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Mai Chau Overview

Mai Chau Overview

At a height of 200 to 1500 meters above the sea level, Mai Chau glories in a cool climate all year round. This wonderful land is in the heart of a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains like a precious treasure secured by giant guards. From the French colony, the conquerors found Mai Chau and often came there for holidays. Up to now, Mai Chau has turned out as an attractive and popular destination in the north of Vietnam. Its beauty always satisfies the most hard-to-please eyes: lovable stilt houses queuing as a line in a vast green paddy field perfectly combine with the scenic landscapes as a powerful lure that you cannot resist.  The distinguishing ethnic culture with the traditional custom of the local also an authentic value you should not miss.Along the mountainous road to Mai Chau, stop and stand atop in Kun slope and admire the magnificent view of towering mountains with twisty roads halfway up to the top. Arriving in Mai Chau, you long-held dream of a relaxing but exotic vacation is come to the reality. Take time to witness the complex of houses on stilts of the residents, especially of those who live in Lac and Pom Coong villages. They are Thai people - the largest group among the seven ethnic minority groups inhabiting in Mai Chau. They have changed their traditional house in to a micro tourist attraction serving every visitor. Every single stilt house is a small works with the carefully constructed and built in the same style: placed on several strong wooden pillars at the height of about 1.5 m above the ground and the floor is paved with bamboo or planks, the roof is covered with fan-palms or tiles. The windows of each house are very large and always open widely to catch fresh wind. Some owners pay much attempt to display or hang on these windows some colorful orchid baskets and bird cages, making a vivid and compelling image. In particular, virtually in any house, exits a loom to weave clothes laid nearby a window or under the floor. With these simple wood-made looms, by meticulously diligence and skillfulness,Thai girls have produced beautiful and bright-color patterned cloth used in in bags, clothes, blankets, cushions and other lovely items as souvenirs for tourists. Around these stilt houses are straight lines of areca trees and a few stone-embanked ponds with the pond's surface is embellished by pink water-lily  flowers. The beauty of each house like a color adding into the great charm of Mai Chau and make it a dreamy land. In the early morning or in the afternoon, standing on the top of Thung Khe or Nhuoi Valley, visitors can enjoy the fantasy and miraculous scene as the smoke of each kitchen mixed with the mist on the air. The main claim of Mai Chau is not only the scene but also its kind-hearted inhabits and fine cuisine. Come to the village, tourists can immerse themselves in a cozy atmosphere as the owners invite them to drink local wine and eat sticky rice, grilled meat or steamed fresh fish. All of these dishes are traditional specialties of Thai. In the dark comes, the tourist can mingle themselves in the melody of Thai dances, the sweet loving songs and the passionately eyes of young girls and boys. Pleasantly tipsy with the wine yeast and the mellow singings, the tourists then will enjoy their deep sleep in the warm blankets in a traditional stilt house.The sincerity and simplicity becomes its own charms for the tourism of Mai Chau to "take off". The tourism development associated with handicraft reservation, based on a combination of harmony between tradition and modernity, Mai Chau has gradually become a pearl of Vietnam. Not only because of the beauty of nature but also due to the sparkle of the ethnic culture elite, Mai Chau is definitely listed as must-visit place in the country.

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How many days to spend in Mai Chau?

How many days to spend in Mai Chau?

