Avana got its start from a deep desire: to create a real green tourism model where the environment and the local community always come first. 

Our mission is to restore the area around Avana to its original, untouched beauty from decades ago. We want to make sure the kids running around barefoot today will have a safer, cleaner environment to grow up in tomorrow. We're also working hard to help the communities nearby understand how vital it is to live green, keep things clean, and see how precious their long-standing culture truly is. That's basically everything Avana Retreat is striving for.

You might think a big dream requires a big foundation. But on the journey to make those precious goals a reality and sustainability, we'd say: Greatness comes from the simplest things

#1: Daily conversations with the locals

Recently, James Thai, CEO of Avana Retreat, together with the top leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry, had a meeting at the Asia Sustainable Travel (AST) Forum in Hanoi to tackle key industry challenges. During the forum, Mr. James shared: "Engaging in collaborative dialogue and repurposing local natural materials helped us achieve the resort's unique standards."

With 90% of our workforce being local, Avana has truly become an integral part of the community, embracing the unique language, sounds, and culture of the region. Many of our Thai, Hmong, and Muong team members, who once relied solely on two rice harvests a year, are starting to learn everyday English phrases, how to fold napkins, set forks and knives, and even bake. They come to Avana really wanting to improve themselves, and we're just as passionate about helping this area grow. As long as they're eager to grow, we provide free training, career guidance, and employment opportunities. We're giving them the chance to work right here in their homeland, and in return, they're giving us the opportunity to have them as cherished members of the Avana family.

#2: The everyday work that sustains local communities

Being welcomed into this land has opened up so many doors for us to their culture and traditional crafts. That's brought us a treasure trove of sustainable materials to build our resort with! The local artisans in this region have been amazing teachers, showing us how to plaster mud walls, pick the best palm leaves for roofing, and share their unique Thái and H'mong house-building secrets that keep rooms so toasty in winter and wonderfully breezy in summer. When stepping into any corner of Avana Retreat – from the chill-out lounges to the private villas and restaurants – you'll find it adorned with stunning handmade items such as comfy pillows with vibrant brocade patterns, or gorgeous lamps woven from rattan and bamboo. Crafted from all-natural materials, Avana Retreat's decorations are more than just beautiful – they're also earth-friendly.

#3: Honoring cultures through global sharing

Beyond the culture of the Northwest, Avana Retreat also wants to share the idea of respecting cultures from all over the world through how we run our sustainable resort. During the Asia Sustainable Travel (AST) Forum, our COO, James Thai, shared some smart, budget-friendly ideas that any business could start using right away. A prime example he gave was Avana’s old-school mechanical keys. This simple swap doesn't just cut down on plastic key cards, it also beautifully shows our respect for Jewish guests who observe Shabbat without electronic devices.

The beauty and strength of women, a constant source of wonder, demand a language of subtlety and grace. Let’s explore the Northwestern men's delicate love expressions that win the hearts of their women.

Expression through the secret signals
In the Northwest region, there are weekly markets from dawn until around 9-10 a.m. where local people exchange goods with each other. On the end-of-month or special days, there will be cultural activities such as dancing, singing, and playing folk instruments. Boys will dress beautifully and carry panpipes and flutes. If they are captivated by any girl, they will approach her and express their feelings.
Experience this slice of local life at Bao La Market, a 4.5km walk from Avana Retreat, where locals gather every Friday morning.

Expression in nonverbal language
There's a very famous musical instrument in the Northwest called the panpipe. This instrument is made from bamboo and copper, and its sounds are both deep and soaring, powerful yet full of emotion. Perhaps for this reason, the panpipes are favored by Northwest boys, who choose them as their "messenger pigeon" to send loving words to the girls they adore.
They often stand on a hillside, playing captivating melodies to send their love to the girl in the neighboring village. If the girl hears and responds by appearing or sending a signal, such as tying a scarf to a tree.

