Wow! This place is stunning! And so much to see and do. It was quiet and felt private, although Vietnam had only just opened to foreign tourists. I still think at capacity, it would not feel too crowded. . Rooms: We stayed in Bungalow 211. The view of the mountains and valley below were spectacular. We sat on our private balcony, drank the complimentary tea and just enjoyed the view! The rooms are simple but really comfortable. The bed is very comfortable and there is plenty of room to put your stuff. There are 2 chairs and a table both in the room and on the patio, as well as a chair with desk in the room. The windows are huge so you can lay on the bed and look out at the mountains but there are blackout curtains so you're not woken up too early when the sun comes out. Re-fillable, glass water bottles are provided, along with a kettle and teas. They provide a turn-down service and leave some very tasty homemade sweet treats. There is a safe in the room. NOTE: There is reliable wi-fi throughout the resort but not in the bungalows themselves so if this is important you, it could be an issue. We did not miss this at all. Bathroom: Shampoo and conditioner are provided in reusable containers. There is a rain shower and a hand held one. The water is hot, which was...Wow! This place is stunning! And so much to see and do. It was quiet and felt private, although Vietnam had only just opened to foreign tourists. I still think at capacity, it would not feel too crowded.
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Rooms: We stayed in Bungalow 211. The view of the mountains and valley below were spectacular. We sat on our private balcony, drank the complimentary tea and just enjoyed the view! The rooms are simple but really comfortable. The bed is very comfortable and there is plenty of room to put your stuff. There are 2 chairs and a table both in the room and on the patio, as well as a chair with desk in the room.
The windows are huge so you can lay on the bed and look out at the mountains but there are blackout curtains so you're not woken up too early when the sun comes out.
Re-fillable, glass water bottles are provided, along with a kettle and teas. They provide a turn-down service and leave some very tasty homemade sweet treats. There is a safe in the room.

NOTE: There is reliable wi-fi throughout the resort but not in the bungalows themselves so if this is important you, it could be an issue. We did not miss this at all.

Bathroom: Shampoo and conditioner are provided in reusable containers. There is a rain shower and a hand held one. The water is hot, which was really nice given the long hikes we did. 1 sink and there are toothpaste/toothbrush kits, shaving kits etc. Towels are replaced if you ask.

Pools: We used the warmer pool (salt water) as the temperature didn't get much above 20. It's an infinity pool and you can swim laps. There are loungers around the pool with umbrellas and towels on each chair. There are also a few tables with chairs around them. There is a bar to serve drinks. I can't express enough how special it was to be in the pool and just look out into the mountains. Beautiful! The cooler infinity pool is directly below the warmer one with a jacuzzi. Both pools are crystal clear.

Spa: We did not use the spa services so can't comment.

Restaurant: The menu at the Stilt House was varied and the food excellent. The breakfast buffet had a good range of Vietnamese as well as European choices. Great quality. There is a firepit/barbecue in the evening where you can add a fresh piece of corn or sweet potato to your meal. There is also a "happy hour" and you can have free hot chocolate/coffee/tea as well as some mulled wine (which was delicious).
Tip: If you sit outside, you'll have better views at the back of the restaurant but the front on the balcony also has a great view, just not as vast.

Service/Staff: Outstanding! Everyone who works here is friendly, helpful, welcoming and well-trained. We were allowed a late check-out so we could shower and change before our flight home. The reception staff arranged walking tours and the restaurant staff were gracious and hard working.
The lodge employs locals which is a great positive. While many don't speak English, this is not Connecticut! So please don't expect fluent English. There are staff on site who do speak English so if you do need this "service", it is available.

Hiking: We arranged 2 hiking trips both through the Ecolodge and both were excellent. The first was the Nam Pa Jungle BBQ hike. Our guide was Tinh and she was outstanding. We'd highly recommend her! Our 2nd hike was with Tinh and the Red Dzao women. They walk with you (whether invited or not) which can be disconcerting for some people like the couple behind us who asked them to leave (they did). However, I found them really kind and particularly helpful when we were crossing some of the more wet and rocky areas (nothing terribly challenging, just wear good shoes!). Yes - they want you to buy their bags etc at the end of the hike but their wares are beautifully handcrafted and like everyone else, they're just trying to make a living. Be patient and trust that after their initial introductions and questions, they will just walk peacefully alongside you for the rest of the walk.

NOTE: The drive to and from the lodge is up and down some pretty steep and narrow roads with km drops just inches away. If you've been to Machu Picchu, it's very similar. We booked the Topas Ecolodge's shuttle service and the driver was excellent. He drove very slowly and carefully - even through some very dense fog at one point on the way up. While the views are stunning, it can be a little unnerving. However, the professionalism and attention of the driver more than mitigated these fears.
We took the shuttle from Hanoi's French Quarter and then to the airport. Both times the driver was on time and very professional.

Tip #1: Bungalows/Rooms are spaced out over the grounds and the walk is up and down hills (short inclines and declines). The 100s & 200s are a few minutes walk to the main reception area and 1-2 min to the restaurant and the outdoor pools. The 500s are closer to the main reception and pools but further from the restaurant.

Tip #2: If you're debating whether to stay here or the Riverside Lodge -- stay here! We visited the Riverside on one of our walks and while ok, it is not in the same league imo. Spend the extra as you'll be glad you did!

Tip #3: Don't feel you need to visit Sa pa town, especially if you don't have much time. It's a 45 min shuttle ride one way and while we didn't go, the people staying next to us and the people we spoke to at the pool regretted going into town instead of doing a hike. They said it was just hotels, restaurants and markets (many of the hotels and restaurants were closed). They didn't stay long and felt they could have better spent their time at the Lodge or on a hike.

If you can't already tell from this review, we had an amazing time here and of all the wonderful places we stayed on our 3 week tour of Vietnam, this was a highlight - a place we would definitely come back to!More