Possessing poetic beauty, cool fresh air, diverse culture imprinted with the imprint of ethnic minorities and typical culinary dishes, Mai Chau Hoa Binh valley is one of the interesting destinations, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists.
Overview
Mai Chau is located in the northwest of Hoa Binh, bordering Moc Chau (Son La) and Quan Hoa (Thanh Hoa). Therefore, you completely make a 2 days 1 night Mai Chau travel trip and combine it into your Moc Chau trip.
The name of Mai Chau was previously Muong Mai formed around the thirteenth century. This place is inhabited by the Muong and Thai people. Possessing a fresh and cool mountain and forest climate, especially the unique indigenous culture, clear and peaceful natural beauty, Mai Chau tourism is definitely a must-visit destination for travel enthusiasts.
Weather
Located at an altitude of 800-1000m above sea level, Mai Chau's climate is cool with an average temperature of only about 27.5 degrees Celsius in summer, and the temperature drops to 24 degrees at night. The winter temperature is about 16 degrees Celsius, cold enough for people to crave fists, hot grilled corn or fragrant smoked wild meat. But it's not so cold that it cuts the meat, making the legs afraid to go out.
It can be said that this is the perfect climate for year-round vacations.
Photo: VnExpress
In particular, this place is divided into two distinct seasons: the rainy season (lasting from May to October) and the dry season (November to April next year).
Therefore, the most beautiful time of the year to come to Mai Chau is from November to April every year. If November and December are the season of white cabbage in full bloom, then January to March every year is the season of plum blossoms blooming in the forest, which is also the season of peach blossoms showing off their brilliant colors. The weather in Mai Chau at this time begins to change from spring to summer cool and pleasant.
Another extremely interesting time to travel to Mai Chau is from July to August, the perfect time for you to escape the heat. In the early morning dew or a cool summer afternoon, just a bicycle, leisurely cycling through the fragrant rice fields, or taking a cool spring bath in the village, will definitely be unforgettable experiences.
September to November in Mai Chau is also a good time for you to visit Mai Chau. It was a time when the whole Mai Chau valley was covered with a shiny yellow color of ripe rice fields. Opening the window every morning, you will see the aroma of the field and the golden color like marinating the honey of golden rice. The air is fresh and cool, which is convenient for teambuilding or collective activities.
Photo: Chudu24/VnE
Transportation
Moving to Mai Chau
Mai Chau is about 140km from Hanoi. To travel to Mai Chau, you can use a private vehicle to follow the Hoa Lac route to Hoa Binh or go by public transportation.
For those who are passionate about the journey of exploring the roads, moving to Mai Chau on their own will be an experiential trip because the roads are beautiful, especially on days when the weather is favorable will be extremely interesting.
If you want to travel by public transportation, there are currently many convenient bus trips for tourists from Hanoi Mai Chau Tourism at any time of the year.
- Bus HOANG THAO
Schedule: My Dinh – Mai Chau
Departure time: My Dinh 14:30 Mai Chau 8:45
Phone: 0914 688533 – 0218 386829
- Coach Netherlands
Schedule: My Dinh – Mai Chau
Departure time: My Dinh 7:50 Mai Chau 13:30
Phone: 0912490679
- HOANG KIM bus
PROGRAM: Hoa Binh – Mai Chau
Departure time:
Phone: 0975 996706
Getting around Mai Chau
Walking around the village is one of the fastest and most enjoyable ways to explore beautiful and peaceful Mai Chau in a very slow and leisurely way.
If you want to walk further, go to the fields and let your soul fly on the vast rice paddies, enjoy the fresh air, you can choose a bicycle as a means of transportation.
In addition, in recent years, Mai Chau has also invested in trams to serve tourists walking and exploring the village.
Finally, motorbikes are a great choice if you want to explore further tourist destinations from Mai Chau such as Thung Khe Pass (White Stone Pass), Ba Khan...
Photo: MaiChauEcolodge
Mai Chau tourist attractions
Thung Khe Pass
Thung Khe Pass (also known as White Stone Pass) is located on National Highway 6, on the route from Hoa Binh city to Mai Chau.
Arriving in Thung Khe early in the morning with a clear sky, when the sun is clear, in the afternoon the sun is gentle and the fog spreads the way in the afternoon. Every time of the day, Thung Khe Pass welcomes guests with different beauties. Not as majestic as O Quy Ho, not as steep as Ma Pi Leng, but Thung Khe is also famous as one of the beautiful passes and contains many dangers that challenge any driver.
Photo: dantri.com.vn
Mai Chau flagpole
Passing through the Thung Khe pass, when stepping down to Tong Dau junction to enter Mai Chau Center, there is a stop that visitors definitely cannot miss, which is the Mai Chau flagpole.
As an open open spot, at the Mai Chau flagpole, you can zoom in to see the entire romantic scenery of Mai Chau before going into the heart of the valley to explore.
