Binh Luc Orphanage

Established in 1990, the Binh Luc Orphanage provides a home for 43 children aged between 3 and 15 and is a 90 minute drive from Hanoi. The children of Binh Luc come from disadvantaged agricultural communities. In many cases the families cannot afford to raise or educate the children and are forced to abandon them. With limited assistance from the local government, the orphanage relies heavily on donations and sponsorship. Buffalo Tours is proud to be a leading patron for the orphanage. A monthly fund from Buffalo Tours is now directly transferred to Binh Luc for a nutritional program and we are working on a library project.

If you would like to donate money, children’s clothes and books and stationery, or even make the trip to the orphanage, we would be delighted to arrange this. Either visit for the day for a rewarding play with the children or stay longer, with a 2 – 3 star hotel nearby. To generate further awareness and funding for the orphanage, Buffalo Tours has a community project scheme in place, where travelers can volunteer their time to assist in the orphanage. Depending on time and availability, volunteers may be involved in English language training, preparing nutritional meals, renovating bedrooms, assisting with the garden or building educational facilities and resources.

Mai Chau Hilltribe Villages

Mai Chau is a scenic minority region, 3 – 4 hours drive from Hanoi. Buffalo Tours was the first company to pioneer trekking and homestay accommodation in this region 8 years ago. We have close ties with the local villages and government and support them both financially and socially through our ‘donate a water buffalo’ program and volunteer placements in the Thai and H'Mong villages.

This region makes for a unique volunteer program, as volunteers are accommodated in homestays (villagers’ rustic homes) and have the chance to closely interact with the local community. Short-term group placements often work on building programs, with specific projects including building classrooms and wells and creating vegetable gardens. Long-term volunteer placements can teach English and vocational skills. In return, volunteers can learn how the locals cook, weave and create handicrafts as well as enjoying spectacular scenery and trekking opportunities.

From July 2007, our brand new lodge, located in the Mai Chau valley, will provide an alternative accommodation option to homestays.

The Water Buffalo Fund

The water buffalo forms an integral part of life in rural Vietnam. Sadly many buffalos succumb to disease, costing easily more than a year's income for an entire village. Therefore to assist farmers we have created the Water Buffalo Fund, whereby we guarantee to purchase and replace any buffalo that the local farmers have been unfortunate enough to loose.

Medical Treks

Vietnam's ethnic minorities inhabit some of the most mountainous and remote regions in the country. The living conditions are harsh and doctors and hospitals are far away, so Buffalo Tours sponsors and co-ordinates medical treks to theses northern regions. This enables the minority communities to receive regular health check-ups and for children to be immunized.