Live like a local in a fishing village on Binh Hung Island.

"Come and Sit Down and Play to experience life like a local in a fishing village, not just to travel."

Ngồi Xuống Chơi homestay Retreat is located on Binh Hung Island, Cam Ranh City, Khanh Hoa Province. People are often curious and fascinated by its unique style: Coming to Ngồi Xuống Chơi is about living like a local fisherman, not just being a tourist.

Not only is it a place to enjoy many local seafood specialties and immerse yourself in the scenery of a fishing village, but Ngồi Xuống Chơi also possesses a rustic and simple charm thanks to the friendliness and hospitality of the local people.

Lien Minh, the owner of Ngoi Xuong Choi homestay Retreat, is affectionately known to guests as Thi Mo. Many are impressed by her charming hospitality from the booking process to their stay at the homestay. This young woman from Saigon, who found herself in this fishing village, began a very important life lesson: learning how to eat, how to speak, how to wrap, and how to unwrap.

“As someone working in the creative and media industry, I have the opportunity to interact with countless interesting things and people every day. But I always feel that life is bigger than just an office or an advertising campaign. I'm curious, I want to learn, and then I want to go big. I took all my savings and invested them. People spend money traveling the world or enrolling in short-term courses abroad. I considered it the same amount of money I spent, also as a form of learning. Creating 'Sit Down and Play' made me feel great. 'Sit Down and Play' didn't start with a budding entrepreneurial ambition, but rather as a personal project that allowed me to freely experiment, mold my creativity to my heart's content, and create opportunities for myself. From there, 'Thị Mờ' and 'Sit Down and Play' were born,” Liên Minh recounted.

Come to a place that has a "homey" feel and live carefree like a child.

"From architectural design and interior decor to the overall atmosphere of the house... everything follows a common theme: children!", Lien Minh stated.

According to her, the philosophy of "Sit Down and Play" can be summarized in three things. First, "Sit Down and Play" is not just a place to travel. Second, visitors will feel a sense of "home," like visiting a familiar relative in the countryside. Finally, it not only provides accommodation but also offers the experience of living in a fishing village.

Explaining the familiar yet simple name of the homestay, Lien Minh shared with Travellive: “At Ngoi Xuong Choi Retreat homestay, guests can take a break from their 'adult' roles, freely staying, eating, and playing like children. Here, it's not just about relaxing amidst nature, but also about escaping the chaos, mess, and even many prejudices from the 'adult' world. And playing like a child is simple, innocent, and easy to have fun with. Just sit down and play, relax from expectations, plans, and arrangements, and joy will naturally come from nowhere. That's what the name means!”

The choice of Binh Hung Island as the location for the homestay stemmed from Lien Minh's previous solo trip there. Before returning to Saigon, she leisurely explored every corner and fell in love with the place at first sight, without any prior planning or business strategy. It was the natural beauty and fishing village environment of Binh Hung that inspired Lien Minh to create her unique homestay model, "Sit Down and Play."

“Ngồi Xuống Chơi homestay is an old house located at the end of the fishing village. Later, Lien Minh preserved the facade, retaining its ancient charm, and meticulously designed the interior and space to create a childlike atmosphere. Simple, charming, and innocent are the words that best describe this place. The yard has many large trees. Forty years ago, the owner planted them when they were just seeds and sprouts, and now they have grown into ancient trees. My fellow villagers and I benefit from the fact that the scorching midday heat of Central Vietnam is ultimately refreshing,” Lien Minh shared.

The entire yard, the house, and the small garden behind the house of Ngồi Xuống Chơi homestay total approximately 700 square meters.²This place is, first and foremost, an ordinary house with 5 bedrooms (4 guest rooms and 1 master bedroom), a kitchen, and a living room. Of the 4 guest rooms, one is reserved for the hostess, a beauty queen of both looks and talent, while the other three are reserved for runners-up.

The Alliance always strives to personalize the room atmosphere as much as possible for each guest, ultimately aiming for guests to exclaim at the end of their trip: "It felt like home."

Lien Minh said: “The 'personalization' aspect is activated right from the way Thi Mo interacts with customers when messaging on the fan page. Then there's the effort to understand the customer, the way the team coordinates colors for bedding and room decorations to create a personalized color palette, and many other gestures of care and attention like family, rather than simply translating it into service packages.”

Not only does Sitting Down to Play offer a sense of familiarity and home, but it also provides visitors with many exciting and engaging experiences and activities.

Especially noteworthy are activities like: learning to row a basket boat with fishermen, watching the sunrise from a motorized basket boat, and fishing from the boat; removing fish from nets with fishermen, learning the names of marine creatures and enjoying an incredibly intellectually stimulating morning; strolling around the island, exploring the small alleys and houses of locals, taking film photos of charming little corners, and practicing slow living; drifting on the open sea gazing at the moon and stars at night; learning to make traditional Central Vietnamese cakes with the locals; collecting seashells and picking dates on Egg Rock Beach; playing stick ball and jump rope in front of houses with children in the fishing village; exploring less-visited local beaches… all of these sounds incredibly appealing.

The owners believe that "Sit Down and Play" strives to envelop each guest, allowing them to experience the most authentic atmosphere of life in a fishing village. From genuine fishermen and fishing village children to simple, down-to-earth neighbors, the community blends fishing village activities with unforgettable experiences... All these moments wouldn't be complete without the emotions and cooperation of the guests themselves. In short, coming to "Sit Down and Play" is about living like a local in a fishing village, not just going on a tourist trip.

The early steps of the Alliance and Sit Down and Play homestay Retreat are filled with many memorable stories.

“When the children of the fishing village chose the yard of the 'Sit Down and Play' house as a gathering place for all their joys and sorrows, one moment it was 'Aunt Minh!', the next it was 'Grandpa!' Every day, Thi Mo felt like she was watching an episode of a Ghibli animated film. A strange, strangely pure fairy tale!”

"Or when tourists message me, chat endlessly, and finalize their bookings, they only then find out about 'Sitting Down and Playing' on the island. And many friends/brothers/sisters have changed their travel plans just to make an effort to visit Thi Mo. At all these times, I feel: 'Ah, the spirit of 'Sitting Down and Playing' has transcended the boundaries of a simple accommodation choice when someone wants to travel to Binh Hung.' Or every tourist, before leaving, can't help but exclaim: 'Wow, it really is a place where you can sit down and play!'" Lien Minh excitedly shared.

The creation of Ngồi Xuống Chơi homestay Retreat wouldn't have been possible without the contributions of Tí Hon from Liên Minh, who provided ideas and images. Tí Hon is the photographer who always captures memorable moments at Ngồi Xuống Chơi.

"In the end, all the effort put into creating a good mood for the customers was worth it! They spontaneously felt it and uttered the slogan. When you feel like you've neglected yourself for too long, when you feel too tired of being an adult… Just put aside adult life for a while, sit down and play a little with the child in your heart," Lien Minh exclaimed.

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao - Photos: Ti Hon, Thi Mo