MAI CHAU
TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN MAI CHAU
Mai Chau of Hoa Binh Vietnam is a little valley surrounded by green mountains and dotted with lakes, paddy fields, rivers and houses on stilts of the local Thai people. Driving from Hanoi to Son La or Mai Chau, most travelers would stop at the entrance to Mai Chau which offers the breathtaking panoramic view of the area. From above, Mai Chau looks like a huge green stadium with green mountain slopes and terraces. The main road snakes its away amid rice paddies, lakes and houses leading to the Ma River further in the background. Many travelers who have been to Mai Chau never realize that they’d missed a cruise on the Ma River. Upstream and downstream Ma river cruises offer spectacular sceneries of a different world that’s like no others: bamboo forests, secret valleys crossing pipes bringing drinking water to various households and all encircled by evergreen mountains.- Lac Village
- Pom Coong Village
- Kia Cave
1.Lac Village
Lac village is located in Mai Chau valley, Hoa Binh Province with unique traditions. Hoa Binh province is far about 70 kilometers from Hanoi; tourists must go 60 kilometers to Mai Chau. Lac village has 5 Thai ethnic: Ha, Lo, Mac, and Loc. According to the head of Lac village -Ha Cong Tim, Lac village has over 700 years old. Previously, the professions of the local people were rice planting and weaving brocade. Later, the hidden beauty of Lac village is explored by tourists. In 1993, DPC in Mai Chau proposal Hoa Binh province allowed tourists to stay overnight in the village. Therefore, the name of Lac village has been well known as a “bright spot” on the tourist’s map of Vietnam. From weaving scarf, brocade dress to wear, women in the village have made a lot of souvenirs for tourists such as scarf, skirts, lovely wallet… Coming to Lac village, tourists can enjoy bamboo cooked rice, experience their daily life. Ethnic people are very gentle, friendly. In the afternoon, there has strangely beautiful with the rays of the sun into the valley. Lac villagers will roast meat, cook a pot of bitter bamboo for tourists. They can enjoy traditional dishes and listen to the thrill gongs. Visiting Lac Village, all kinds of tiredness will be disappeared. The range of mountain blends with cloud and green of rice fields along with stilted houses creates a spectacular scene of Lac village. Let’s join Mai Chau valley tours and spend the holiday in here to experience an exciting feeling.
2. Pom Coong VillagePom Coong village belongs to Mai Chau town, Mai Chau district. Like other villages of the Muong, Thai, the Pom Coong village often live in the area which has rivers, streams. The Thai is famous for traditional dance. Different from stilted houses of other ethnic, stilted house of the Thai often taller than that one so that it always creates a comfortable feeling. The floor is above the ground 2 meters. The window in the house has big size. At the roof of the stilted house, the Thai are making brocade, bags, and clothes to attract tourists. The souvenir is various and beautiful with vivid color which makes stilted become more attractive. The special of Pom Coong has “pure Thai” space with clean water, water construction which creates a comfortable and safe feeling. Coming here, tourists will feel the fresh air and peaceful of life, you will forget the fatigues. Also, you will have the chance to meet local girls in the dance. Tourists visit Pom Coong village who are foreigners, students. They want to understand more about ethnic life, the Thai and soak into the Thai daily life, traditional dance, gong festivals, homestay, and other activities. Tourists are not only sight views but also join hands with Pom Coong to help low-income families.
Pom Coong village becomes more attractive spots for tourists when having Mai Chau tour. Traditional dance together with stem wine brings an unforgettable impression. These are also souvenir products manufactured by Thai people such as “pieu” handkerchiefs, wallets, handbags and clothes made of brocade. And one thing to remember, once coming here, the tourists should taste the specialities of this region: delicious “ruou can” (wine drunk out of a jar through pipes) made of “nep” (glutinous rice), “hinh ho” leaf, ginger and so on, and “com lam” (a rice dish) Mai Chau.
3. Kia caveThere’s also another heavenly valley in Mai Chau area called Hang Kia – Pa Ko which can only be accessed on foot or by motorbike. The road conditions are not that good, but the reward is no doubt worth it. To travel to Hang Kia, you’ll have to drive 50 km further from Mai Chau on the same way to Son La. Buses and cars can only travel to Pa Ko where the rest journey has to be done on foot or by motorbike.
For more information about Mai Chau, you can visit our website. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. Share this article with others if you find it helpful. Thank you!
ALL THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE TRAVELLING TO MAI CHAU
Located in the northwest of Hoa Binh province , Mai Chau is a land of convergence and exchange of many ethnic groups. Each ethnic group has its own identity and customs, contributing to the rich diversity of Vietnamese culture. With its geographical features, unique traditions, Mai Chau is an attractive tourist destination for both domestic and foreign tourists.
If you want to experience the real local life of Vietnamese people or consider between Mai Chau or Sapa, then paying a visit to this land is a great decision. Mai Chau – Hoa Binh is only about 140 km from Hanoi,
Moreover, Mai Chau has 12 relics, including 5 relics recognized by the Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism: Hang Khoai (Xam Khoe), Hang Lang, Chieu Cave (Mai Chau town), Mo Luong Cave (Chieng Chau).
