Mai Chau Travel Guide

Passing the winding and steep passes in Thung Khe, Thung Nhuoi... you will admire the majestic beauty of mountains and trees on the way to Mai Chau, Hoa Binh. About 140 km from the center of Hanoi , Mai Chau conquers visitors with the "season of fragrant sticky rice" gradually appearing under the new sunlight, peaceful scenery.

What season is Mai Chau beautiful?

Mai Chau is beautiful in every season in its own way. February to April is spring, the flowers bloom, the weather is warm and quite pleasant. Mai Chau's landscape changes throughout the summer. May and June are the winter rice harvest season, the yellow color of ripe rice covers the valley. July is the water pouring season. August to October is the best season to travel to Mai Chau, enjoying the cool autumn weather in the sunshine pouring honey on the rice fields. At the end of October, the valley turns yellow when it is harvest season. From November to January of the following year is the season of apricot and plum blossoms blooming white in the valley.

Move

You can ride a motorbike or self-drive car to experience the feeling of freedom, or take a bus from Yen Nghia or My Dinh bus station. The road is beautiful and easy to travel because it is not too winding or dangerous. If you are a beginner, the Hanoi - Mai Chau route is very suitable. You can choose one of these two routes: Route 1 is 140km long, if you go by motorbike: Nguyen Trai - Quang Trung - Ba La - Chuc Son - Xuan Mai, Luong Son - Ky Son, Hoa Binh - Cao Phong, Tan Lac - Thung Khe Pass - Mai Chau. Route 2 is 150km long, if you go by car: Thang Long Avenue (Trung Hoa underpass) - Xuan Mai - Luong Son - Ky Son, Hoa Binh - Cao Phong, Tan Lac - Thung Khe Pass - Mai Chau.

View from Thung Khe Pass or Da Trang Pass, located between Tan Lac and Mai Chau, Hoa Binh. Photo: Thu Hien

If you go by bus, stop at Tong Dau intersection and take a motorbike taxi for another 5km to reach Mai Chau town center. The bus ticket costs about 80,000 - 140,000 VND per person. For the return trip, Mai Chau - Hanoi buses have many trips concentrated in the morning, the earliest trip is 5:30 and the latest is 15:00. From Lac village to the town bus station is about 1.6km. If you go by motorbike, you can be more proactive about time, but you should still leave early to guard against complicated weather.

Hotel, resort

If you love peace, you should choose homestays such as: A Pao Homestay, Y Mua, Y Sao, A Do... These homestays are all near the famous cloud hunting spot Hang Kia - Pa Co, so it is very convenient to travel. The closest is Y Mua Homestay, only 3km from the cloud hunting spot. Room rates are affordable, only about 100,000 VND for a communal room. Homestays are often located in peaceful villages, with green tea hills and plum gardens. Ban Lac has many homestays for visitors to choose from, including Little Mai Chau, located away from the tourist area, with a peaceful space. Room rates are 80,000 VND for a single bed, 160,000 VND for a double bed.

More upscale is Mai Chau Ecolodge (Na Chieng, Na Phon) with prices from 1.1 million VND per night, or Mai Chau Rustic Home (Mo Hamlet) with prices from 800,000 VND per night... Mai Chau Hideaway on the peninsula in the heart of Hoa Binh Lake. Prices from 1.6 to 3.6 million VND per night during the week, weekends (Friday-Saturday nights) prices from 2.2 million VND to 4 million VND/night.

About 9km away is Bakhan Village Resort. Located on the mountainside of Khan Ha hamlet, the resort overlooks the green valley and Hoa Binh lake. Room rates here start from VND1,100,000 per night.

Avana Retreat in Panh Hamlet, Bao La Commune is also a high-end resort in Mai Chau. Prices start from VND5,000,000 per night on weekdays, and VND8,000,000 per night on weekends or holidays. These resorts tend to fill up quickly, especially on weekends, so it is advisable to book at least a week in advance.

