Majetic Of Mai Chau

Mai Chau Valley is a destination that attracts hundreds of thousands of domestic and international tourists each year to immerse themselves in nature and explore the life of the Thai ethnic minority. While there may not be as many tourist attractions as its "neighbor" Moc Chau, Mai Chau Valley still draws a significant number of tourists and adventurers due to its picturesque beauty, fresh and pure air, diverse and rich culture, and distinctive culinary characteristics. Let's explore the latest travel experiences in Mai Chau together, as compiled and shared by BestVietTravel.

Mai Chau is a highland district in northwest Hoa Binh province. It was formerly Mường Mai, established in the 13th century. The Thái society had a clear class division, with rulers exploiting farmers. During French rule, it was part of Chợ Bờ, then merged and split as Mai Đà. Now, Mai Chau has 23 administrative units: 22 communes and Mai Chau town.

When to visit Mai Chau?

Mai Chau, situated as the gateway to the northwest region, experiences a distinct climate influenced by the Northwestern monsoon regime. This imparts a unique tropical highland climate, with about 5-6 hours of heat during summer days and 3-4 hours during winter. The annual average humidity is 82%. Mai Chau has two distinct seasons: a prolonged rainy season from May to October, with the heaviest rainfall from July to September, and a dry season from November to April, marked by dry weather, occasional mist, and chilling drizzles.

Considering the weather conditions, the ideal times to visit Mai Chau are as follows:

• Dry Season (November to April): During this period, you can avoid the northern region's rainy season and the risk of landslides often seen on National Highway 6. If you're interested in seeing cherry blossoms and peach blossoms, January and February are suitable months.
• Peak Hot Season (July-August): Amid the scorching summer of northern Vietnam, weekends in Mai Chau (July-August) offer a cool retreat, escaping the stifling heat of Hanoi.
• Combining with Moc Chau: If you plan to visit both Mai Chau and Moc Chau, choose the best seasons for Moc Chau and allocate a day to visit Mai Chau. Spend half a day in Mai Chau, stay overnight, then continue your exploration of Moc Chau.

Personal Transportation:

Mai Chau is approximately 140km from Hanoi and about 60km from Hoa Binh City in the northwest direction. To reach this highland district of Hoa Binh, you can opt for personal vehicles. From Hanoi, travel to Hoa Lac, continue on the Hoa Lac - Hoa Binh route, and then follow National Highway 6. At the Tòng Đậu intersection, take a left turn to enter Mai Chau (if you're heading straight to Moc Chau or Son La).

Public Transportation:

If you don't have a personal vehicle or prefer not to drive long distances, you can use public buses to travel to Mai Chau. If you can't catch a direct bus, you can take a sleeper bus to Son La and get off at the Tòng Đậu intersection. From there, you can hire a motorbike taxi (xe ôm) to reach the town center of Mai Chau, which is around 5km away.

Getting Around in Mai Chau:

Walking: Bản Lác and Bản Pom Coọng are situated close to each other, making it convenient to explore a beautiful and serene Mai Chau on foot. However, walking limits you to exploring within the village, and you might not have enough time to visit more distant attractions.

Biking: Cycling is becoming a popular choice among tourists, especially foreigners. It's an environmentally friendly way to explore, and cycling through the peaceful and picturesque landscape of Mai Chau is truly wonderful. You can leisurely bike around the villages, enjoy fresh air, and conveniently access smaller areas.

Electric Scooters: In Mai Chau, you can use electric scooter services to move around the village. These scooters run at a slow pace and are relatively inexpensive for a ride. If you want to venture farther (to nearby villages), you can negotiate directly with the driver for a longer trip.

Motorbike: If you're mainly staying around Bản Lác, Bản Pom Coọng, and the town area, you might not need a motorbike. However, for destinations further away like Thung Khe Pass or Ba Khan, a bicycle or electric scooter might not suffice. In such cases, if you didn't arrive in Mai Chau with a motorbike, you can consider renting one locally.

