The Comments For Us

3Days Amazing in Sapa!

We spent three days in Sapa recently, with May as our local guide. May took us trekking in the Muong Hoa Valley, to the Muong Hum Sunday Market and to Cat Cat village. Smile travel also arranged the hotel for us – the Sapa Horizon hotel.
Everything was well organized, but what made the trip so great, was our tour guide May. she speaks excellent English and being a local, from the Red Dzao tribe, she provided very interesting insight into the local culture, history and customs of the different minority tribes living in the area and their daily life.
The colorful Sunday market felt really authentic with few tourist and many many locals, dressed up in their traditional outfits, selling and buying in this bustling Sunday market. On the way back from the market, we stopped at a couple of villages to visit a couple of private homes of the different minority groups to see how they live in reality.
Great experience.
Thanks!!

Danny K & Louise

Great tour! Great guide!

I did the one night, two day trek with my sister. Rua from Sapa Smile Travel was our tour guide and she was very knowledgeable and spoke very good English. The trek was amazing and difficult at times but there was always someone to lend a hand if needed. The views were amazing and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The homestay was great as well. Learnt a lot and saw a lot! Would recommend this tour especially with Rua.

Ferik & Alice

1 Night 2 Day Sapa Tour

We visited 2 villages in total over the 2 days. Cat Cat on the first day which was a fairly short walk – it seemed this village was very much set up for tourists so was a little disappointing. We could not fault our guide who was very good; she spoke very good English, was knowledgable and gave us some interesting information along the way.

On the second day we went on a 12k trek to Lao Chai Village. Our guide was fantastic – Giang Thi Rua. She spoke Excellent English and gave us lots of information about the local village and even took us to a local home there. She really went above and beyond and made our day even more memorable (even in the rain, thunder and lightening and muddy conditions).

Lisa & Franky

Fantastic trekkng tour in Sapa with Rua

In december 2018 we booked a three day tour with two days trekking. The trekkng was a marvellous experience thanks to Rua, who was our guide. Rua speaks very well english and gave positive energy to our group of 13 persons. She knows a lot about Sapa and learned us a lot about the life in Sapa. She had personal attention for everyone in the group, so everyone felt very comfortable. When you book a trekking in Sapa we recommand Rua as your guide.

Alberto & family

Wonderful Experience with May Kim

Thanks to May for being with us in Sapa. May’s smile and stories of the farmers lifestyle was incredible. her smile made our day. And thanks to Tamay for quick response and arranging the tour for us within a day time. The pick up from Lao Cai and hot shower in London Hotel all was very organised. the views were incredible. Everywhere you can find pretty paddy filed patterns.. would love to go back again even more north of Sapa. Hope will meet May again. Wish may a very happy marriage and best of life with simple happiness and love.

Laura & Mark

2 days trekking & homestay

I went recently to Sa Pa with other 3 friends for two days trekking. Tamay was extremely helpful with our requirements. She organised transport from the train station & hotel for morning shower were we left most of the luggage. Her friend came on time to pick up us, we took just essentials for 2 days and started the trekking. Even we are fit we decided to take the easiest trekking route as it has been recently raining and the tracks were quite muddy. We got quite dirty but the views were stunning and we saw a lot of locals working on their farms.
We spend that night on a home stay with a lovely family who spoke very good english, we had a cooking class and a lot of fun.
Next day was easier with more beautiful views.
We paid some money in advanced and the rest to her friend after the second trekking day. We paid exactly was was formerly discussed.
Thanks Tamay for such a lovely and organised experience.

David

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Day Trek to Lao Chai and TaVan

Tamay from Sapa Smile Travel organised a wonderful day trek for us to Lao Chai and Ta Van and tailored it to our age and physical needs perfectly. We are in our 60s, and while relatively fit, our feet can cause problems when we hike. Our guide, Van, was simply outstanding. We walked at an easy pace and found the trek very comfortable. Van had outstanding english skills and was able to answer all our questions with very informative answers about the area and village life. We were very impressed and enjoyed her company so much. We wanted to learn more specifically about textile production and dyeing and she was able to take us throught the process in good detail. We loved this individualisation that was possible through Sapa Smile Travel and would highly recommend them to anyone.