Mai Chau is an amazing natural destination located in North Vietnam, that is, though, often ignored by travelers who always look for touristic and famous places. If you want a peaceful place which is not chock-full of tourists, then Mai Chau is definitely a worthy option. In this article, Incredible Asia Journey will advise you how many days to spend in Mai Chau as well as a travel guide to this hidden gem. Let’s get started! Where is Mai Chau? Mai Chau is situated in the mountainous area which belongs to the province of Hoa Binh. It is approximately 135 kilometers Northwest from Hanoi which may take around 4-5 hours driving from the capital city. The entire region has an area of a total 520-kilometer square which consists of a plethora of magnificent landscapes. How to get to Mai Chau from Hanoi? By bus The bus is the most common way to get to Mai Chau from Hanoi. You can go to My Dinh bus station to catch it or book a bus that can pick you up from your hotel. Of course, the price would be more expensive for the latter option. There are buses departing at 06:00, 07:30, 14:00, and 14:30 every day at My Dinh bus station. You can find a ticket counter and ask for a bus ticket to Mai Chau, however, if you come there on the weekend or national holiday, it’s better to book the ticket in advance on online channels or ask your hotel’s staff for help. Some recommended buses from My Dinh bus station to Mai Chau: Ha Loan Departure time: 7:50 Tel: 0912490679 Hoang Thao Departure time: 14:30 Tel: 0914 688533 – 0218 386829 By motorbike If you are brave enough to get on a motorbike and ride for more than 100 kilometers, then it’s also a good option. However, it’s not cheaper than you go by bus because the motorbike rental fee in Hanoi is even more expensive than a bus ticket.  How to get around Mai Chau? Motorbike If you stay in Mai Chau for more than a day  and want to reach far-distance destinations such as Thung Khe Pass, then a motorbike is the best option for you. You can either drive from Hanoi or come here by bus and rent a motorbike at a local rental company. Electric car This is a car designated to serve tourists. This car will run around the village at a w speed so that you can enjoy the scenery. If you want to go to further places, you can deal with the driver about the price.  Bicycle Biking in Mai Chau This option is often chosen by tourist companies that provide tourists a eat experience of enjoying the green rice field while riding a bicycle. Bicycle is also an environmentally-friendly choice that can help the local community to sustain the environment. What to visit in Mai Chau? Go Lao Waterfall Go Lao Waterfall Go Lao Waterfall is nested in Phuc San area which is about 15 kilometers far from Mai Chau town.  From the main road, you have to park your bike and trek to the waterfall. Although the way down to it is quite rough and challenging, once you get to the waterfall, you will be amazed by its majestic untouched beauty. It is 15-meter height and alongside, there is a small area that you can hold a small picnic party with your friends. Thung Khe Pass Thung Khe Pass Located between Tan Lac and Mai Chau, Thung Khe Pass is a stopover that you can see a beautiful view of green mountains and valleys. Along the pass, there are some local stands that you can park your bike and enjoy some local signatures as well as the spectacular view. However, be careful when passing it because there are a lot of big trucks passing by this winding path. Lac Village Lac Village Lac Village is now one of the most famous community tourism destinations among the Vietnamese as well as foreign tourists. It’s not a crowded, splendid, hectic town, but everything is just so local and natural making it so memorial in people’s hearts. This is a village of Thai ethnic minority group which consists of 5 families, namely Ha, Lo, Vi, Mac, and Loc. Until now, the village has been existing for more than 700 years. In the past, people here just did farming and weaving for a living, nowadays, since the village is becoming famous among tourists, the villagers start to do the tourism business to make more earnings. Pom Coong Village Ban Pong Coong Pom Coong Village is home to 70 households with more than 300 inhabitants. When coming there, you can see a lot of traditional stilt houses of the local Thai ethnic minority group. Thai stilt houses are a little different from those of other ethnic minority groups which are built higher on a 2-meter wooden pillar and made of bamboo. Windows in the house are very big so that wind can come through. Under the house is the place where Thai girls make their traditional stuff such as purses, shirts, etc. Coming here, you will also have a chance to listen to traditional Thai songs and dancing. If you are interested, you can join them too. Van Village Van Village Van Village is located 1 kilometer away from Mai Chau town and under the foot of Pu Van mountain. Different from the other 2 villages, Van Village doesn’t have many tourists visiting, thus, its original beauty is still remained intact. If you visit Van Village in new year’s eve, there are some traditional games that you can join together with the local villagers. Thai Museum - Mai Chau This is a family-owned museum established by Mr. Kieu Van Kien who has a great passion for keeping Thai culture. Therefore, for years, he has been collecting a plethora of old stuff of Thai people residing in many places such as Son La, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, even Laos. In June 2012, he founded this museum as a place for visitors to come and learn more about Thai culture. Thai Museum - Mai Chau How many days to spend in Mai Chau? As Mai Chau has not only beautiful nature but also contains rich culture, it’s better to stay as long as you can to dive into the local life. However, if you cannot, Incredible Asia Journey recommends you stay at least 3 days 2 nights to visit all of the sites listed above.  However, if you are really pressed in time, you can book a Mai Chau 1-day group tour departing from Hanoi run by our company which can help you to grasp an overview of this spectacular attraction. We have shown you the most essential information that you need to know before coming to Mai Chau. We hope you will have a clearer idea of this place after reading this post.

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