Photo: digiticket.vn
Lac Mai Chau Village
As one of the famous community tourist destinations in Mai Chau, Lac Hoa Binh village is not as busy and busy as many other tourist villages. Coming here, visitors will experience the quiet and relaxed life of the stilt houses on the banks of the stream, as calm as how this village over 700 years old existed over time. This place is a long-standing house of the White Thai people with 5 Thai families living here for a long time: Ha, Lo, Vi, Mark, Loc. Previously, the villagers mainly lived in the profession of rice cultivation and brocade weaving. Today, this place has developed into a community tourist destination, where visitors can both relax, enjoy natural beauty, explore traditional activities, enjoy the typical cuisine of this land, and organize collective activities such as cozy teambulding.
Photo: maichaubanlac
Poom Coong Mai Chau Village
The name Pom Coong means village of hills located on a large drum, implying only fields. Along with Lac village, Pom Coong has long been known as a cultural tourism village, an attractive destination.
Here, Thai stilt houses are peacefully located next to green rice fields. Coming to the village, visitors not only experience the nights of sleeping in a stilt house listening to the dew falling and crickets echoing from the distant rice fields, opening the door to welcome the early sun through the door of the stilt house, exploring the traditional brocade weaving, enjoying the blue rice from Mai Chau specialty glutinous rice or a cup of wine that needs to be drunk.
Photo: vietnamtourism.gov.vn
Mai Chau Text
Located 1km from the center of Mai Chau town, Ban Van at the foot of Pu Van mountain is the home of the Thai ethnic people. In recent years, Van village has been a destination Mai Chau tourism attract customers. Thai people in Van village mainly live by rice cultivation, brocade weaving, knitting, animal husbandry...
As a tourist village, Van village still retains many wild and simple features from the landscape to the rustic lifestyle of the indigenous people.
In particular, coming to Van village on the occasion of the New Year, visitors can also participate in folk games such as "odd clothes", tug of war, "keng loong", throwing sticks, and shooting crossbows
Afternoon Cave
Afternoon Cave is located in the southwest of Mai Chau town. The cave has a length of more than 150m, the cave entrance is about 10-15m wide, and the length to the top of the mountain is more than 30m. The entrance of the cave has a majestic serpentine tree that stands tall and shielded, looking down from Afternoon Cave, visitors can cover the entire rich Mai Chau town.
The cave is wide and airy, at the end of the cave is a cool small stream with interesting fantastical large emulsions. Coming to Chieu Cave in summer, visitors will be immersed in a fresh and cool space, combining shimmering stalactites to create a fairyland-like scenery.
Photo: digiticket.vn
Go Lao Waterfall
Go Lao Waterfall (also known as Go Mu Waterfall) in Phuc San commune, about 15km from the center of Mai Chau town, is one of the most attractive stops when Mai Chau tourism.
Go Lao Waterfall is about 20m high. If you visit in the rainy season, you will see the water pouring white foam like a white silk strip across the deep green mountains and forests. You can move by motorbike to the nearest parking point and then walk to the base of the falls.
From afar, I heard the sound of water rumbling in the middle of the mountains and forests.
Not only attracting the eye by the majestic and magnificent scenery, the road to explore the waterfall is also extremely poetic, when it is a straight bamboo forest of one color, when it is Ba Khan lake far away from poetry, when it is a glimpse of the beautiful small houses of the Muong people at the foot of the mountain.
Photo: VnExpress
Ba Khan – Ha Long on land
Known as "Ha Long on land", Ba Khan is definitely a destination not to be missed for any "moving" enthusiast when Mai Chau tourism.
Located right on the shore of Hoa Binh hydropower lake, from the top of Thung Khe Pass, the view towards the plain behind, Ba Khan appears poetic and peaceful.
Where the ancient peaks are now sunk deep under the lake, creating extremely spectacular landscapes.
Here, you can turn into Xom Moi, stay overnight at the Homestay near the lake, then early the next morning rent a kayak or a small boat to explore the lake bed and take beautiful photos of a lifetime.
Photo: truyenhinhdulich.vn
Hang Kia – Pa Co
Hang Kia opens the Moc Chau plateau, with a cool climate, no need to wait for spring to call white plum blossoms, Hang Kia is a beautiful cloud hunting destination that is not inferior to Ta Xua or Y Ty.
Kia Pa Co Cave is an attractive destination in recent years. Located between four rocky mountains with clouds covered all year round, Hang Kia not only possesses a poetic scenery like a fairy tale, but also contains many unique cultural features of the H'Mong people.
Photo: VnExpress
Delicious food when traveling to Mai Chau
Coming to Mai Chau, besides the pleasant climate, beautiful nature, and cuisine will definitely make anyone who has ever been here unforgettable.
Sticky rice
The most famous cuisine in Mai Chau must be sticky rice, which has been famous for holding tourists "Mai Chau in the season of fragrant sticky rice". The sticky rice dish in Thai is called "khau cang nhoi" – which means fragrant rice.