In addition, Mai Chau is also home to the treasure of folk music of the Thai, Mong ethnic groups through festivals such as Cha Chieng, Cau Mua, Gau Tao … Centers of Community tourism such as Lac Village, Poom Coong Village, Van Village… Setting foot in Mai Chau Valley you will have plenty of time to discover the unique culture, admire natural beauties and taste mouth-watering cuisine.
If you’re wondering what to do in Mai Chau for your upcoming trip, this Mai Chau Travel Guide is just what you need.
HOW TO TRAVEL FROM HANOI- MAI CHAU- HANOI?
From Mai Chau to Hanoi you can travel by tourist bus, taxi, motorbike.
private Bus/car or public bus from Hanoi – Mai Chau -Hanoi
Travel distance from Mai Chau to Hanoi is about 140 km (via Hoa Binh city). The best way for tourist how to reach Hanoi from Mai Chau is to travel by tourist bus. Travel by tourist bus from Mai Chau to Hanoi takes about 4–4.5 hours
Travel on motorbike from Mai Chau to Hanoi:
The last way how you can travel from Mai Chau to Hanoi is to travel on motorbike.Travel on motorbike from Mai Chau to Hanoi takes about 5 hours. If you are an experienced motorbike driver – it is your way.
TOP THINGS TO DO IN MAI CHÂU:
1.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 Hiệu 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.2. HOME STAY AT LAC VILLAGE
You can find at Lac Village a fairly large range of cheaper options for homestay. This is one activity you can save up money and at the same time, interact with local Thai family. The houses of Thai people are traditional stilt houses with 2-storey structure, the first floor for keeping livestock and the second floor is the family’s living space.
Sleeping condition will be the exact same as that of the host family. Futon, blanket, mosquito net and fan will be prepared. Toilet and shower are up to western standards.
Home staying at a local stilt house, you’ll have chance to watch traditional dances and singing performed by the villagers. It’s an absolute must-do activity in Mai Chau.
3. CYCLE AROUND THE VALLEY OR TREKKING TOURS TO COUNTRYSIDE
Mai Chau Valley has some serious draws for a trekking tour or cycling tour: green rice fields, mountains in the backdrop, gently flowing streams. So why not get out, get a bike or your shoes on for a great trip to the countryside. The dirt roads of Mai Chau won’t be a challenge and you can always stop to rest and admire the scenery. Get into the ethnic village to enjoy their hospitality, their authentic way of life and of course, the food.
4.SOAK IN THE TRANQUIL ATMOSPHERE OF POM COONG VILLAGE
Lying next to Lac Village, Pom Coong Village is a Thai village that is less touristic than its neighbor with just equally beauties and attractions. Come to Pom Coong to enjoy the idyll nature, wooden stilt houses, traditional performances and Can wine – a communal and festive drink.
5. TAKE IN THE VIEWS OF THUNG KHE PASS
In the list of the best things to do in Mai Chau, it would be a mistake to not include Thung Khe Pass, a famous Mai Chau site to enjoy the views. The pass is on an altitude of about 1000 meter above sea level, cutting through mountain cliffs with a perfect curve. To be more comfortable to enjoy Thung Khe’s views, it’s best to come to Mai Chau by motorbike. Buses to Mai Chau also stop here for a while. It’s such a shame to miss the local foods while admiring the view below. Note down few of them: boiled eggs, grilled corn, sugarcane, sticky rice ‘com lam’.
6. BUY BROCADE PRODUCTS MADE OF ETHNIC GROUPS
Thai women are famous for their weaving skills like every women of the any hill tribe on the mountains of Vietnam. Buying brocade products is not only worth your money but also helps the local community prosper without abandoning their traditional practice. In each family in Mai Chau there is a loom where a women works on her fabrics for all her life. Thai brocade fabrics has been known for the rich colors, raised patterns and recent years, very stylish and fashionable. Silk brocade and hemp brocade are made and dyed meticulously and entirely from natural elements. You can rest assure that the fabrics are not toxic to your skin at all.
7. EXPLORE MAI CHAU’S CAVES
If you’re a fan of caves and underground world, Mai Chau Valley has names such as Mo Luong cave, Chieu Cave, Pieng Kem Cave. The most famous is Mo Luong Cave which boasts marvelous blocks of stalactites, located not very far from Mai Chau. Its two entrances overlook to the stretching rice paddy fields and the villages. It’s a great place for a half-day hiking tour.
Other cave that deserves honorable mention is Chieu Cave to which you can only reach through a staircase of 1200 steps. If you are looking for a challenge, try conquer Chieu Cave. Walking inside the two interior chambers of a cave has never felt so rewarding.
For more information about Mai Chau, you can visit our website. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. Share this article with others if you find it helpful. Thank you!
WEATHER & WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO TRAVEL MAI CHAU?
Which season is the best time to travel to Mai Chau? This is a question that many people are concerned when planning a Mai Chau travel. The article below will help you answer all your questions to prepare for your memorable Mai Chau Tours.BEST TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS IN MAI CHAU
- Festival of Sen Ban, Sen Muong (Thai people), time: August in the lunar calendar.