Glendapitman
Melbourne,Austalia

Rencontre inoubliable

Les deux jours organisés par Tamay nous ont permis de faire la connaissance de Vang, notre guide. Cette jeune fille nous a fait découvrir la vie de sa communaute dans le cadre impressionnant de Sapa. Celle-ci parlait très bon anglais ce qui nous as permis de poser toutes nos questions et avoir de vraies conversations sur le quotidien des H’Mong. Une expérience vraiment enrichissante. Merci encore Vang !

Julien P
Paris, French
Feb 2018

The best!

We had an amazing experience with one of Ly Tamay’s guides. I think when you want to escape the more crowded tours, this private guide-tours are the best. Besides, you support the local people and not a bigger tourist-organisation.
We were supposed to do the tour on sunday, but the day before i got a little sick. It was no problem to postpone it to monday. Her english was pretty good too and the contact over email is smooth and fast.
Best way to enjoy the scenery in peace!

michielstekel
Rotterdam, Holland

“Excellent Day Tour Guide Sapa”

We did two three days with a friend of Tamay (Pang) in February. She spoke good english and wanted really explained the real life in the mountains. This tour is a private tour because we hikes in trail through the mountains and we saw rarely tourists. We saw tourists just for the meals and the guests houses. Furthermore, before the trip, we chose with Tamay exactly what you wanted to do and see. Si I recommanded Ta May and her friends to discover these amazing landscapes

sonaluna

Saint-Nazaire, French

“Wonderful Sapa Experience”

Our family of 4 adults recently spent a wonderful 3 days, 2 nights trekking in Sapa. We had booked with Tamay but unfortunately she was not able to to guide us but sent her special friend Pang. Pang was the perfect guide from the time she met us at the hotel until she dropped us back 3 days later. Her knowledge of the area and it’s people was great. The tour was arranged so we had a very different experience at each homestay. Nothing was too much trouble for Pang and she rearranged our final day so we could learn the traditional art of batik. We were a little unprepared for the extreme heat at this time of the year but we walked at our own pace and Pang always made sure we had plenty of water and rest stops when needed. Truly an experience none of us will ever forget. Thanks Pang.

Jenny S
Nelson, New Zealand

“Private Homestay and Trekking wih Sapa Smile Travel”

My family of 5 booked a 2 days 1 night trekking homestay private tour with Tamay from March 16.

Prior to the tour, she responded to my questions via email promptly and gave suggestion to path to trek after taking into considerations of my concerns such as my knees are not suitable to climbing too many steps.

During the tour, she took good care of us, provided rare insight to the way of life of the minorities. She is humorous and has make the trekking enjoyable with great fun 🙂

Tip: Take up her suggestion to rent a pair of gumboot. Beside saving our shoes being ruined, our family had great fun taking photo with it!

Mrs: Cecilia

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“Great private tour and perfect tour guide of Sapa Smile Trevel”

This is the first private tour I’ve ever had and I am glad that I had Tamay. If you consider to have a private tour in Sapa, you should contact Tamay for the following reasons:
1. she replies e-mail super fast and will answer all your questions clearly.
2. you feel her passionate about this job and the enthusiasm to “take care” of you.
3. she speaks very good English so you will have no problem communicate with her, and because she is so smart in learning language, you can also do some language exchange.
4. Tamay’s personality is very kind and easy going, you can talk to her as she is your friend and raise all stupid questions without second consideration.
5. Tamay is very knowledgeable about the area- the people and their culture. She’s also very experienced that she know what you need before you ask. Your tour can always be adjusted even thought you are already on the route.
6. My only regret is that I only planned a 2-day-trip.
*a lot more but I don’t want this list gets too long

I think every tour guide at Sapa has one or more characteristics listed above, but I still suggest you consider Tamay for your private tour in Sapa.

