Ly Thi So

So joined our team to fulfil her long term goal of working as a tour guide. So has guided many groups of tourists in Sapa and its surroundings. She has an extensive knowledge of ethnic minorities and uses a “hands-on” approach: leading the way for her group’s enjoyment of everything from boating, hiking, bicycling and cooking. Her upbeat, personalized manner of guiding tours reflects her devotion to Sapa, where she grew up. So is committed to protecting traditional ways of life and the environment.

“A fabulous trip! The opportunity to spend time relaxing, eating and talking with Vietnamese families was wonderful - felt as though we learned much more about the people than we could have possibly done otherwise. So was the perfect guide for this experience - insightful and thoughtful. Her passion and love for the country comes through every minute.”

Rob Anthony + Kim Mackay (Canada)

Trinh Van Khanh

Khanh, a graduate of Hanoi’s National University of Foreign Languages, founded Ethnic Travel and established the company’s reputation for client-focused tour planning, cultural sensitivity and environmental responsibility. Known for his love of the outdoors and winning smile, Khanh delights in ensuring that Ethnic Travel participants experience the real Vietnam and take home personal and meaningful memories of his country. His proficiency in languages is frequently displayed in his great sense of humour. Here are some comments from many of his satisfied clients.

“Khanh’s experience, enthusiasm, knowledge, genuine interest and love of his country as well as the opportunity to share his country with you will become evident the moment that you begin your trip with him. I believe you will not have a truer experience of the beauty of the people and the surroundings with anyone else. As someone who has traveled around the world many times I speak from experience.”

Craig Bauwens
Email: cbauwens@yahoo.com


Pham Thi Lan

Ba Be Lake, Cao Bang, Bai Tu Long Bay, Halong Bay and Sapa are just a few places you might find Lan. Lan's undying passion is great Vietnamese food and mountains, so look out for a fantastic time if she is your tour guide!

"We have just returned from a two-day trip to Bai Tu Long Bay with Lan and would like to convince anyone and everyone who reads this recommendation to GO WITH LAN. The trip was the best thing I have ever done in Vietnam. I have never had a better guide or been on a better trip, it was well-planned, interesting, beautiful, and a great way to see the bay with someone who is very willing to share information and insightful observations. Really above and beyond what we were expecting in terms of INNOVATION, PROFESSIONALISM, and FLEXIBILITY!"

Rachel and Jessica, France

Dieu Xuan Thanh

“Our 18 day-journey in the North of Vietnam wouldn’t have been the same without our driver, guide and friend Thanh who made this trip very special for us. Not only is he a very experienced and careful driver, but also his good command of English, his translating skills, the insights he gave us into the Vietnamese culture and tradition were a cornerstone of our great Vietnamese experience. We especially liked how proudly Thanh talked about Ethnic Travel and his colleagues we can confirm that your company is special. We will definitely spread the word.”

Lisi and Wolfgang (Austria)


Mai Thu

Thu’s boundless enthusiasm and bright smile makes her a great addition to our team. Thu’s laid back style, love for the countryside and knowledge of Vietnam will give you a real insight into the country and its people.

"We were pleasantly surprised that our guide spoke excellent French with an incredible vocabulary. She was very knowledgeable about the area and environment. We would recommend to anybody to get away from the crowds and see 'real' Vietnam with Thu."

Andrew and Breanne, Toronto, Canada

Long is one of our veterans. He is always ready for a new challenge. Long's love of adventure and vast knowledge of Vietnam will ensure an eye-opening experience. You will find Long charming tribal people or up in the hills trekking. Come and meet him.

"We had a wonderful trip with Long because of his calmness, sense of humour and local knowledge. No request was too much for Long who always went out of his way to see that we were comfortable and happy with the arrangements. His sense of humour and patience meant that he wasn't upset by our two teenage children squabbling now and again! He was also quite flexible changing arrangements to suit my dodgy knees!"

Kathryn and David, Thailand

Ly Thi Sung

Sung's commitment and passion to the Ethnic Travel way of travel, extensive knowledge and strong love for Vietnam will surprise and delight you in so many ways. As two travellers said.

"A wonderful 3 days away! We felt comfortable with our enthusiastic guide Sung. She spoke excellent English and gave us plenty of information about local customs, religion, geography, people and life in North Vietnam. And was happy to answer all our many questions."

Do Thi Thao

Thao's outgoing and happy nature makes her many friends amongst local people and travellers alike. Her interests include singing Vietnamese traditional folk songs. She is a great singer and a tour guide at home in any region in Vietnam. Her satisfied guests said.

"Thank you for serving as interpreter when we stop at the cafe and answering all our questions, from irrigation to traditional wedding practices- you seem to know everything! You are a great guide and we were very happy to have you with us for this unusual foray into life in rural Vietnam."

