Kiên Pành Homestay
– Notes from the owners of Kiên Pành Homestay –
About Kiên Pành homestay
Kiên Pành Homestay is the second accommodation household in Ít Thái village participating in KPF’s CBT model. The young couple with two little sons quickly learned how to run a homestay from the first homestay next doors, Quân Pỏm Homestay, who’s owner is Kiên’s older brother. After the two years of running a homestay, Mr. Kiên and Ms. Pành have become used to operating a community guesthouse and are loved by many tourists.
Kiên Pành Homestay is a wooden stilt house built in the traditional Thái architecture located in the center of Ít Thái village. With a permanent house and open space, the homestay can welcome up to 15 guests. Kiên Pành’s house has two balconies – one overlooking a large rice field, the other overlooking a small garden with seasonal vegetables grown by the owners. The space under the floor is a wide common living area for guests, connected to the kitchen and surrounded by a wall of trees and flowers blooming all year round.
The story of the owners
Before working as a homestay, Mr. Kiên and Ms. Pành were both farmers, working year-round in upland fields, growing cardamom in the forest and raising cattle. Before building their house on stilts and living separately on their own, the couple and their two sons lived with their grandparents and relatives for years. In 2015, they used all their accumulated resources to build a wooden stilt house and make it their own small nest. In 2019, after seeing that his brother’s homestay Quân Pỏm was running successfully, Kiên proactively approached KPF wanting to operate a community guesthouse as well.
With the experience learned from his brother and the companionship of KPF, Kiên renovated and completed the family’s homestay very quickly. Buffalos previously living in today’s kitchen area were moved to another place, toilets and bathrooms were built from scratch and fully equipped, flowers were planted around the whole house. After only 1 month, the family welcomed the first group of guests. Everybody complimented the beautiful clean house and the funny and cheerful hosts. Two lovely sons, Chung and Khải, also create many beautiful impressions in the hearts of the guests as they are always dedicated and careful when playing with the guest’s children.
How has the family’s life changed after operating the homestay?
Before operating the homestay, Kiên Pành’s family lived from farming and in addition also growing cardamom in the forest. The family’s yearly income was not much and just enough to live in the countryside while raising two small children.
At first, when KPF invited Kiên Pành’s family to join a community-based tourism model in the village, they were very afraid that they could not do it well so the couple refused. However, after the first homestay in KPF’s chain opened and operated effectively, Mr. Kiên himself contacted us and wished to be supported by KPF with operating tourism activities. With their agility and ingenuity, Kiên’s family quickly got used to serving tourists.
Remembering the first time cooking porridge as a breakfast for the guests, Ms. Pành put too much rice in the pot making it so thick that even after adding more water, she still had three pots of porridge enough to feed the whole village. However, lessons are learned, mistakes are corrected, imperfections are improved and with such a big spirit and enthusiasm to learn, Kiên Pành has more skill and confidence today. All of that together helped the Kiên Pành Homestay to become one of the most popular homestays in the village.
Kiên Pành’s two sons, Chung and Khải, were initially extremely shy when the first guests came to the house. But now they are more open-minded, proactive, willing to take guests for a visit around the village, herd buffalos or bath in a nearby stream… Guests coming to the house also gives them an opportunity to learn many new things, nurturing their dreams of studying to become a professional skilled support to their parents in the future.
Facilities & Pricing
- House: 1 shared wooden stilt house
- Capacity: 15 persons
- Bathroom: 2
- Toilet: 2
- Wifi: Yes
Accomodation price:
- 150.000 VND/person/night (breakfast included)
- 2.000.000 VND/house/night. From 16 persons and above surcharge 50.000 VND/person. (breakfast included)
Meal price:
- For a group of 6 persons and below: starting at 150.000 VND/meal
- For a group of 7 persons and above: starting at 120.000 VND/meal
BBQ on the hill: Starting at 250.000 VND/meal
À la carte: The price depends on the food demands. Guests can also use a shared kitchen to cook their own meals