Emily W

Email:flymeatball@hotmail.com

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“3days 2nights excellent trekking experience @ Sapa with Tamay & her friend (Phin)”

I booked a 3days 2nights trekking/Homestay directly with Tamay a month before my trip. Tamay is excellent & prompt in replying. She also introduced me to her friend Kevin Huy in Hanoi who helped me to purchase Kings Express overnight sleeper train which is cheaper than purchasing online. Kevin is amazing! He personally delivered the train tickets to us when we reached Hanoi. I also happened to lose my sunglasses @ Hanoi and Kevin found it and returned it to me!!!
Reaching Lao Cai train station a van picked us up which took us to meet Tamay @ Sapa town. Phin who is Tamay’s friend was my guide for the whole trip. Phin is exceptional! She converses very well in English and is very knowledgeable about Sapa. She guided us to Ta Phin & Ta Va Village and explained village activities, cultures, usage of plants, herbs along the way. On our 2nd day of trekking, We were faced with a huge challenge of descending muddy slippery slopes @ Ta Va village. But Phin, patiently and skilfully guided us down hill. I sprained my ankles during the hike and Phin was very thoughtful to provide me with a makeshift walking bamboo stick, guided us to easier routes and got motorcycles to bring us to our Homestay. At the Homestay, she ensured that my ankle was well by giving me some local medicine and indeed it did help to lessen the pain & swelling. My entire trip was extremely enjoyable, always filled with activities from day to night thanks to Phin.
I highly recommend booking Sapa trekking, Homestay with Tamay/Phin. All the Homestays which Tamay/Phin arranged comes with friendly hosts, comfortable beds and clean toilets/baths.

Juliana P

Email: jully.pym@gmail.com

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“Homestay and Trekking with Sapa Smile Travel”

I booked the tour with Tamay based on the reviews from Tripadvisor. We have total of 9 people includes 3 children, the youngest is 8 years old. We did the 2 day 1 night trip at Sapa, it is really beautiful, walking through rice fields, immense in Mountain View and typical local culture. We had a homestay for our night, it was a great experience with amazing Vietnamese dishes and herbal bath. Ta May was very friendly, knowledgeable about the cultural and can speak very good English. We are so grateful to have Tamay as our tour guide. Thank you Tamay for a great trip.

Soopeng T

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“The perfect guide!”

A few months before our trip to Sapa, I emailed three companies, requesting advice and suggesting our requirements for a three day adventure. Tamay , who runs Sapa Smile Travel was the first to reply, she had read that I was asthmatic and could not manage long treks, whilst the others came back with auto replies. Over several emails we fine-tuned our visit. On arrival Tamay collected us from the station at Lao Cai, took us to Can Cau market, and for a great walk around local Flower Hmong villages and helped us with hotel booking in Bac Ha. The next day we visited Bac Ha Sunday market early and were gone before the tourist buses arrived, and headed for Sa pa with a quiet afternoon at our peaceful retreat at the charming Eco Palms hotel 6km out of town. On our last day she took us on a 9km hike to the Red Dzao village of Ta Phin, making sure we were dropped off at the highest point so my walk was all downhill and achievable, and later showed as round Sapa itself. Throughout, Tamay was so helpful, informative, with excellent, English. She made us laugh, and was excellent company. I cannot recommend her highly enough.

IzzyPacket

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“Excellent”

We spent 3 days with Tamay touring Sapa. She and her drivers were reliable and trustworthy. Tamay was very knowledgeable and her English was excellent.
We were very comfortable.
Our daily tours were absolutely outstanding. Tamay took us into local villages and explained the lifestyle in detail. On Sunday we drove 2.5 hrs to the Bac Ha market which was the highlight of our Sapa trip. Tamay gave us every opportunity to spend as much time as we wanted and we walked away feeling we saw the best of Sapa and surrounds.

There are many companies and guides in Sapa. Tamay was an excellent choice and we feel she did an outstanding job.

Elizaberth

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“Tour of Sapa”

Tamay looked after us for the 2 days of our trip to Sapa, collecting us early in the morning from the sleeper train the first morning and delivering us to the station the following night.. She was an excellent guide, full of knowledge about the area and very chatty. Her English is excellent and the highlight was a morning walking through the tribal villages through stunning scenery. She was the best of all the guides we had during our 2 weeks in Vietnam and would highly recommend her.