Where to play

Thung Khe Pass seen from above. Photo: Instagram

The first place to visit is Thung Khe Pass or Da Trang Pass, located on Highway 6, between Tan Lac and Mai Chau. This is a limestone mountain, formed during the road opening process. This is also a place that is often covered in clouds, creating a hazy scene. On the pass, there are also huts selling specialties, food, and drinks for visitors to rest. If you want to learn about local culture, you should not miss Ban Lac , where there are hundreds of stilt houses up to 700 years old. This place also has endless rice fields and stilt house homestays for accommodation. If you like shopping, you can also visit Pom Coong village to find yourself some lovely handicrafts. If you want to enjoy the taste of a non-commercial life, you should visit Tong Dau, Cha Long ... to calm yourself and feel more because the people are mainly still farmers.

Rent a bicycle to explore the villages in Mai Chau. Photo: Booking

Mo Luong Cave is located in the Pu Kha mountain range in Mai Chau town. The cave consists of 4 main caves, famous for its stalactite system forming many shapes such as flowers, streams... During the resistance war against France, this place used to be a meeting base for our army and people. After finishing the journey, at the last cave, visitors can admire an underground stream flowing into a nearby lake. Hang Kia - Pa Co is located at the gateway to the Northwest with an altitude of 1,200 - 1,500m above sea level, covered in clouds almost all year round. These are the only two Mong communes in Hoa Binh, located between four sides of rocky mountains. Climbing up to the Heaven Gate area, you can immerse yourself in the sea of ​​​​floating white clouds. From November to April is the ideal time to hunt clouds in Hang Kia - Pa Co. The clouds are often abundant and beautiful from 5am to 9am. If you are not lucky with the sea of ​​clouds, this is also a great place to enjoy the panoramic view of the valley. Locals also plant many flowers in this area for tourists to take pictures with the wooden bridge. The ticket to Hang Kia cloud hunting spot is 20,000 VND.

Cloud hunting bridge in Hang Kia - Pa Co. Photo: Thu Hien

Pa Co Market is also a unique destination you should try. Pa Co Market is held every Sunday. Mai Chau Market opens from 5pm to 9pm. The market sells local products, brocades,... of the H'Mong, Thai, Muong...

Go Lao Waterfall or Go Mu Waterfall is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Mai Chau, located in Phuc San commune, about 15km from Mai Chau. From Tong Dau intersection in the direction of Moc Chau, you will easily find the way down to the waterfall. You can park your car at a local's house right in front of the waterfall and climb down. The waterfall is about 20m high, the water falls down white, at the bottom of the lake are large rocks.

Visit Go Mu waterfall. Photo: Meou Huong

Coming to Mai Chau in a large group, you should not miss a visit to Hoa Binh Lake to Ngoi Hoa Bay, Ao Tien, Ba Chua Thac Bo Temple. The boat dock is located at the end of Suoi Lon village. If you like taking photos, Thai Flower Garden is an ideal stop with many types of canola flowers, buckwheat flowers, and butterflies. In addition, do not forget to explore the local cultural identity, learn about the unique features in the lives of the Thai, Dao or H'Mong ethnic groups... During your days here, you will encounter images of mothers and grandmothers spinning yarn, weaving brocade or men and boys diligently carving bows and arrows, knife handles... The most complete experience is listening to the ethnic boys and girls sing traditional melodies, watching them flaunt their colorful dresses and ending the performance with a joyful bamboo dance. Although Mai Chau's beauty is the simple, rustic beauty of a mountain girl, it is still radiant and never ceases to attract the eyes of travelers.

Specialty

Enjoy the specialties of the Thai and Mong people such as bamboo rice, wild boar meat, bitter bamboo shoots, grilled stream fish... In addition, you can pre-order a hot pot from the homestay owner, which is very suitable for the chilly weather of the evening in the middle of the mountains and forests. The hot pot costs about 130,000 VND per person. Pa Co market also has many delicious dishes such as bun cha and bun long. On the way back to Hanoi, remember to stop by the garden to buy Cao Phong oranges as gifts.

Photo: grooble/Flickr

Du Hy (Vnexpress)

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