Testimonials
Jennifer G Lamastre, France
A stay of one month while volunteering
Reviewed April 7, 2016I
stayed in one of the new bungalows built by the Hmong mountain people. Hot-water shower, balcony with hamac and a feeling of being in a true Hmong village! All wooden construction with beautiful embroidered pictures made by the village women, hung on the walls of my bungalow. The same work can be found on sale in the restaurant of Daauw Home. The menu has been up-dated and now includes delicious smoothies. Very quiet at night, mainly back-packers and travellers passing through the town. Lively during the day when the children come home from school!!
Stayed March 2016, traveled solo
Audrey B Toronto, Canada
Great hill tribe village stay feel in the middle of Huay Xai!
Reviewed January 12, 2016
We wished we had stayed longer at Daauw Home! My husband and I did a hill tribe village homestay a few weeks prior and our stay at Daauw Home really felt very similar, as if we were deep in the forest, while still in the middle of Huay Xai. Plus, when you stay at Daauw Home, you help support the Kajsiab Project, which hosts and trains interns from the local hill tribe villages and help them learn english and get a carrier in the hospitality industry, business or administration. I'm really happy that we decided to not book an organized tour from Chiang Mai that would have had us stay in Chiang Khong before the slow boat, as we would have missed out of this beautiful place and cute little Huay Xai. We really liked our little bungalow and loved the rustic feel to it. Still we were spoiled to have a fan, electricity, hot shower, our own western toilet and running water. We thought the staff was really nice yet very timid. We got to hang out with a few of them and some of the children around the campfire in the evening and even learned a few words of Hmong. They spoke limited english but we still managed to have a conversation. We wished we could have been able to do the family meal option. It is stated in the menu that for 30,000 kip/person you can share a vegetarian family meal with them at 20:00, but somehow when we did inquire about his in the afternoon, they said there was no family meal that day. They did end up having that meal when we were around the campfire, so I'm not too sure what were the reasons why we could not partake. Unfortunately, we were on a stricter budget and could not afford the other dinner options in the menu. The next day, willing to support their organization furthermore, we wanted to have breakfast but were told that there were no breakfasts that morning and again, we weren't really told of the reasons why not. Beside these tiny little hiccups, this homestay is a total must-stay in Huay Xai, if not THE place to stay!
Stayed January 2016, traveled as a couple
Gunnar-Lasse S Hamburg, Germany
Great project, great hostel, good to support
Reviewed January 3, 2016
probably the best place to stay in huay xai. It is likely to be booked, so one should book in advance. The whole atmosphere, including bondfire, a great kitchen, fun staff is it what makes the experience
Stayed January 2016
AnnikaRose7 Sydney, Australia
Best place for a meal
Reviewed March 29, 2016
I didn't stay at Daauw Home as they were all booked out, but I came for dinner both nights I was in Huay Xai. The food was great, especially the woodfire pizza and the family meal (where you eat with the family and get to try some local Lao food). The place had a great atmosphere, and was the perfect place to sit around the fire and meet other travellers and the Lao women there. There were plenty of children and cats running around. It's definitely a good charity they have, and a great way for travellers to interact with locals and see a more local side of Laos. Next time I'm back in Laos I would love to try to stay in one of the bungalows.
Visited January 2016
AustrianinAsia Singapore, Singapore
Support this project and stay with Daauw
Reviewed December 9, 2015
There is one ultimate reason to stay - money is used to support a meaningful project (see more on their homepage).The homestay is nicely located and for the money spend, you get basic huts with cold (some with hot) water, a bed with a hard mattress and you are kind of "embedded" in the family running this place.Good meals are available and if you want to lend them a hand, you are welcome!!
Room Tip: If you look for a good view, go for bungalow 3. Drawback - only cold water available.
Stayed December 2015, traveled solo
Sarah Kappel
I will never forget the birthday party the beautiful people
I have seen a lot, no doubt. And seen some pretty wicked awesome stuff. And though it took me a while to figure this out, I have learned that I don’t like "travelling" all that much. My favorite places on my trip (Dariganga, Ben Tre, Huayxai, Dharamshala) are the ones where I made the most meaningful relationships, the places I lived. And maybe in 10 years, I won’t remember the name of the mountain I climbed in Ha Long Bay, but I will never ever forget my 6 am work-out with all the ladies of Ben Tre. I might not remember which ruin I was in when that damn monkey stole my sunglasses, but I will never forget the birthday party the beautiful people at Project Kajsiab threw for me. And I might forget the Mongolian word for cow dung, but I couldn’t ever forget the moment when my counterpart, Zolaa, after months of dedicated studying, earned herself 5th place on the Olympic exams, up from 25th the year before. This is why you travel.Each one of those people and countless others were the ones that made my trip the experience of a lifetime (though I hesitate saying that because another very important lesson I learned from fellow travellers is that you are never too old, too busy, or too broke to travel... my journey is just beginning...). The world is full of beautiful people.So, I write now, the last post on this blog (RIP mongolia820), to say that this trip has been amazing. Amazing, challenging, life-changing, frustrating, perfect… impossible to sum up in a handful of adjectives. To EVERYONE I knew on this trip, whether it was for 2 years or 2 minutes, I say,
Alec Connon & Martha B
Kajsiab, based in Huay Xai, near the Thai border
in the north-west of Laos, is an initiative that with its unique combination of Hmong and Western perspectives on matters such as education, healthcare and women’s rights is selflessly seeking to improve the lives and health of some of the poorest people in the country of Laos. In the short term they have already achieved this.
Taly Goren
Project Kajsiab
A project that seeks to improve the lives and health of the Lao people in Bokeo Province (Northern Laos) through partnerships and exchange activities between local people and volunteers.
Gary the Hobo
When I arrived all the bungalows were booked
As I was traveling slowly up the Mekong to my final destination in Lao, Huay Xai on the Thailand border I realized I had no digs booked. Luckily I still had some credit left on my phone so scanned the internet for somewhere to stay when I came across this gem of a guest house The Daauw Home. I had planned to arrive early at the border and spend a few days either hiking or hiring a moped or maybe even a combination of the 2. I arrived at the Daauw Home and basically never left. There is still a small part of me there even now.
Steve the Web Developer
I loved my trip to Daauw Village so much, it was great to see what had been achieved, and the villagers learning new skills. It was not like the usual accommodation you find in Laos. There were many kids running round and playing, and the older ones studying.
The cabins had hammocks at the front of the cabins, and with the slope they are built on it meant there was a bit of a view of the hills, very beautiful on a foggy morning.
I highly recommend a visit here to anyone in the area, please do not expect too many modern luxuries, think more like a hiking cabin style, but this rustic feel just added to the experience.