Roby

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“A very joyful tour with Tamay at Sapa”

I travelled with my friend to Sapa. We booked Tamay at Sapa Smile Travel for 2 days. Tamay was quick in responding to our e-mails. Tamay guided us to do a short hike at rice terraced fileds, followed by a visit to the village Taphin. The next day, we went to Bac Ha Town, and then Ban Pho Village. Tamay is always cheerful and smily. She provided us a lot of information about Sapa, minority groups, and the life of people. I asked her a lot of questions during the tour, like demography, education, medical, utitlity supply, land ownership and other questions on local livelihood. She could answer all. She has a lot of first hand information. I learnt a lot. She speaks very good English. She is very friendly and a great company. She was happy to chat about her life and views etc. The scenery was beautiful and relaxing. We got to see the villages closely. We enjoyed the private tour at Sapa very much. My friend and I are both women travelling to Sapa for the first time. We felt safe and happy all the way with Tamay’s tour. I would like to thank Tamay for her efforts. Appreciated. Highly recommended to those looking for a private tour at Sapa !!

Fr_hongkong

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“A wonderful, relaxing day with great company”

Tamay always replied to my emails quickly with lots of information and detail. We changed the plan at the last minute because of a tiring climb the previous day and she was able to offer several alternative options so we could make the most of our time in Sapa. We walked with Tamay’s cousin (Pham?) from Matra to Taphin along gorgeous stretches of terraced rice. The scenery was breathtaking and Pham would stop at various spots to explain interesting aspects of local life. We appreciated the things we saw much more because of her explanations. She was also happy to chat about her own life and offering insight to the real area of Sapa behind the tourism. The tour also included lunch at a local restaurant with beautiful views, a chance to explore the cave system in Taphin and ended with a relaxing soak at the Red Dao Spa in Taphin. It was a wonderful, relaxing day with great company. Thanks so much to Tamay for organising the visit and to Pham who was a joy to spend the day with and made our visit much more meaningful.

Paul-and-Edith

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“Have a tour with Tamay and you’ll not regret”

I travelled with some friends and we had two days in Sapa guided by Tamay. She knows all about the area and speaks great English. She even managed to answer all our questions. We went by foot to Tavan and continued a bit further the next day. She was really nice and had no problems with our slow pace. Highly recommended!

PhotoTrips

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“One of the best moments in Vietnam”

A friend and I had a 2 days 1 night trip to Sapa. The great experience started from the beginning when I start contacted with Tamay family. We got fast replies and all the doubts were being answered. Everything was well-arranged. We were allowed to customised our tour. We trekked though villages and waterfalls. She is friendly, speaks good English, we had a good chat with her throughout the tour, and so we are able to understand the lives of the local residents and minorities. We would like to recommend a longer stay in Sapa, and recommend her to be the tour guide in Sapa.

AnnGie125

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“Amazing experience”

My friend and I booked a private tour with Tamay in August of 2015 through e-mail while we were traveling through Vietnam. She was very quick to respond and helped us decide the best time to come/mode of transportation. We chose to do a 2 day, 1 night home stay (which we felt was the perfect amount of time to experience trekking/home life/and the local culture if you are traveling Vietnam in a short time frame). Tamay speaks English fluently and is extremely knowledgable. The first day was beautiful, and we experienced trekking through rice fields, visiting a village school, eating lunch at a local shop, and taking in the beautiful mountainous landscape. We opted for the herbal bath (which felt incredible after trekking for 7 hours), but is not included in the price. Highly suggested. The second day it was rainy, and the trek was a little more difficult (**WEAR OR RENT HIKING SHOES!!) Once completed, we went to a very nice restaurant, showered, changed and visited the local market. Tamay stayed to help us in our travels even after! This tour was one of the best that we did in Vietnam and it is highly recommended!

Mr. Alex

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“Excelente opción”

Contactamos directamente con ella por email, contesto enseguida. Estuvimos dos días con ella, todo perfecto. Ingles excelente, que ha aprendido sola. Vale la pena pagar un poco mas por un tour privado, donde aprendes muchísimas cosas sobre sus costumbres, que dudo que alguien que no sea de una etnia local te pueda decir.
Totalmente aconsejable.

Visited August 2015

Mr Joan – Barcelona -Spain

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“Great local tours! Tamay is an amazing guide”

We took two tours with Tamay. Best thing we did! We went to the Bac Ha Sunday market. I have never seen anything like it! The next day we did the waterfalls, fantastic, we had two elderly people (in their 80’s) as well as our 12 year old son. She was able to cater for all.Tours are reasonably priced and great value for money. Tamay has an abundance of local knowledge and cultural customs. She is friendly and professional, she even took us to a local silversmith to buy silver on her day off. I HIGHLY recommend her.

