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Located in Hoa Binh Province, Mai Chau is in a valley about 139km from Hanoi. The town is situated between tall cliffs and is surrounded by bright-green paddies, making it a sight to behold; the beauty of the place is enough reason for many tourists to stay longer than expected.

Come to Mai Chau is to come to a laid-back northern village of Thai people, to be a part of a culture, a way of life so different from where you’re from. Mai Chau is indeed the place for those who seek peace of mind, a scenario without the bustling urban noises and come back to what are basics to human’s happiness – beautiful nature and friendliness of the people.

Best time to visit

You can come to Mai Chau any time of the year. Each season in Mai Chau has a distinct beauty. But according to Mai Chau tourism experience of the professional players, the period from March to April or October to December is the best time to explore this place.

  • March - April: This is the season of blossoming of the white ‘’Ban’’ flower. At this time, you can not only enjoy the fresh air, cool and pleasant weather but also admire the beautiful landscape and have memorable photos.
  • September - October: "Golden season" in Mai Chau. The vast golden rice fields will surprise you with its beauty.
  • November to February: This time, Mai Chau is in winter, the air of this mountainous area is very cold. You will see cherry flowers and plum blossoms. Mai Chau will be covered with a white color, looks so poetic.

Check the below table for the general idea of Mai Chau weather throughout the year.

Month Avg. High (°C) Avg. Mean (°C) Avg. Low (°C)
Jan 20.1 16.8 13.7
Feb 21.1 18.7 16.3
Mar 24.2 21.7 19.4
Apr 28.1 24.9 22.1
May 33.6 29.1 25.3
Jun 34.2 30 26.3
Jul 33 29.2 26
Aug 32.8 29 25.9
Sep 31.3 27.8 24.9
Oct 30.3 26.2 22.8
Nov 26.4 23.3 20.4
Dec 20.7 17.6 14.4

Mai Chau’s current weather and 7-day forecast

MAI CHÂU WEATHER

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.

In Mai Chau there are two villages where tourists look for their accommodation: Lac and Pom Coong. These two villages are also right next to each other, with a few hundred meters away. Most accommodations consist of homestays, but there are also a few hotels and luxury resorts. In the village there are shops and a few restaurants. When you stay in a homestay you often eat there.

Budget hotels & hostels

  • Little Mai Chau Home Stay
  • Mai Chau Backpackers House
  • Lim’s house
  • Eco Homestay

Mid range hotels

  • Mai Chau Nature Lodge
  • Mai Chau Valley View Hotel

High end hotels & resorts

  • Mai Chau Villas
  • Mai Chau HideAway Resort
  • Mai Chau Ecolodge

Visiting Mai Chau without tasting Mai Chau's delicacies will make your trip an incomplete experience. In Mai Chau valley, you can find all the distinctive dishes of Northwest Vietnam.

Homestay families in Mai Chau offer traditional meals at reasonable prices. You can have a Thai dancing performance accompanied with the meal you if want. The dishes are very local: sticky rice, grilled meat, bamboo shoots and ‘Can’ wine. Enjoying the meal with the locals, like the locals will make your trip to Mai Chau even more special and meaningful.

1. Lon Man

The highland pigs are naturally raised by the locals in Mai Chau. The pork meat is known for lesser amount of fat and tastiness.  

2. Com Lam

Com Lam is the most famous Thai dish which you can find easily in Mai Chau. Boiled rice in small long roll of bamboo make the food taste well. It is soft, sticky, and aromatic. 

3. Grapefruit leaves pork roll

You can find this dish in Lac Village around March. This dish is a specialty of Muong people. Bacon is cut into pieces that are equal to knuckles. Every piece is wrapped by half of a grapefruit leave, which then grilled on coal. During the cooking, the flavor of the pork is added by the leaves' aroma.

Thanks to good road condition, getting from Hanoi to Mai Chau is quite easy and you can do a day trip from Hanoi to Mai Chau.  Follow National Road 6 and you’ll get to the valley after 3 hours by car and about 4 hours by motorbike.

The path to Mai Chau is relatively steep but not too difficult and harsh for driving so if you want to come over the top of the pass by yourself, let’s give it a try!

But the best convenient way for you is taking daily buses (in My Dinh and Yen Nghia station) or taxis or just booking a fully Mai Chau authentic package tour in order to enthusiastically relax your own trip.

Contact us to get more information

TOUR PACKAGES INCLUDING "Mai Chau"

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