"We checked out of Hanoi and met Mr Quang and Mr Trung who were very excited to take us to their village, Ken Village. For us it was very special as we have never done anything like this homestay and it was our hosts first time as well. I also felt privileged because I now know Mr Quang and Mr Trung very well as we have spent many days together.When we arrived, we were welcomed into the family with open arms, large smiles and welcome drinks. The house is incredible, very comfortable and has two quarters, the original house and the main house for living. The people are all so friendly with generations of family visiting including grandchildren whose English was outstanding.
We sat down in the traditional ways to an unbelievable lunch, definitely one of the best meals yet in Vietnam. I do have to say though for people who eat a lot it was still too much food but never the lest it was still very tasty. It is so nice to arrive to an area like Ken Village which is away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist areas. We rode bikes supplied by the homestay host around the beautiful country side, through rice paddies and farms. All the locals were so excited to see us with big smiles and confident hello’s.
Once we returned from our ride we had the chance to go fishing using rods which were also supplied by the host. It was extremely enjoyable. That evening after a delicious dinner local village people came for a welcoming celebration. We had traditional dances from the village perform three different and amazing dances for us. Food and drinks were served. Ken Village was a great break and definitely off the beaten track of tourists I would recommend staying more than a day and great to do it on the way to Halong Bay. My kids thought Ken Village was the best part of the tour in Vietnam" - By Katia from Australia