Mrs. Tasky

Reviewed 27 July 2015

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“OUTSTANDING GUIDE”

My wife and spent 4 days with Tamay at the end of January 2015 (I know I should have done this ling ago). We travel internationallly 1-2 times per year and have hired many private tour guides over the years. First Tamay speaks perfect English and what we really liked was that she would tell you the true facts about life in the hill country. We had a great time with a home stay (highly recommend) and a trip to the Bac Ha Sunday market. Tamay arranged for us to be picked up from the train station (at 5:00am). Her services were prompt and always personable. My travel budget affords me to hire any guide I chose and have spent countless amounts of money doing so but have onlyhad 1 other guide in the world that I would compare to Tamay. I hope one day to meet her again.

Mr. Doug

Reviewed 23 July 2015

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“Homestay and trekking with Tamay and her family”

Amazing tour with Tamay through the rice paddies. I stayed with her cousin and her family for a very special homestay experience. I am so grateful for the amazing trip you created for me, Tamay! Thank you to you and your family for all your warmth and hospitality!

Robyn
Reviewed 19 July 2015

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“Excellent guide.”

We had two tours with Tamay and they were well guided, informative, and honest. If you want to walk through the villages and get insight into the way of life of the minorities in Sapa this guide is a safe bet. The scenery is spectacular and Tamay will take you through many areas where you can get incredible photos.

Reviewed 15 July 2015

SEERY

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““Absolutely lovely!””

We have finished our great day tour in Sapa. Sapa itself is beautiful. And our trip becomes great thanks to Ta May, the local guide from Ta Phin Village. She is very helpful, informative ,dedicated and knowledgeable. Through the trip with Ta May I learn more about the life, the culture of Ethnic groups in Sapa. And with Ta May , I have no thing to worry. Thank you Ta May for a great tour

H J

Reviewed July 12, 2015

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“Fabulous local guide”

Ta May was wonderful. Tailored a day trip to suit our needs. Breathtaking scenery and Ta May was very knowledgable about the local area and people. It rained all day but this did nothing to spoil the beauty of the area or our enjoyment of the day. Lunch was delicious and locals we met along the way friendly. Highly recommend supporting this local woman and her business by booking with her. You won’t be disappointed.

Ursula B

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“Great trek and great smiles”

Unfortunately ms. Ta May was unavailable to lead us on the trek, but her cousin was excellent. I have enjoyed walking through the mist where you could see almost nothing at the beginning to seeing more and more of the rice fields. Remarkable views. You also get to go through bamboo forest (and I had bamboo for breakfast at Sapa). 🙂
We went through villages of four different minorities in a single day trek.
Beware of the mud though, you need to have good shoes for the Sapa trek. I didn’t have but nice local ladies who followed us all the way where there to give me (and my friends) a helping hand. When you sit down then they try to sell you their crafts and you feel obliged to buy with all the help they gave you. 🙂
And, yes, I have almost forgotten, the smile on our guide’s face throughout the trek is unforgettable. It simply makes you smile all along the way.

NikiMrak

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“Smiling travellers”

We recently spent three days in Sapa and based on reviews we had read on TA, chose Tamay as our guide.
Via email contact, an itinerary was suggested and agreed upon and any questions were promptly answered by Tamay.
She organised our train tickets and suggested accommodation options in Sapa. On the evening of travel from Hanoi, we were met and escorted to the train by Mr Huy and when we arrived in Lao Cai the next morning we were met by Tamay who took us to breakfast at a nearby restaurant.She is very easygoing, speaks English well and one
immediately feels at home.
Following breakfast we visited the Chinese border then made our journey to the Bac Ha market,a little over two hours away. These were very colourful with lots of handicrafts, clothes,food and animals and an gave an insight into the people of the area and their daily lives.On day two, we started our trek to Taphin village via Ma Tra at 8 am instead of 10am as it was very hot. Tamay was flexible with the programme so that we could get the most out of our tour. She also tailored the pace to suit our needs. On both these days, food and water was provided and we were picked up by a taxi when it was time to return to Sapa. Day 3 was spent relaxing around Sapa in the morning followed by pickup to visit the Silver waterfall and the pass as well as discussing many aspects of peoples lives in the area. We were delivered back to the train station at around 6 pm.Tamay was able to answer all our questions, was reliable and professional, had a good sense of humour and we would highly recommend her as a guide for your trip to Sapa.

