Small trips, family houses

1. The family lives and works there. Garden, fish, workshop or nursery: the household earns from something other than guests as well.
2. A few guest rooms. We prefer houses closer to the ASEAN Homestay Standard's idea of a few spare rooms than to a hall for coach groups.
3. The room matches its description. We hold photos of the actual rooms and bathrooms we propose and send them with the quote.
4. Neighbours involved. Boats, meals and activities from other households nearby, paid directly.
5. Safety basics. Life jackets on every boat, guest rooms away from eroding banks, a clinic within reach by road.

• Large groups. Above eight people we split you between neighbouring houses. If you want everyone under one roof, a big group homestay is a better fit than our trips.
• Hotel comfort guaranteed. We can often find air conditioning and a private bathroom; we cannot make a family house behave like a hotel.
• Very low budgets. A private car and a guide who stays overnight cost money. Independent travellers can book many of these households directly for much less, and we say so.
• Long multi-region journeys. Our trips stop at four days. For longer circuits of the Delta or beyond, a general operator will plan it better.
• Same-day bookings. Households need notice to prepare a room and a meal; we need it to check them.

Prices of ferries, garden entries and community activities change, and our sources are mostly Vietnamese newspapers and travel guides with their publication dates shown. Where sources disagree, we say so. Where we could not verify something, we leave it out or tell you to check it before you go, as on the Con Son overnight question and the An Binh ferry fare.

Next: what a homestay night is like, or the tours.