathroom. The second one had a fan. Both had mosquito nets, so you can sleep undisturbed. Food was homestyle and shared with the homestay family. I also took some time to hang out with the homestay kids and participate in their chores - use this chance to live the local lifestyle! Two things to beware of: the vendors are quite persistent on the first day, first stretch of trekking into Ta Van. They do create most of their stuff, and it is quite beautiful, but beware that once you say yes to one, the rest will swarm you, especially the kids. I learned to say a polite "No thank you". Second, if you're looking for a deep dive exploration of the tribes, how they operate, what makes them different from each other, and how they all came to live here, I did not get that information during this tour. Maybe it was a bit lost in translation. I don't know if there's any tour that can clearly explain these things in Sapa. If this is what you're after, I'd recommend reading up on the different tribes first (the tribe names/itinerary/villages in the tour description are accurate), or maybe this tour isn't for you. Otherwise, an enjoyable experience all around!

We took a one day tour from Hanoi to Ninh Binh with Sa after we received a recommendation from fellow travelers and had the best time! We started the morning by going on a small local boat ride down the Tam Coc River, along rice fields and mountains, and even into caves. We then had a delicious lunch in the small “downtown” area, followed by a bike ride in the local villages to the Hoa Lu temples of the Dinh & Le Dynasties, climbing the 500 steps to get to the top and take in breathtaking views of the towns & river below. Sa was an amazing tour guide all along the way and gave great insight into Vietnamese culture. We highly recommend taking a tour with Sa!

Zen has a great energy to her. Her traditional upbringing in Sapa combined with her now modern life in Hanoi means she can answer any questions you have in regards to life in Vietnam. English is great, very positive personality, will adapt to any specific requests you might have in terms of itinerary changes or restrictions. We did a 5 day tour with her in Ha Giang and couldn't be more happy with the trip.

It was initially the wife's idea - I wouldn't normally choose trekking as a trip However, I was fast converted by the incredibly beautiful scenery - not just the lush greenery, but the temples and village and people - amazing experience, We very much plan on doing it once more. The food was fantastic, the homestay very comfortable and the guide called Zen proved to be quite a character - perfect English, highly knowledgeable and capable and boundless enthusiasm. Considering the price - bargain!!