Email: rosie.shedden@gmail.com

Mrs Rosie

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“Wonderful trekking experience with Ta May!”

Ta May was fantastic! We had a two day walk to different villages with my wife and two 8years old kids and we all had a lot of fun! Ta May is very talkative and caring, and my kids and I enjoyed the conversation all the way. Ta May is very fluent in English and knowledgeable of the cultural details of many different minority tribes of SaPa. Ta May was very flexible in choosing the tour routes making sure our kids were did not get exhausted. I Highly recommend for who wants trekking tours with small kids. We would definitely join Ta May again!

Email: k_akatsuka@mac.com
Kohei Akatsuka

Reviewed 1 May 2015

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“Tamay is a fantastic guide in Sapa!”

You really cannot beat Tamay if you are wanting a superb guide for a day trek in Sapa.
We had a fantastic day with her learning about the area, her village and all things cultural. Tamay’s English was amazing and she has a great sense of humour!
Although the weather wasn’t the kindest to us, we still thoroughly enjoyed our day with Tamay and couldn’t recommend her enough. We emailed her directly to book our day trek.

RosieKeen

Email: rosie.keen1989@gmail.com

Reviewed 18 April 2015

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“Tamay is a little gem in Sapa”

If you would like to discover Sapa, contact her, one of the best tour guide we’ve ever met. She’s very open, yet a traditional Red Dzao woman, she can tell you almost everything about Sapa. She also offers home-stay if you’re interested.

Beedao

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g311304-d5971050-Reviews-Sapa_Smile_Travel_Private_Day_Tours-Sapa_Lao_Cai_Province.html

Reviewed 10 April 2015

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“More than just a hike”

If you want to discover not only the mountains of Sapa and get an insight in the rural live of the minorities in north Vietnam, Tamay is the best guide for you. She is an expert and explains in fluent english the history of her society. Very open, very charming.

On a six hours walk including water for your personal tour and a lunch break, you will get more to know as in all the travel book. Her tours will be a highlight on your stay in this region. Highly recommended!
Visited March 2015

Sebastopolo

Reviewed 6 April 2015

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g311304-d5971050-Reviews-Sapa_Smile_Travel_Private_Day_Tours-Sapa_Lao_Cai_Province.html

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“Excellent way to visit Sapa!”

Booking the tours and transfers with Tamay via email was a breeze as she was prompt and detailed in her replies. She arranged all transfers to and from Sapa and train tickets for us which made the trip convenient and smooth.

Tamay picked us up Lao Cai train station and we went on to visit the colourful Bac Ha market. It is a must see especially for those who live and grew up in a city like myself. The minority tribes gather there once a week to trade/sell anything from puppies, fabrics, herbs, wine, chicken, cattle and even horses. Journey there from Lao cai was a bit bumpy and long but definitely worth the effort.

Best part of the trip for me was the visit to the Suoi Ho and Taphin village. The view of the rice terraces and valley was breath-taking, though I can imagine it would be even more beautiful during the harvest season in Sep. The 12km trekk through padi fields, rice terraces, villages is a really good way to have a glimpse of the customs and life of the local people. These are definitely not one of those commercialised local village.

Tamay is a experienced and knowledgeable guide. Her English is excellent and she shared many interesting first-hand stories as she grew up in a village herself. Excellent trip, really enjoyed myself!

AshleeLoy

From Singapore

Email: ashlee_l@live.com

Reviewed 5 April 2015

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“Beautiful day with kids”
We really enjoyed our one day trek to Matra and Taphin villages. Ly, our guide was super flexible. Important when you travel with kids and elderly parents. Very knowledgeable and open. We had a great time.

Magdalena B

Email: magdalena.bialasiewicz@gmail.com

Reviewed 4 April 2015

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“Best tour in sapa!”

Book directly through Tamay by contacting her on email. She is very prompt and happy to help with anything. My mother left her teeth at the hotel and Tamay went back to check when we left!

She was there from the start at the train to get us and guided us all the way through the mountains. Stopping to make sure we were comfortable with the route and not too tired and you are able to chose what type of walk you would like to do on the days.

I missed out on doing a homestay, wish I did that but definitely next time and will book through Tamay!
She is so friendly, professional, imformative and genuine! Great English and great personality to keep you company on your walks!