Accommodation in Mai Chau: Traditional Stilt Houses

Staying in traditional stilt houses is a popular and not-to-be-missed lodging option when visiting Mai Chau. These houses are primarily found in Bản Lác and Bản Pom Coọng. To elaborate on this form of accommodation, the Thai people often settle and build their villages near rivers and streams, with houses constructed against hills and mountains, surrounded by vast fields. Thai stilt houses are typically elevated, with the floor standing about 2 meters above the ground. The floors are made of bamboo or wooden planks, the roofs are made of thatch or palm leaves, and there are spacious windows to allow fresh air in. This design imparts a sense of cleanliness and ventilation to the Thai stilt houses.

In Bản Lác, the stilt houses are numbered sequentially and are associated with the names of the host families. Besides lodging, you can also savor Thai specialties and experience local cultural performances. Campfires are often lit for interaction with the village's cultural group. Staying in stilt houses is suitable for larger groups, where you'll be provided with blankets, curtains, pillows, and individual mattresses. You'll have the option to choose a suitable sleeping spot.

Staying in these traditional stilt houses offers an immersive experience into the culture and lifestyle of the Thai people in Mai Chau. It's a unique opportunity to connect with the local community while enjoying the comfort of a rustic and charming setting.

Hotels and Resorts:

If you prefer a more private space, especially if you're traveling as a couple or with young children, you can choose to stay in guesthouses or some resorts/bungalows. Some hotels and guesthouses are located right outside the main road from Mai Chau town to the villages, while resorts tend to be situated in more remote areas. A few resorts are also positioned right along the road leading into the villages. If you opt for this type of accommodation, you can still explore the villages, enjoy meals, and participate in cultural interactions within the village during the day. In the evening, you can return to the hotel or resort you've chosen for rest and relaxation.

Tourist Attractions in Mai Chau:

Blessed with natural beauty, Mai Chau boasts a stunning environment characterized by majestic mountains and lush forests that remain evergreen. In addition to its natural beauty, Mai Chau is renowned for its historical and scenic attractions that captivate a large number of tourists. Some of these include Hang Khoài, Hang Láng, Hang Chiều, Hang Bộ Đội, Bản Lác (Chiềng Châu), Bản Bước (Xăm Khoè), and Xóm Hang Kia (Hang Kia).

Activities in Mai Chau:

When visiting Mai Chau, you can explore the listed attractions below. In the evenings, you can stroll around the Bản Lác area, engage in cultural activities, campfires, or watch cultural performances by the local Thai people of Mai Chau.

Cycling Around the Village: With the refreshing and clean air, you can rent a bicycle in the morning to explore around Bản Lác and venture into Poom Coọng. Cycling is also a great form of exercise for your body.

Enjoy Coffee and Admire Mai Chau: If you prefer some relaxing moments while sipping coffee and chatting with family or friends, you can head to Bản Poom Coọng. Here, there's a café located within a hotel compound that offers a beautiful view of Mai Chau's scenery.

Electric Car Tour of 8 Villages: Electric cars are quite abundant in Mai Chau, with each car accommodating from 1 to 10 people. You can rent an electric car for a package price of around 200,000 VND to take a tour around 8 small villages in Mai Chau. The tour takes about 1-1.5 hours, depending on your stops along the way.

Thung Khe Pass: Situated between Tân Lạc and Mai Chau on National Highway 6, Thung Khe Pass, also known as Đá Trắng Pass, offers breathtaking views. The pass showcases different landscapes throughout the day, from clear skies in the morning to bright sun in the afternoon and misty evenings.

Mai Chau Flagpole: After passing Thung Khe Pass and before reaching the Tòng Đậu crossroad that leads to central Mai Chau, you can't miss the Mai Chau flagpole. This spot provides a panoramic view of Mai Chau, and a concrete flagpole stands there as a small symbol to remember your beautiful moments in Mai Chau.

Bản Lác: Bản Lác, with a history of over 700 years, is a well-known community-based tourism destination. It's a place of simplicity and authenticity, where you can experience the local Thai culture.

Bản Poom Coọng: Poom Coọng is a cultural village known for its unique stilt houses. The community has retained its traditional way of life, making it an appealing destination for tourists.

