LY A PAO: THE JOURNEY FROM A HIGHLAND CHILD TO A LOCAL GUIDE IN SAPA

Some journeys do not begin with big dreams, but with one very simple wish: to have enough food to eat and warm clothes to wear.

Amid the mist and mountains of Sapa, where children grow up surrounded by mud, hard work, and biting cold, there was once a Black H’Mong boy who walked barefoot along slippery mountain paths, carrying with him a desire to change his life through education and an unbreakable determination to never give up.

Today, that little boy has not only found his own path, but has also become a guide, taking travelers deep into the true heart of Sapa, where nature, people, and life stories come together with the greatest sincerity.

A Black H’Mong Child Born Among the Mountains of Sapa

I am a Black H’Mong, born and raised in Ban Ho Commune, a small village nestled at the foot of the mountains, surrounded by the majestic nature of the Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range, in Sapa, Vietnam.

My childhood was closely connected to the mountains, fields, rice terraces, mist, and slippery dirt paths that appeared whenever the rainy season came. It was not a peaceful childhood like the ones described in books, but a childhood filled with hardship, poverty, and challenges, while also being filled with a great deal of love.

I was born into a poor farming family with 11 brothers and sisters. Life was extremely difficult at that time. My family lacked almost everything from enough food and proper clothing to many of the simple things that other children considered normal.

Winters in Sapa were extremely cold. The freezing air seemed to cut through our thin layers of clothing. But at that time, we did not even have a proper set of warm clothes, nor did we have decent shoes to keep our feet warm. Sometimes, even having enough food for one full meal was a luxury.

All of us children grew up relying entirely on the hard-working hands of our parents. Every day, my parents worked in the fields, growing corn, potatoes, and cassava, saving every small amount of money they could to raise their children and trying their best to send us to school.

A Poor Childhood Filled with Love

Although we were poor, our family was always full of love.

We did not have enough food or warm clothes, but we had the protection of our parents and the strong bond between brothers and sisters.

After school, my brothers, sisters, and I would often run out to the fields to meet our parents. We would excitedly tell them stories about school and about the little things that filled our childhood with dreams. I remember those moments clearly. They were simple, genuine, and warmer than anything else.

I was the eldest son, and also the naughtiest child in the family. Because I was the oldest, I had to do many things to help my parents: looking after the buffalo, cutting grass, digging the soil, carrying firewood, and more. I became familiar with hard work from a very young age, so I was often covered in mud and dirt.

At school, some children called me a “Meo person” and made fun of me, saying that my face was dirty and my clothes were worn out, and that I did not look good at all. Sometimes, those words made me feel ashamed and hurt, but they gradually taught me how to endure difficulties and become stronger.

On the other hand, because I spent so much time running around the fields and mountains, I became very agile, especially when it came to running very fast. Whenever the school organized traditional games, my classmates would often choose me for their teams.

Those moments helped me understand one thing:

Every child has their own value; they simply need the opportunity to show it.

My Only Dream Back Then: “To Have Enough Food and Warm Clothes”

Throughout those difficult years, I did not have any big or ambitious dreams.

I only wished for one very simple thing:

That one day, my family and I would have enough food to eat and warm clothes to wear.

That small dream gradually became a great motivation for me to study hard. I believed that only education and knowledge could help me escape poverty.

I still remember clearly the first pair of plastic sandals I ever owned a gift from my teachers. It was the first time in my life that I had a truly new pair of sandals. I treasured them deeply.

I only wore those sandals when I went to school.

When I came home, I carefully put them away and went back to wearing my old, worn out sandals. When they broke, I used pieces of scrap fabric to tie them back together, wearing them until they were completely torn and could no longer be used.

Those sandals were not just something I wore.

They were a memory, a motivation, and a reminder never to give up on my education.

The First Reward: Sapa District Boarding School

My perseverance was eventually rewarded.

I received a scholarship to attend Sapa District Ethnic Minority Boarding School, a school for outstanding and high achieving students.

For me, it was a dream come true.

For my parents, it was a great source of pride.

I studied with all my effort because I always remembered my original dream: to have enough food and warm clothes. I completed high school and carried a bigger dream within me: to attend university and study law.

I wanted to study law so that I could gain knowledge, help my family, and protect the rights of people who were vulnerable, just as I once was.

A Broken Dream and Painful Choices

But life does not always turn out the way we hope.

Because my family was struggling so much financially, I could not attend university to study law as I had dreamed.

Instead, I enrolled in a Law Intermediate Program at a school in Lao Cai City, using the small amount of money I was able to earn and arrange myself. It was the only path available to me at the time, with the hope that one day I could continue my studies and attend university.

After graduating, I worked for a short period at the Ban Ho Commune People’s Committee. But my family was still struggling, and my younger siblings still needed support. I had to give up my plan to continue my studies and pursue a university degree in law.

It was a very painful decision.

But I understood that sometimes in life, we have to sacrifice our personal dreams to take responsibility for our families.

Leaving My Hometown: Starting Again from Zero

I decided to leave my hometown and go to Sapa Town to look for work.

It was the first time I truly stepped outside my family’s protection and faced life on my own.

I started again from zero or even a number more perfectly round than an egg.

From Hotel Housekeeper to Studying Alone Through the Night

When I arrived in Sapa Town, I had nothing in my hands except the will to survive and the desire to change my life.

I took the first job I could find: working as a hotel housekeeper.

During the day, I cleaned rooms, mopped floors, changed bed sheets, and quietly did whatever work was required.