Dao Thi Van

Van's bright smile, local knowledge and relaxed style makes her a great tour guide. "Van is a fantastic guide and person, full of knowledge, excellent English and communication skills, and just a genuinely nice person, and I feel like we got to see something of the real Vietnam and real Vietnamese people." said one of Van's travellers.

Nguyen Thi Cam Le

Le found the Ethnic experience of travel so rewarding that she made it her way of life. Try matching her energy and enthusiasm.

"I really could not be more satisfied with our trip to Bai Tu Long Bay. I am almost lost for words on where to begin! We really feel like we have had the opportunity to see the real Vietnam, and though our trip was three days, we felt like we had gotten our money's worth by the early afternoon of the first day.

A key factor in the enormous enjoyment and fun we had was largely due to our wonderful guide, Le, whose humour, knowledge, unchangeable smile and friendly, open, and warm hearted character really made our trip."

Caoimhe Speakman, Ireland



Dinh Hong Guong

Guong's hospitality and laugh is infectious. His passion for Vietnam is undying. Come and meet Guong who is our host in Black River.

"We found Mr Guong's homestay was a real tase of ethnic rural life. The warmth and generosity of the family was extremely touching. Staying in his wooden stilt-house was like stepping back to a time unpolluted by modern development. Many thanks for such a fantastic time."

John (Australia)





Ly Thi Mu

Mu loved travelling with Ethnic Travel so much she decided to join our team. Mu's combination of easy going style and energy is perfect for a tour guide.

“Our enjoyable trip was made so much better by our guide, Mu. She was very informative and appears to have perfected the art of anticipating people's needs. Mu obviously loves to show people her country and work with Ethnic Travel- this gives us great confidence to travel with them again.”

Karen and Chris

Mai Van Thuan

Born in the north province of Ninh Binh, Thuan trained in a vocational school as a mechanic and driver. At 30 he is one of the youngest drivers in our team. Thuan is a commited driver. Thuan was described by one traveller as "Excellent, keep up your work. You were fantastic to us always helpful and looking out for us. Thank you."

Vu Huyen Trang

What can you say about Trang? Fun, calm and with a strong love of the French language. Her passion for Vietnam and its people has never faded.

"A fantastic experience - Trang is the perfect tour guide and shows you a side of Vietnam which you wouldn't see on your own. Everything from speaking with Vietnamese teachers to some home cooking! A wonderful experience not to be missed. Thank you."

Catherine, France

Trinh Xuan Phuong

Phuong left the heat of Ho Chi Minh City to join our team in Hanoi as a driver. Phuong's enthusiasm and sense of humour makes him many friends wherever he goes. One of his satisfied guests said " An excellent driver and that was a great relief to us (travelling with our kids), because the traffic isn't very easy in Vietnam. Phuong is a treasure of Ethnic Travel."

Nguyen Le Thuy Tien

Tien has a sense of fun and strong love for her home, Ben Tre province. You will find that she offers an excellent insight into the real Mekong Delta. Get ready to try something new and different.

Do Van Hoan

Hoan's a guy full of life and great ideas. He loves sharing his fun, extensive knowledge and great cooking skills with you. Perfect for a host in the Red River Delta.

Nguyen Ly Ly

Have we mentioned passion, Enthusiasm? Energy? No.....well, come and meet Ly who is our newest tour guide. Her guests said.

“We have had a brilliant experience travelling with Ly for the last 6 days. We ‘ve been on the road for 7 months now and wish there had been a Ly in each place we visited!!! Besides the invaluable language lessons, she gave us a truly unique experience as we interacted with Vietnamese farmers, shared meals with families and even had our palms read!!!

She also introduced us to many local dishes (very tasty) we had a ball! The only suggestion we can make is to consider going for longer!!! Take the worry and hassle out of doing it yourself and hit the road with Ly !!!”

Peter and Kristina

Nguyen Thi Huyen Thuong

Thuong is the cream of the crop, her ability is to make every trip more than you ever hope for. Thuong's passion and commitment to the Ethnic way of travel is amazing. Come and meet her.

Nguyen Thi Gai

Gai feels at home in Ethnic Travel. She keeps our office absolutely clean. Gai is now studying English in an English centre. "Wise, witty and nurturing " is how Gai has been described.

Quach Cong Chinh

Chinh loves travelling with Ethnic Travel. Chinh's laid back style and ability to talk about anything means he is a natural tour guide. His interests include teaching English. Some of his satisfied guests said.

"We enjoyed all aspects of the trip - the scenery, guest house, the itinerary and our excellent guide. We were probably not the easiest people for our guide Chinh - one of us is an architect with long experience working abroad, one worked for Unesco and helped set up Hoi An as a world heritage site, and I have been around in Vietnam for a while. However, we did enjoy Chinh being our guide immensely."

