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TRAVEL GUIDE Mai Chau

Overcoming the steep bends in Thung Khe, Thung Nhuoi… you will admire the beauty of mountains and trees on the way to Mai Chau, Hoa Binh. About 140 km from the center of Hanoi, Mai Chau conquers tourists with the “fragrant sticky rice season” gradually appearing under the new sunshine and peaceful scenery.

What season is Mai Chau beautiful?

Every season, Mai Chau is beautiful in its own way. February to April is spring, the flowers bloom, and the weather is warm and quite pleasant. Mai Chau’s landscape changes throughout the summer. May and June are the rice season, the yellow color of ripe rice covers the valley. July is the rainy season. August to October is the most beautiful season to travel to Mai Chau, enjoy the autumn weather in the sunshine pouring honey on the rice fields. At the end of October, the valley turns yellow when it is time to harvest. From November to January next year is the season of apricot and plum blossoms in the valley.

Move

You can ride a motorbike, or self-driving car to experience the feeling of freedom, or catch a bus from Yen Nghia bus station, My Dinh. The road is beautiful and easy to go because it is not too winding and 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 140 km long, if you ride a 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 150 km long, if you go by car: Thang Long Avenue (Trung Hoa Tunnel) – Xuan Mai – Luong Son – Ky Son, Hoa Binh – Cao Phong, Tan Lac – Thung Khe Pass – Mai Chau.

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

If you take a bus, you stop at Tong Dau junction and then get off to catch a motorbike taxi for another 5 km to the center of Mai Chau town. Bus tickets cost about 80,000 – 140,000 VND per person.

In the afternoon, the Mai Chau – Hanoi bus has many trips in the morning, the earliest trip is 5:30 am and the latest is 3 pm. From Lac village to the town bus station about 1.6 km. If you ride a motorbike, you should be more proactive about your time, but you should also go early, in case the weather is complicated.

Hotels, resorts

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 Hang Kia – Pa Co rattan hunting spot , so it is very convenient to move. The nearest is Y Mua Homestay, just 3 km from the cloud hunting point. Room rates are affordable, only about 100,000 VND with community rooms. The homestays are usually located in a peaceful village, with tea hills and green plum gardens.

Lac village has many homestays for visitors to choose from, including Little Mai Chau located away from the tourist area, peaceful space. The room price is 80,000 VND for a single bed, 160,000 VND for a double bed.

More advanced is Mai Chau Ecolodge (Na Chieng, Na Phon) with prices from 1.1 million VND per night, or Mai Chau Rustic Home (Mo village) with prices from 800,000 VND per night…

Mai Chau Hideaway in the peninsula in the lake bed of Hoa Binh. The price is from 1.6 to 3.6 million VND per night during the week, on weekends (Friday-July night) the price is from 2.2 million VND to 4 million VND/night.

About 9 km 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 are from 1,100,000 VND per night.

Avana Retreat in Phang hamlet, Bao La commune is also a luxury resort in Mai Chau. Prices from 5,000,000 VND a night on weekdays, and 8,000,000 VND a night on weekends or Tet holidays.

These resorts often fill up quickly, especially on weekends, so it’s a good idea to book at least a week before your trip.

Where to play?

Thung Khe Pass saw from above. Photo: Instagram

The first attraction is Thung Khe Pass or Da Trang Pass, located on National Highway 6, between Tan Lac and Mai Chau territories. This is a limestone mountain, created by the process of paving the way. This is also a place often covered by clouds, creating a blurry scene. On the pass, there are also huts selling specialties, food and drinks for guests to rest.

If you want to learn about local culture, you should not miss Lac village , where there are hundreds of stilt houses up to 700 years old. It also has a scene of endless rice fields and homestays on stilts to stay.

If you like shopping, you can also visit Pom Coong village to find and buy yourself beautiful handicrafts. If you want to enjoy the taste of non-commercial life, you should visit Tong Dau, Cha Long … to calm down and feel more because the people are still farming.

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

Mo Luong Cave is located in the Pu Kha mountain range system in Mai Chau town. The cave consists of 4 main caves, famous for its system of stalactites forming many shapes such as flowers, streams. During the war against the French, this place used to be the meeting base of our army and people. After finishing the journey, at the last cave, visitors can admire an underground spring flowing into a nearby lake.

Hang Kia – Pa Co is located at the gateway of the Northwest with an altitude of 1,200 – 1,500 m above sea level, covered with clouds almost all year round. These are the only two Hmong communes in Hoa Binh, located between four rocky sides. Climbing to the sky gate, you can immerse yourself in the sea of ​​white clouds floating. From November to April is the ideal time to hunt clouds in Hang Kia – Pa Co.

Clouds are often abundant and beautiful from 5am – 9am. If you are unlucky with the sea of ​​clouds, this place is also a great viewing point for you to have a panoramic view of the valley. Local people also plant a lot of flowers in this area for visitors to take pictures with the wooden bridge. A ticket to Hang Kia rattan hunting point is 20,000 VND.

Cloud hunting bridge at Hang Kia – Pa Co. Photo: Thu Hien

Pa Co Market is also a unique destination you should try. Pa Co Market meets every Sunday and weekend. Mai Chau market meeting from 5 am to 9 am will close. The market sells local products, brocade, … of the H’Mong, Thai, Muong…

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

Visit Go Mu waterfall. Photo: Meou Huong

Coming to Mai Chau in a large group, you should not miss the visit to Hoa Binh lake bed to Ngoi Hoa bay, Tien Ao, Ba Chua Thac Bo Temple. The marina is located at the end of Suoi Lon village. If you like to take pictures at check-in, the Thai Flower Garden is an ideal stopover with a variety of canola flowers, buckwheat flowers, and butterfly wings.

In addition, do not forget to explore the local cultural identity, and learn the unique features in the life of the Thai, Dao or H’Mong ethnic minorities… These days you will come across images of Mothers and mothers sitting spinning, weaving brocade or brothers and sisters diligently chiseling bows and arrows, knife hilts…

The most complete experience is listening to ethnic boys and girls sing traditional melodies, watching them spread their colorful dresses and joining them in closing the show with a joyful stall dance. Although Mai Chau’s beauty is originally the simple and rustic beauty of a young girl in the highlands, it is still radiant and never stops attracting the eyes of travelers.

Specialties

Enjoy the specialties of Thai and Mong people such as lam rice, man pork, bitter bamboo shoots, grilled stream fish… In addition, you can book a hot pot homestay owner in advance, which is very suitable for the chilly weather of the day. dark in the mountains. Hot pot price is about 130,000 VND per person. Pa Co market also has many dishes such as bun cha, and vermicelli, which are quite delicious. On the way back to Hanoi, remember to stop by to buy Cao Phong oranges in the garden as a gift.

Photo: grooble/Flickr

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