Located just 3.3km from Fairy Bosom, Nam Dam village is the home of the Dao ethnic community and is also the leading community tourism village in Ha Giang. The main reason based on the majority of households there, most of them run homestay services and have a high level of unity, with well-organized tourism activities. Despite the development of tourism, Nam Dam village has not lost its traditional values, with the entire village still retains 100% clay houses, traditional costumes, lifestyle, and culture. Join LOKA Ha Giang to explore more!
On the Ha Giang tourism map, Nam Dam is still a new destination for many tourists. From the Heaven Gate viewpoint, you can see the whole village below. The village belongs to Quan Ba commune, Quan Ba town, and is less than 1km from the center of the commune, so the roads there are relatively convenient, making this a centralized place. Therefore, it is not difficult for you to find your way there and immerse yourself in the cultural space of the Dao ethnic community.
How to get to Nam Dam village
From Quan Ba Twin Mountains, continue on 4C highway for only 1.5km and you will see a small junction on the right, turn into it and go 1.8km further to reach the territory of Nam Dam village. Alternatively, an easier way is to search for “Nam Dam Community Cooperative” on Google Maps to lead directly to the center of the village.
Community-based tourism in Nam Dam village
As soon as arriving Nam Dam, you will be impressed by the rare homogeneity of the village in Ha Giang! The interesting thing is that all the houses are in traditional style but look as new, without being outdated. It’s hard to express why we feel “fresh” and “civilized” when just looking from the outside. Could this be an “advancement” of the locals applied to tourism?
First and foremost, this is the synchronization of traditional architecture that has been restored and preserved very systematically by the people in the village. Walking around the village, you can easily see the image of every traditional clay house made of red or yellow clay, the yin-yang tile roof, and the simple wooden door frame that is so attractive. These are not houses that are hundreds of years old, but were rebuilt by the local people based on traditional architectural style. Therefore, it is suitable for modern lifestyles while still preserving the local customs.
Furthermore, what make you more impressed is the local there. Trekking around the village, meeting the locals, even though they know you are just tourists from afar, they still smile brightly, wave, ask, and invite you into their homes for a drink, as a hospitable welcome. Even they may be the hosts of the homestay but still can chat with us naturally, without being forced or coerced, to stay overnight at their place. There is no such thing as talking badly or discounting to attract guests from other homestays. Perhaps the people here, like their lives, are peaceful, simple, civilized and friendly. Looking back, indeed, not many other places can have such a high sense of solidarity!
Finally, not to be mentioned the sustainable tourism practices of the village with the three policies:
- Develop and preserve traditional houses together with unique cultural activities
- Build a clean and civilized village.
- Establish a conservation fund to jointly take care of the village, such as building gates, roads, land reclamation, cleaning and decorating the settlement… (Specifically, for each tourist staying at a homestay, the host will contribute 8,000 VND to the fund. According to the report in 2022, the total number of tourists staying in Nam Dam was over 12,000 people, generating nearly 100 million VND for the conservation fund).
Things in Nam Dam village worth coming to experience
There, you will not only feel a peaceful village with its own charm, learn about a part of the culture, but also experience the daily life of the local people. You can cook and enjoy meals with the host family, bathe in Dao herbal leaves with the beautiful mountain scenery. Also, you can participate in production activities with the local people: picking medicinal leaves in the forest, farming, fishing, harvesting corn… If you are lucky, you can join the unique traditional ceremonies of the Dao people such as the maturity ceremony (lễ cấp sắc), funeral ceremony, etc
The village is also an ideal place for trekking to explore the mountainous nature, admire the prominent terraced rice fields on the rugged mountain ranges. Moreover, wandering through the forests, enjoy the beauty of Nai waterfall, walking around Nam Dam Lake will be interesting experiences for you.
Accommodations in the village
As mentioned above, Nam Dam is a community-based tourism village so you can choose any home to stay. Price, service quality, and activity experiences are relatively similar. 100% of the hosts are locals, use their own houses to provide homestay services. Therefore, when you come here, you are like a member of their family.
In the village, the typical types of rooms for homestays are dormitories and private bungalows. However, the number of bungalows is still limited and under construction. So if you want a private room, the best way is to book early on online travel agent platforms like Agoda, Booking.com or contact directly through the phone number of each home on the Google Maps.
With the above things, you probably understand somewhat the reason why Nam Dam is the No.1 community-based tourism village in Ha Giang. This is also one of the villages in the social project “Training farmers to build community-based tourism” by LOKA Ha Giang which has been successful and stable. If you have any difficulties in your upcoming or current trip, don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to support you with a suitable and safe journey. Have a good trip!
My name is Giap Van Hai, I am a travel enthusiast and always want to share the beauty of Ha Giang with everyone. With a deep love for the mountains and the typical culture of Ha Giang people, I decided to establish Loka Ha Giang – a website specializing in Ha Giang tourism services. We provide travel services such as Ha Giang Loop, Ha Giang Trekking, Ha Giang Easyrider