Listen to the sound of the panpipes and immerse yourself in it with dances during the weekly Wednesday and Saturday night experience next to the Green Chili restaurant at Avana Retreat, allowing you to harmonize, interact, and connect with the local people.

Expression under the floor
When a Thai boy likes a girl, he will go to her house at night, stand under the floor, and use a long stick to gently poke the floor to wake her up. If she agrees to talk, she will open the door or come down the stairs to meet the boy.
This is a discreet, subtle, yet patient way to express affection. If the girl is not interested, she can remain silent or politely decline. If she has feelings for him, they will continue to get to know each other through such 'floor poking' sessions.

Visit the stilt house museum. Avana's stilt house dates back to 1970 and was relocated and rebuilt when the Avana project began construction, offering a deeper understanding of the region's culture and history.

With the desire to connect more with the local community, the Avana Marathon Open was organized for the first time on 26th November, welcoming the people of villages around Avana to participate with our staff, sharing a love for sports and the joy of overcoming personal limits.

The 15 km long road running through the hills and villages was an unforgettable experience of being in harmony with nature and the daily life of the locals.

A huge shoutout to all the amazing runners for their incredible energy on this journey.
Mr. Luong Van Nam, Head Chef of Avana Retreat, was the first runner to reach the finish line in 1 hour and 17 minutes. Just one minute behind him were two males from Cun Pheo village. In the top 10 males to finish the race early, there were 6 locals and 3 Avana Retreat staff members.

About 10 minutes later, Ms. HaThi Thuyen, a kitchen staff member of Avana Retreat, won the women's first prize with a time of 1 hour and 38 minutes. The top 10 females finished also acknowledged the other 3 female participants from Cun Pheo village and 6 Avana Retreat staff members.

Throughout the race, local people showed up to cheer and boost the spirits of the runners. Additionally, our organizing team provided support with water, light snacks, and medical assistance. Thanks to these, 90% of the runners finished earlier than expected.

The first running event at Avana Retreat has served our goal of connecting our staff with the local community and enhancing awareness about health and well-being.
Waiting for the excitement of what's to come! The upcoming events are sure to bring more happiness and new challenges to conquer!

To preserve the beauty of Mai Chau land for many more years, we should start with the people. Hospitality is all about making guests feel at home, and probably the best way to know about the land other than the native themselves. Therefore, we create job opportunities for the natives and welcome them to the Avana family.

After 2 years of operation, 90% of Avana staff are local. Most of them are people from the small villages around Avana, with education not beyond university, or even high school. But that does not stop them from continuing to learn and grow at Avana Retreat. Hospitality training, sustainable development basics, and even English lessons, they will receive any skillsets needed to become successful. Once they are officially Avana staff, we continue to offer great welfare, health insurance, professional working conditions, promotion prospects, and additional job training for constant improvement.

Offering people great jobs, and helping their life improve are always beyond our pride and joy, but the best thing is that we give them a chance to contribute to their homeland.  Together, we honor the beauty of the land and make every experience here even more worthwhile and authentic! 

We are all living on a blue pale dot called Earth, and it is the only home we have. And it is our duty to keep it garbage-free. In teamwork with the region’s Youth Union, Trash Collecting Day has been a monthly routine for us. 

Each month, the volunteer team will move to a different area. In the early morning, Avana Retreat staff will gather with the Youth Union. With gloves, masks, and a bag, we got to business right away. Bushes, riverbanks, streams, along the way, no place is left out of our sight. Although the work is simple, never a minute is boring because everyone is full of chatter and laughter. 

Nobody was paying attention to the clock, but when we did, it was already lunch time. Some people just joined for the first time, some people were on their fourth session, and some people invited friends to join. After each month, the manpower has gotten bigger and bigger, and we are all happy to be involved: Happy to meet new people, happy to clean the land together, and happy to mark a meaningful activity on the monthly calendar. As for Avana staff, we are happy to contribute to the resort's sustainability principle: preserving the original beauty of nature.

There are countless ways to make an impact on the environment, and the easiest, simplest action is to put your litter in the right place.