Mai Chau Valley
A Green Valley Of Rice Fields In The Hills, Home To White Thai Villages Of Stilt Houses Where Visitors Stay In Homestays, Watch Weaving And Eat Local Food. The Easiest Overnight From Hanoi For Rural Life, More Touristic Than Pu Luong. Paddy Is Green In June And Golden In October · Mai Chau, Hoa Binh
Mai Chau is a green valley of rice fields ringed by limestone hills in Hoa Binh province, about 135 km and 3.5 hours by road from Hanoi. It is home to the White Thai people, and the main draw is a night in a stilt-house homestay in the villages of Lac and Pom Coong. Guests sleep on shared mats on the wooden floor under a mosquito net, eat a family dinner of sticky rice, river fish and wild greens, and watch a cultural dance evening with rice wine. By day you can watch women weave brocade, cycle the paddy paths between villages, or visit small caves in the hills. Be honest: Lac especially is touristy, with souvenir stalls under many houses and dance shows run for groups, but it is pleasant, easy and a good first taste of rural life in a day or two. The rice is green in June and July and gold in September and October. For wilder terraces and fewer visitors, go on to Pu Luong, which is a separate place.
Mai Chau valley and the villages of Lac and Pom Coong, about 135 km south-west of Hanoi, Mai Chau, Hoa Binh, Vietnam
The valley has no gate and no closing time, so you can walk or cycle the paths at any hour of daylight. Homestays take guests all week, usually with check-in in the afternoon and dinner in early evening. Dance evenings are normally held after dinner and may not run when there are only a few guests, so ask when you book. Weaving stalls and souvenir stands open in daylight and close at dusk. Walking in the villages and the paddy paths is FREE; some caves, the dance show and bike rental are paid. Nothing is closed on a fixed weekday, and the busiest nights are Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays. Confirm details with your host.