Ly Thi Pang

Pang was born into an ethnic Hmong family in Sapa. Pang loves climbing mountains, the higher the better. She is one of those people who gets along with everyone. She is a great talker! Come and meet her many friends. One of her clients said.

"We have had a great trip to Sapa with Pang, our tour guide. She was great because she explained lots of highlights and translated when we spoke to locals and she was willing to answer our numerous questions and was very patient, flexible and polite. She took us off the "beaten-track" to places we would not have gone to on our own but felt completely safe going there with Pang. We would recommend Ethnic Travel and Pang to anyone who wants to see the real Vietnam."

Nguyen Van Trieu

After many years of working as a driver, Trieu's experience and passion for Vietnam will make for a safe and fun-filled holiday. He is a great driver.

Truong Thi Thu

Thu is often raved about her fresh and delectable rice noodles and multiflavoured dipping fish sauce. She will share the secrets of her dishes with you.

  






Dao Thi Hong Dien

How did Dien become our team member? Through her strong commitment to our financial work. It all begins with her investing time to truly understand our client's business and adapting her expertise to our guest's needs.

Ly Thi Yeu

At Yeu's family you capture the magic of Sapa and get closer to its people and culture. One of Yeu's guests said "We had a wonderful time at Mrs Yeu's family. All her family were very friendly and made us feel welcome."











Nguyen Thi Thoa

Thoa is responsible for transporting our guests' luggage and belongings on Van Don Island. She is honest, enthusiastic and dedicated to her work. A gifted member of our team!









Ngan Van Que

Being our host family in Mai Chau, Que is interested and open to sharing his culture and daily experiences and learning about new ones. Come and meet his family and you will have a perfect intercultural opportunity.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tu

What can you say about Tu? Tenacious, calm and committed to her work. Her passion and love for Vietnam has never faded.

"Our guide was an excellent instructor in the complexity of the Vietnamese language and culinary delights. She also adapted the tour to suit our every desire, including regular stops for cafe. We would definitely recommend Tu and Ethnic Travel to our friends and family".

Pham Van Sau

As a retired fisherman Sau opens up his comfortable house to embrace guests. He is one of our most experienced team members. "Our homestay was comfortable with a nice family. There was a lot of smiling and all the food was delicious." said one of Sau's guests.

Le Thi Thu Nguyet

Our guests find Nguyet, our host in the Mekong Delta very gracious and friendly. She cooks excellent meals and shares history and culture with her visitors. She is a valued member of our team.

Phung Thi Phuong Dung

Born in Tuyen Quang province and majored in English at the Hanoi Foreign Language College, Dung has recently joined our team. On her guiding responsibility, Dung pledges her commitment to her job by showing her guests the real Vietnam. She was described by one of travellers as "A wonderful tour guide and a very interesting and smart person. I enjoyed travelling with Dung. Thank you for a amazing holiday."

Trieu Duy Tho

Tho is a hospitable host in Ba Be Lake. Tho often engages his guests in local daily life. "Our host is charming, generous and always welcoming to guests" one of his visitors said.

Lo A Chung

Born into an ethnic Red Dao family and equipped with a relaxed and gentle attitude, Chung ensures her guests will experience first-hand the daily life of Red Dao ethnic people with a sense of fun and involvment. From cultivating seasonal crops to cooking local dishes. Chung is a wonderful host in Sapa.

Do Thi Tuyen

Tuyen is our host in the Red River Delta. Tuyen's practical experience and enthusiasm enables our guests to explore the region in some depth.

Pham Thi Lan

Lan has a strong understanding of her guests and a passion for showing them how to cook succulent dishes and access local culture. She is an unforgettable cook and unrivalled host.

Ba Duc

If you wish to have a beautiful homestay in the Mekong Delta, Duc's homestay is an excellent choice. Located by one of the mighty Mekong River's tributaries Duc's ancient house is in great harmony of water and land. His family is so welcoming and hospitable. Come and meet our wonderful host!

Do Thi Huong Giang

Giang possesses a wealth of knowledge and passion for her guiding job. Giang shares real experiences of her own lives and beliefs that provide an insightful view into the local culture and people. Giang is an intergral part of Ethnic Travel.

"Our guide, Giang, was lovely and full of information about the local culture and landscape. She is an excellent guide."

Dieu Xuan Huy

Huy, our driver, has a profound knowledge of North Vietnam and possesses a vast experience of driving in the region. Huy's energy, passion and enthusiasm are amazing. Huy is trying his best to study English. Huy was described by one traveller as.

"Our cheerful driver, Mr Huy was our highly professional driver. His driving was faultless throughout the trip and we felt safe and secure at all times, even when the road has been virtually destroyed by mud slides. Entertaining and always professional, Mr Huy made the trip an ideal tour."

Pham Trung Hau

Hau is full of life. A great captain and organiser; even dolphins make an appearance at his request! He will share his enthusiasm and passion for Bai Tu Long with you.