Jypsie H

Email: robynhoult@gmail.com

Reviewed 27 February 2015

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“A”May”zing guide in Sapa”

From start to finish our experience in Sapa was seamless because of Tamay, pick up from the train station in Lao Cai, 2 days of visiting villages of the ethnic minorities and educating us of the history and traditions for each one. Tamay shared her personal stories as she herself grew up in one of the villages we visited. We left Sapa feeling informed and connected because of her professional yet personal style of guiding. We were surprised to the very end as Tamay arranged our departure right down to having someone assist us back onto the train with a local from Lao Cai. We highly recommend Sapa Smile Travel for a true experience.

Sheila G

Lake Country, Canada

Reviewed 18 February 2015

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“Wonderful guide”

Tamay is a very professional, knowledgable, pleasant, funny, interesting guide. She is the perfect choice for people who would like to hear the stories behind the local way of living. She is also very honest and trustworthy. We were 3 people traveling in Sapa and the area and she made our visit worthwhile. Very recommended.

Meital H

From Paris, Australia

Reviewed February 10, 2015

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“Fabulous guide over 3 days”

I had a fabulous time in the different areas around Sapa with my guide May Trang. She was truly fabulous! When one thing wasn’t available due to timing, May Trang organised for me to go on a boat on the Chey River, it ended up being a highlight of the 3 days. Very beautiful. I was travelling alone and hired May Trang as a private guide, I would do it again in a heartbeat! My one word of advice is to take extra money when you visit her village. May Trang never pressured me to buy anything, though her family have beautiful hand stitched items that are for sale and it felt respectful to buy something from them, but I was unprepared.
ChristineLivesHere
From Brisbane, Australia
Reviewed January 28, 2015 

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Great Guide

Our experience with Ta May was great. We met a couple from Spain who recommended us Ta May and we were not disappointed at all. She has a great English (I think the guide who had better English in our trip) and she likes to talk about anything. She will explain you every single detail about the tribes in Sapa and everything you ask (everything!). She was with us all the time and felt more like a friend than a guide (which was great for us). I completely recommend her for a 2/3 day private tour in Sapa, you will really enjoy it.

Visited September 2014

Macrivero

Dublin
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Wonderful!

I did a day walking tour with May, she was delightful company and very knowledgable about the area, at no time was I pushed to buy from anyone which is often the case in Vietnam. I had a very enjoyable and informative day with May who has excellent English and absolutly recommend her to anyone visiting Sapa as being honest and great company. I am pleased to see she is starting her own business and wish May all the best for the future. I am returning for my third time to Vietnam next year and shall be going back to Sapa and shall definatly be using Mays tour services again

Visited August 2013

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SAPA with Tamay is the best!

Book direct with Tamay and cut out the middle man. She is really very nice, perfect English and will show you all the best places. We will use Tamay’s trekking next time we visit SAPA.

Visisted April 28, 2014

Pyrgosbrian

Limassol, Cyprus

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Great guide

I travelled to Sapa not knowing anything whatsoever about this part of the world, but what a wonderful place! The guide was very personable, helpful and knowledgeable – highly recommended!

May was the altomate tour guide for us

We came to SAPA with our two kids. 3 years old and 5 month old (crazy) :-). May was very nice and took us for tours around SAPA for three wonderful days. Her English is great and the places she took us were wonderful (including arranging all the food stops we needed on the way). On top of that, she was also great with the kids. My elder bonded with her immediately and it added greatly to our general experience. So if you also have kids – may is the tour guide for you.

Visited May 2013

Apaza

Tel Aviv, Israel

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Fantastic experience

We spent three days in Sapa in February 2014 and had May as our tour guide all three days. Her english is very good – especially compared to the vietnamese standards in general, which was a very pleasant surprise. May is not only knowledgeable because of her earlier living conditions in one of the villages but also on vietnamese culture overall, which made the three days some of the best we had during our weeks in Vietnam.

Nina S

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We spent three days on a private tour in Sapa region and May was our guide. May expresses herself clearly in English and is very passionate to share her knowledge about the area, the ethnic communities, and the different customs. We spent two days trekking and one day at Bac Ha market. We enjoyed all three days and left with valuable memories and insight about Sapa area.
She is highly recommended.

Minah_2

Amazing Sapa