Areca Bungalow

The family hosting this place are the best part: such kind, helpful, wonderful people. The rooms are fantastic, the view is beautiful, and the food is incredible, with both vegan and non-vegetarian options. I'd highly recommend staying here in phong nha.

We were able to check in very early after our night bus, and the owner was quick to respond and helpful over WhatsApp. It's a lovely homestay, with beautiful rooms right above the river and a great view. Breakfast, though, was hit and miss. They didn't seem to have everything listed on the menu, and since the ladies speak little English, ordering something else was difficult. Twice we ordered simple items and they never arrived.

Xu made us feel welcome and was very attentive. The setting right by the river is beautiful, and the food was cooked fresh to order, with lots of flavor. I'd definitely recommend a stay here 🙂

The hostel manager was genuinely welcoming and nice, and we appreciated that. But we were disappointed by some of the online photos, which didn't seem to match the hotel and felt a bit misleading. We booked a river-view bungalow partly because the pictures suggested a standard shower. In practice the hot water runs out quickly, and the bathroom layout is awkward: the drain isn't in the shower, so water goes under the rails and spreads across the whole floor before it reaches a drain beneath the sink. The listing also made it seem like we'd have a direct view of the river. Instead, there's a dining area about a meter below the window, where people can look right into the room. We had to keep the curtains shut most of the time for privacy, which rather defeated the point of booking a river-view bungalow.