Mai's Cozy House

My name is Mai, and this house is my story.

I came back from Russia, where I had studied and worked. Then I got married, had children, and in 1999 I started teaching at Hoa Sữa, a charity school in Hanoi. Children from the Hmong ethnic group were brought there — blind orphans, street kids. I taught them a trade so they could earn a living. From then on, I continued my journey of helping young people in difficult situations — those who had lost their parents, lived on the streets, or grew up in shelters.

After I retired, I moved to Sapa and worked in large hotels, helping to open new ones. But everything changed because of dogs — the hotel didn't allow pets, and I had five. So I rented a house in Ta Van. It turned out to be too big for just me and my husband, and that's when I decided to rent rooms to travellers.

Now we live here together, side by side, taking care of each other. By profession I'm a hospitality teacher, but what I love most is the kitchen: I cook for guests, for family, and sometimes for all the kids in the village. They say I'm the best cook in Ta Van. Every flower in the garden was planted by my own hands. And from here, guests can enjoy a full 360-degree view; they often sit from morning till evening, not wanting to leave, because this place is truly too beautiful.