Bản Văn: Located about 1 km from the central Mai Chau town, Bản Văn is a charming village under the Pù Văn mountain. This village offers a glimpse into the simple lifestyle of the Thai people, with opportunities to engage in traditional folk games during the Lunar New Year.

Bản Bước: Bản Bước, located about 30 km southwest of the central district, is a village surrounded by lush green hills. The community preserves its cultural heritage and engages in eco-tourism activities.

Hang Mỏ Luông:

Not far from the center of Mai Chau, located near Highway 15 overlooking Bản Lác and Pom Coọng, is Hang Mỏ Luông. It was previously known as Hang Bó Luông, with "Bó Luông" in Thai meaning a large stream. This stream originates from the heart of the Pù Khà mountain range. The stream flows into the western fields, and the local people have dug a reservoir and named it Hồ Mỏ Luông (Mỏ Luông Lake).

The cave extends over 500 meters into the mountain, with a width ranging from 1 meter to 30 meters. The ceiling has an average height of 10 meters and reaches up to 30 meters at its highest point. The cave has two main entrances: the northwest-facing entrance overlooks Mai Chau Lodge via a road, and the west-facing entrance overlooks Hồ Mỏ Luông via a waterway.

Hang Chiều:

To reach Hang Chiều, visitors must climb around 1200 stone steps. Near the cave entrance stands a majestic ancient Xà Pùng tree, which stands gracefully to shield the entrance and provide shade for the descent into the cave. Hang Chiều is located to the southwest of Mai Chau town. The cave entrance is about 10 to 15 meters wide, stretching upwards to the mountaintop for over 30 meters. It is approximately 350 meters from the local community. As you climb higher and look down, the picturesque and charming Mai Chau town comes into clear view.

The cave is over 150 meters in length and is divided into two levels. From the entrance, you descend to the first level of the cave, which is around 15 meters lower. This area spans more than 50 meters in length and over 40 meters in width, with an average ceiling height of 55 meters. The cave's interior is relatively flat, airy, magnificent, and grand.

Hang Chiều offers a serene stream at its end, consistently providing clear and cool water. With a total length of about 200 meters, combined with its fascinating rock formations, it creates a scene of enchanting beauty. The pure and fresh air will make visitors feel as if they are living in a fairy tale world, sharing the atmosphere with millions of stone-shaped life forms.

Hải Sơn Mural Village, Mai Chau:

In the village of Hải Sơn, located in Mai Hịch commune (Mai Chau), walls along a road stretch for over 800 meters. These walls have been adorned by the locals, transforming them into a vibrant mural street full of colors that depict the unique cultural identity and characteristic scenery of the region.

Thác Gò Lào (Gò Lào Waterfall):

Gò Lào Waterfall is located in Phúc Sạn commune, about 15 km from Mai Chau town. From the main road, visitors have to park and walk across about 5 sets of makeshift stairs (dirt paths formed into steps by locals) to reach the waterfall. Gò Lào Waterfall consists of two small waterfalls cascading down from a height of approximately 15 meters. There is a flat area at the base of the waterfall, suitable for outdoor picnics.

Ba Khan:

Ba Khan is a small commune of Mai Chau situated by the Hoa Binh hydroelectric reservoir. Seen from the Thung Khe Pass, it's a region beyond the pass that stretches towards the plain. It starts from the base of the Thung Khe Pass, passing through Ba Khan commune and running alongside the Hoa Binh reservoir.

Ba Khan is likened to a "Hạ Long Bay on land" due to ancient mountains that now lie nearly 200 meters underwater, forming a submerged landscape. At Suối Lốn village, visitors can head towards Xóm Mới area and inquire with Mr. Gươm's family if they wish to stay overnight by the lakeside (similar to Thung Nai), rent kayaks, or join a guided lake exploration tour led by Mr. Gươm himself.

Hang Kia - Pà Cò:

Hang Kia - Pà Cò is nestled amidst four mountain ranges, surrounded by year-round clouds and mist. This place offers not only stunning fairytale-like landscapes but also holds unique cultural traits, making it an ideal destination for adventurous travelers.