- Cau Mua Festival or Praying for Rain Festival (Thai people), time: April in the lunar calendar.
- Cong Chieng Festival (Muong ethnic group), time: On Spring days & Vietnamese New Year
- Long Tong Festival (Tay ethnic group), time: from 5th to 15th of January in the lunar calendar.
- On which season should we travel to Mai Chau?
- Mai Chau Travel in January, February, November & December
- Mai Chau travel in March, April, May, September, October
- Mai Chau Travel in June, July, August
When is the best and most attractive season to get to Mai Chau? Actually, You can visit Mai Chau on any season, but it is best to go to at the end of winter and early of spring. On summer months, Mai Chau got many different beauties, but it is really tired to travel under the sun’s heat.
MUST TRY DISHES IN MAI CHAU
When one talks about Mai Chau – Hoa Binh, it’s deficient if we don’t mention the culinary culture here.
These dishes are the essence of Thai ethnicity that you should not miss when traveling there.
In this post, we’re going to introduce to you 10 must-try dishes here.
What to eat in Mai Chau?
- Bamboo-tubed rice
- Chicken
- Grilled pork meat
- Can wine
- Stir-fried bees with bamboo shoots
- Glutinous rice
- Sour meat
- Muong pork
- Bitter bamboo shoots
- Grapefruit leave roll
- Com Lam – Bamboo tube rice
It’s Mai Chau signature dish that every visitor would like to try. The ingredients to make this dish include rice, banana leaves, and bamboo tube. There are also sliced coconut and coconut milk.
Bamboo used to make this dish called “Pa Nga” is small and straight. The rice is washed and soaked in water for 2-3 hours and then out into a bamboo tube and grilled.
Thai women must be extremely skilled to be able to make this delicious dish. When baking, you must turn evenly and thoroughly, so that the rice is not blessed or too dull.
The indispensable ingredient when eating bamboo-tube rice is “cham cheo” – a traditional spice of Thai people. In addition, you can eat with sesame salt.
- Chicken (Ga Doi)
This is a very popular dish for many tourists buy if you want to eat the barbecue gritty chicken, take a tour mai chau 1 day to try it.
Chickens are usually raised by industrial methods by farmers. However, they are fed only a small amount of food each day. They have to run up to the hill to find food by themselves. Therefore, the chicken’s legs are especially delicious. They are not as big as the normal chickens but the meat is firm and fragrant.
The chicken is baked in charcoal without smoke or steamed with lemon leaves. Tearing each piece of chicken along with the “cham cheo” will create excellent taste.
- Grilled pork meat
Pigs are fed with food and vegetables without stimulants. The meat is marinated in spices, margins and rinse then grilled on charcoal. The meat is cooked slowly, melted and turned into yellow color. This dish can be eaten with “cham cheo”.
Grilled pork is an attractive option to be enjoyed by many visitors. People choose the best pieces of meat then marinate with a variety of different spices: salt, chili powder, citronella, lime leaves, ginger, turmeric, and vinegar. After 30 minutes, they will grill that meat.
- Can Wine
In every Lunar New Year, the people in the village gather around the warm wine jar. According to the Thai tale, Can wine is made by the cleverness of the daughter-in-law.
The alcohol is prepared meticulously with ginger, herbal medicine, fruits and many kinds of forest leaves with oil. The wine is made from grains such as cassava, glutinous rice, berry seeds and nuts.
The ingredients are fermented into the pot or jar. The longer time the wine is, the more delicious it is. People do not drink alcohol from cups or bowls. They use one-meter-long bamboo sticks that are flicked, straightened and pierced through the intestine then bent into the wine bottle.
- Stir-fried bees with bamboo shoots
Jungle bee and bamboo shoot are two gifts of nature so this perfect combination creates a bold flavor of Mai Chau. At the end of the summer season, the bees harvested by the local people fried with bamboo shoots create the greasy and sweet aroma. The spicy taste makes anyone who has tried once unforgettable.
- Mai Chau glutinous rice
After 4-5 hours being soaked and drained, the rice will be put on the pot dropped enough water, covered then boiled. This dish is often cooked on the holidays, festivals and the new rice day.
- Sour meat
This dish is like a typical meat salad but has a completely different flavor. The meat here is beef, not the pork as usual.
The processing is more elaborate and needs more materials. The most important thing is the sauce that brings the unique taste of Lac Village.
- The boiled “man” pork
One of the specialties that creates the brand of Mai Chau is the “man” pork. There are many ways to make dishes from “man” pig but the most impressed dish is boiled pork. Those who have tried this food once will never forget it. It is eaten with roasted salt and beans.
- Bitter bamboo shoots
There are a lot of bitter bamboo shoots in Mai Chau in the rainy season, so it becomes a popular dish in every meal.
There are many ways to prepare bitter gourmet dishes such as frying, boiling, stewing or grilling. Anyway, bitter bamboo shoots is still a favorite dish here, a very pleasant experience of this peaceful land.
- Grapefruit leaves roll
It’s a very simple dish but promises to bring a very unique flavor. This dish is made from pork marinated in the spices and then roll the grapefruit leaves to grill on charcoal
