Homestay in Vietnam's Mu Cang Chai explains $3.8 motorbike taxi surcharge after online backlash

The combo tour of Mong Ngua's iconic horseshoe-shaped rice terraces and the dense Na Hang Tua bamboo forest is a quintessential Mu Cang Chai experience, where navigating the treacherous, steep mountain tracks on local motorbike taxis (xe om) is often the only way for tourists to reach these remote, breathtaking vantage points.

The surcharge dispute occurred on September 3, when the two guests staying at A Su homestay asked owner Thao A Su to arrange two motorbike taxis for them, Su told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper on Saturday.

The agreed price was VND300,000 ($11.4) per motorbike for an afternoon trip, he said.

The guests left at around 2:00 pm to visit Mong Ngua, a popular destination, and a bamboo forest before having hotpot in central Mu Cang Chai, and returned to the homestay at around 7:35 pm, according to Su.

He said an afternoon motorbike taxi service typically ends at around 5:30-6:00pm, when it starts getting dark and sightseeing activities for the day usually finish.

Because the guests returned more than 90 minutes after the usual end time and the drivers had to wait for them for about an hour while they ate, the motorbike taxi drivers and the homestay informed the guests that an additional VND100,000 ($3.80) per vehicle would be charged.

The guests disagreed with the surcharge and offered to pay only VND50,000 ($1.90) per vehicle instead.

Therefore, one driver told them they could choose not to pay any surcharge if they were unwilling to do so, according to Su.

The following morning, when the guests checked out, Su said he only charged them the outstanding room balance, as they had already paid a VND1 million ($38) deposit.

The guests, however, voluntarily transferred an additional VND100,000 for the two motorbike taxis, he said.

The dispute surfaced after one of the guests anonymously posted about the incident in a Facebook group, saying the surcharge for returning late had not been announced in advance and describing the experience as disappointing.

Su acknowledged that the homestay had failed to clearly inform the guests of the service hours in advance.

He said the homestay would update its posted price list to specify the service period and any surcharge for overtime to avoid similar disputes in the future.

The post drew mixed reactions, with some people saying VND100,000 was not worth making a public complaint over, while others said service providers should clearly disclose prices and service hours in advance.

Minh Thuy, a visitor who had recently traveled to Mu Cang Chai, said she had booked a motorbike taxi through the same homestay for VND250,000 ($9.50) to visit Mong Ngua.

She said she voluntarily tipped the driver VND50,000 because he was enthusiastic and drove confidently and safely.

Another commenter said the sightseeing route was relatively long, totaling about 36 kilometers, and that the price was reasonable.

Several people nevertheless agreed that homestays and motorbike taxi drivers should clearly communicate prices, service hours and possible additional charges to avoid misunderstandings.