Mai Chau is an idyllic valley of Hoa Binh Province offerring great day trips from Hanoi, especially when it’s only 130km away. You’ll find yourself getting lost in the nature with green forests, gentle hills, and stilt-house villages.
Mai Chau is an idyllic valley of Hoa Binh Province offerring great day trips from Hanoi, especially when it’s only 130km away. You’ll find yourself getting lost in the nature with green forests, gentle hills, and stilt-house villages.
From March to May and September to November, the Mai Châu Valley is at its best. October is possibly the best month because harvesting occurs and the rice takes on a glorious golden hue. If you visit between June and August, be aware that monsoons can cause local roads to flood.
Mai Châu is about 140 kilometers from Hanoi. Local buses run directly from the capital to Mai Châu town, which is a short walk from Lác and Pom Cong villages. If you are coming from Sn La or in Biên Province, request that the driver stop at the Mai Châu turn off. It is possible to hire a motorbike or a private car in Hanoi for the journey. Because small paths crisscross villages and farms, bicycles are the best way to get around the valley floor. Electric carts can be rented to transport you from one village to another.
Sleep in a homestay
The Mai Châu Valley is home to two of the most successful homestay tourism villages in Vietnam: Lac and Poom Coong. In both villages, White Thai families offer simple accommodation in stilt houses right on the edge of vibrant rice fields. The best homestays are clustered around Hieu village, with a setting so idyllic that it's almost unreal, surrounded by verdant jungle, limestone outcrops, and tall mountain tops. If the idea of a homestay doesn't appeal to you, you'll also find lodges in Mai Châu, offering more comfort and beautiful bungalows with pools and private terraces.
>>See more our guideline about accommodation in Mai Chau
Cycle around the valley
Both hotels and homestays offer bicycle rentals for travellers. Exploring the many quiet ribbons of paths that connect clusters of stilt houses might be the greatest pleasure you'll have in Mai Châu. It doesn’t take long to get away from the crowds and feel like you’ve found your own quiet corner of the valley, riding past humble villages and rice paddies.
Shop for local crafts
Mai Châu has no shortage of local handicrafts and intricate fabrics woven by skilled weavers on ancient looms. A little gentle bargaining is expected and even welcomed. On Sunday, head into Mai Châu town where the morning market attracts people from different ethnic minorities who come dressed in their finest traditional clothing.
Eat with the locals
Known for their warm hospitality, the White Thai are also fantastic cooks and serve up excellent home-cooked feasts for dinner—ideal to replenish your energy reserves after a day of bicycle adventuring. The meals you're served at the homestays in Mai Châu might be some of the best on your Vietnam trip.
Plan a day trek
There are countless treks you can take from Mai Chau, and your hotel should be able to set you up with a guide if you need one. For a full day trip, add a kayaking excursion on nearby Hoa Binh Lake. This is a beautiful body of water surrounded by jungled hills. For more remote and adventurous options, venture a little further to the Pu Luong Nature Reserve.
Visit Pu Luang Nature Reserve
It is easy to spend a few days doing little else than admiring the nature around Mai Chau, but a wander through the forests is richly rewarded. Scores of cool, fresh streams run among the trees, feeding waterfalls and aquamarine pools ideal for bathing in the afternoon heat. For the best experience hire a guide and head deeper into the area.
>> See more about Top 5 things to do in Mai Chau
Come to Mai Chau is to come to a laid-back northern village of Thai people, to be a part of a culture, a way of life so different from where you’re from. Mai Chau is indeed the place for those who seek peace of mind, a scenario without the bustling urban noises and come back to what are basics to human’s happiness – beautiful nature and friendliness of the people.
