Here are top things to do in Mai Chau:
1. Cycling or trekking tours to countryside
Mai Chau Valley has some serious draws for a trekking tour or cycling tour: green rice fields, mountains in the backdrop, gently flowing streams. So why not get out, get a bike or your shoes on for a great trip to the countryside. The dirt roads of Mai Chau won’t be a challenge and you can always stop to rest and admire the scenery. Get into the ethnic village to enjoy their hospitality, their authentic way of life and of course, the food.
Local hotels or homestays can guide you through to rent a bike. Trekking packages can cost more than $40 a day.
2. Homestay at Lac Village
You can find at Lac Village a fairly large range of cheaper options for homestay. This is one activity you can save up money and at the same time, interact with local Thai family. The houses of Thai people are traditional stilt houses with 2-storey structure, the first floor for keeping livestock and the second floor is the family’s living space.
Sleeping condition will be the exact same as that of the host family. Futon, blanket, mosquito net and fan will be prepared. Toilet and shower are up to western standards.
Homestaying at a local stilt house, you’ll have chance to watch traditional dances and singing performed by the villagers. It’s an absolute must-do activity in Mai Chau.
3. Soak in the tranquil Atmosphere of Pom Coong Village
Lying next to Lac Village, Pom Coong Village is a Thai village that is less touristic than its neighbor with just equally beauties and attractions. Come to Pom Coong to enjoy the idyll nature, wooden stilt houses, traditional performances and Can wine – a communal and festive drink.
4. Take in the views of Thung Khe Pass
In the list of the best things to do in Mai Chau, it would be a mistake to not include Thung Khe Pass, a famous Mai Chau site to enjoy the views. The pass is on an altitude of about 1000 meter above sea level, cutting through mountain cliffs with a perfect curve. To be more comfortable to enjoy Thung Khe’s views, it’s best to come to Mai Chau by motorbike. Buses to Mai Chau also stop here for a while. It’s such a shame to miss the local foods while admiring the view below. Note down few of them: boiled eggs, grilled corn, sugarcane, sticky rice ‘com lam’.
5. Buy Brocade products made of ethnic groups
Thai women are famous for their weaving skills like every women of the any hill tribe on the mountains of Vietnam. Buying brocade products is not only worth your money but also helps the local community prosper without abandoning their traditional practice.
In each family in Mai Chau there is a loom where a women works on her fabrics for all her life. Thai brocade fabrics has been known for the rich colors, raised patterns and recent years, very stylish and fashionable. Silk brocade and hemp brocade are made and dyed meticulously and entirely from natural elements. You can rest assure that the fabrics are not toxic to your skin at all.
6. Explore Mai Chau's Caves
If you’re a fan of caves and underground world, Mai Chau Valley has names such as Mo Luong Cave, Chieu Cave, Pieng Kem Cave. The most famous is Mo Luong Cave which boasts marvelous blocks of stalactites, located not very far from Mai Chau. Its two entrances overlook to the stretching rice paddy fields and the villages. It’s a great place for a half-day hiking tour.
Other cave that deserves honorable mention is Chieu Cave to which you can only reach through a staircase of 1200 steps. If you are looking for a challenge, try conquer Chieu Cave. Walking inside the two interior chambers of a cave has never felt so rewarding.