At night, when everyone else was asleep, I studied English by myself in a small room, using an old phone and a few notebooks.

During those years, I was always looking for and participating in free English classes taught by foreign volunteers. When foreign volunteers came to the homestays in my village to teach English, I never missed the opportunity.

I did not have the money to attend an English center. I learned by joining free classes directly in the villages, including classes for primary school students:

• Listening to the same English sentences again and again
• Writing down every new word
• Practicing speaking in front of a mirror
• Learning from the tourists I met every day

For three consecutive years, I lived in the same cycle: work, study, and sleep very little.

I slept only 2 or 3 hours a night, but I never allowed myself to give up. I understood that if I stopped, I would remain where I was forever.

The First Fruit of Perseverance: My First Five Star Hotel

Thanks to my continuous effort, my English communication skills gradually improved. My supervisors noticed my progress, trusted me, and eventually promoted me to the front desk.

Eventually, I became a professional receptionist at Pao’s Sapa Leisure Hotel, a place where I had once never imagined I could work.

For the first time in my life, I truly felt:

A poor child from the mountains can rise above hardship if they refuse to give up.

But the more I worked in such a sophisticated and professional environment, the more clearly I realized something deep inside me.

I Was Not Born to Stand Behind a Reception Desk

The job was stable, the environment was good, and the income was enough to live on, but my heart did not belong there.

I realized that what I truly wanted to do was not to wear a suit and stand behind a reception desk, but to:

• Tell the real stories of Sapa
• Share the real lives of local people
• Lead people through rice terraces, villages, streams, and mountain paths
• Speak with the voice of someone who was born from these mountains

I wanted travelers to not only see Sapa with their eyes, but also feel it with their hearts.

The Turning Point in My Life: When I Dared to Believe in Myself

My journey through poverty transformed my wounds into strength.

Those years of hardship:

• Changed the way I looked at life
• Taught me to appreciate every opportunity
• Helped me believe that I had value

Especially after I met Hoang HXN, an older brother and mentor who taught me about life, freedom, entrepreneurship, and self expression through the ideas of “Being – Having – Doing,” and Cuong Thach, an older brother specializing in IT and SEO, who taught me how to write articles that “write to sell,” my way of thinking completely changed.

I learned that:

The past does not determine the future.

What matters is whether you dare to act and keep moving forward.

From that moment, I decided to change my life once again.

Becoming a Local Trekking Guide: Returning to My Roots

I left the hotel and returned to Ban Ho, where the gentle Muong Hoa Stream flows through the valley and where the mountains and forests raised me.

I became a local trekking guide, not a guide who simply reads from a script, but:

• Someone who finds the way through childhood memories
• Someone who tells stories through real experiences
• Someone who knows every slope, every stream, and every rice growing season

I take travelers:

• Across the breathtaking rice terraces of Sapa
• Into peaceful Black H’Mong villages
• To sleep in traditional local stilt houses and share simple meals with local families
• To listen to real stories about life in the highlands

Travelers have the opportunity to experience the authentic cultural identity of different ethnic communities:

• Black H’Mong
• Red Dao
• Tay
• Giay
• Xa Pho

in the Muong Hoa Valley, the cultural heart of Sapa.

Travel Is Not Just About Having Fun It Is Also About Healing

I believe that travel can change people.

It does not only help travelers relax, but also:

• Help them understand themselves better
• Learn to slow down
• Appreciate nature and people

And for me, travel has also healed me a child who once experienced hunger and cold, who once felt ashamed and insecure.

By appreciating what I have:

• Culture
• Nature
• Real life stories

I am not only changing my own life, but also creating livelihoods for the local community.

Sapa: A Place to Breathe, Grow, and Become

For me, Sapa is not just a destination.

Sapa is a place to:

• Breathe: among the fresh mountain air
• Explore: the most authentic experiences
• Learn: from a simple way of life
• Grow: through real experiences

I am here to tell you about the soul of Sapa without exaggeration, without showing off, simply through the truth.

An Invitation from My Heart

If you are someone who:

• Loves nature
• Enjoys exploration
• Wants to experience authentic local culture

Do not hesitate.

Let me lead you to the heart of Sapa not only with your feet, but with your whole soul.

This blog, these trekking journeys, and I myself were all created to bring you the most authentic experiences possible.

CONCLUSION

I am Ly A Pao,

a Black H’Mong boy who once only dreamed of having enough food and warm clothes,

and who has now become a guide for meaningful and emotional journeys in Sapa Local Guide.

If you have read this far, I believe that:

One day, we will meet on a trail leading to the villages among the mountains of Sapa, or on one of the trekking routes through the breathtaking rice terraces, where traditional villages are scattered among the mountains and forests of Vietnam’s Northwest.

Discover Authentic Sapa with a H’Mong Local Guide

Travel is not only about beautiful destinations; it is also an opportunity to better understand people, culture, and ourselves.

On this blog, I share real life experiences, practical Sapa travel tips, trekking routes, Black H’Mong culture, and places that are less known to travelers.

Whether you are visiting Sapa for the first time or returning once again, I hope these articles will help you plan your journey more easily, discover authentic perspectives from a local person, and have a more meaningful experience.

Come with me to explore the beauty of the mountains and forests of Northwest Vietnam and create unforgettable memories on every journey.

Travel is not just a hobby. It is also a way to connect, learn, and grow together.et mountain path, among rice terraces and villages of Northwest Vietnam.