Sticky rice is a type of sticky rice that is softly soaked and then stored in a wooden bowl, when the sticky rice is fragrant, it is taken out and then eaten a second time until the sticky rice is cooked, the sticky rice seeds expand into round and fragrant sticky rice seeds. Squeeze the sticky rice in your hand roundly, the sticky rice seeds are intertwined, flexible but not sticky. Anyone who has been to Mai Chau once, it is certainly impossible not to buy this type of glutinous rice as a gift for relatives and family.
Photo: mustgo.vn
Lam rice
Besides sticky rice, the main dish not to be missed is the lam rice cooked from Mai Chau sticky rice, cooked in bamboo tubes and grilled on a pink fire. In addition to the fragrant, flexible and sweet sticky rice, sometimes there is coconut water, sesame mixed with rice.
In particular, bamboo for making lam rice, also known as the "Pa Nga" tree, is a small, straight, straight tree, with a thin layer of white bamboo paper like silk inside. When Mai Chau blue rice was peeled off, she heard the aroma creeping from her sense of smell.
Grilled Chicken
In addition to dipping with sesame salt, lam rice is also extremely attractive when enjoyed with grilled chicken. The "walking" chickens are raised with firm meat, light chewy meat and rich sweetness. The chicken is marinated with typical Thai spices, sandwiched in a grill and grilled on embers.
Grilled stream fish
Besides grilled chicken, another specialty not to be missed in Mai Chau is grilled stream fish. This is an indispensable dish in traditional Thai festivals. The standard stream fish are healthy fish, weighing from 400-600 grams. Thais marinate fish with macadamias, wild herbs, lotus seeds, basil, lemongrass, spices and then sandwich them into fresh bamboo sticks and grill them over hot ashes. Until the outer shell turns yellow and arouses a famous aroma, the grilled stream fish is removed and enjoyed with three-color sticky rice and dotted with diagonal dots, there is no more attractive taste.
Pig
Coming to Mai Chau, in addition to boiled pork, visitors certainly cannot ignore the golden Muong thui pork. After the skin has shrunk and turned golden, people choose the best meat to cut into pieces and marinate with many different spices such as salt, chili, anise, cinnamon, honey hook leaves, ginger, turmeric, vinegar... When the marinated meat has been absorbed, skewer it and grill it until golden and fragrant.
Photo: Maichauvilla
Other specialties
In addition to the above specialties, when coming to Mai Chau, there are many other specialties such as cat cabbage, buffalo meat in the kitchen, roasted wild bee pupae with sour bamboo shoots, Mai Ha wine, marinated meat, marinated stream fish, fried cicadas with garlic, shrimp leaf juice, synthetic stuffed sticky rice...
Vacation Rentals in Mai Chau
In Mai Chau, guests can stay at budget homestays or bungalows and resorts depending on their needs.
Mai Chau Homestay
Visiting Mai Chau, one of the must-see vacation spots is to spend the night in traditional Thai stilt houses.
This is a popular form of accommodation in tourist villages such as Lac village or Poom Coong village. Thai stilt houses are built high, 2m above and below the ground, and large windows in the house catch the wind, creating a feeling of airiness and cleanliness.
This form of sleeping is especially suitable for guests traveling in groups. When sleeping in a stilt house, you will be given a full blanket, curtain, pillow, and mattress for each person and choose the right place to sleep.
Here, Migo would like to tell you some of the highly-rated homestay addresses in Mai Chau:
- HOMESTAY Little Mai Chau Homestay – Na Pon Commune - Phone: 097 384 90 06
- HOMESTAY Eco Homestay - Ban Lac - Phone: 096 262 71 32
- HOMESTAY Mai Chau Countryside Homestay - Pom Coong village - Phone: 034 423 5140
- HOMESTAY La Maison De Buoc - Ban Buoc, Xam Khoe Commune - Phone: 097 327 13 54
Hotels & Resorts
If you are traveling with few people, want to enjoy a separate, private and quiet space, resort ha bungalow or hotel will be the right choice.
Some resorts receive high praise such as
- RESORT Mai Chau Villas - Mai Hich - Phone: 0218 3867 868
- Mai Chau Sunset Boutique - Mai Chau Town - Phone: 096 282 62 33
- RESORT Mai Chau Ecolodge - Mai Chau Town - Phone: 024 32216726
- Mai Chau HideAway Resort - Tan Mai, Mai Chau.
- Mai Chau Ecolodge - Na Thia hamlet, Na Phon commune,
- Mai Chau Mountain View Resort - Ban Lac 2, Chieng Chau
Notes when traveling to Mai Chau
Besides, to have a complete trip, you should pay attention to the following points:
- Monitor the weather before you go to prepare the right outfit
- If you go to Mai Chau on weekends, it is best to book a room in advance to avoid running out of rooms
- It is recommended to bring umbrellas, hats, some essential medicines such as abdominal pain, cold medicine, antiseptics, medical bandages, and painkillers.
- If traveling by personal vehicle, it is recommended to move carefully because the route from Hanoi to Mai Chau has a relatively large number of trucks and large vehicles moving
- It is recommended to ask the price before using the food services along the road as well as buying Mai Chau specialties as gifts
Synthetic Migo