4 hours away driving from Hanoi, discover the small village of Mai Chau, located in the middle of the valleys in Hoa Binh province. The luxurious natural environment is a call to tranquility and relaxation. Verdant landscapes are breathtaking and provide numerous opportunities for outdoor activities. Besides, Mai Chau is a great venue to encounter local populations, including minority groups such as Thai and Muong.
Mai Chau
Like Sapa, Mai Chau features lush vegetation all around. Therefore, it is a great venue to enjoy outdoor activities such as rice terrace sightseeing, hiking, trekking, but also to have a rest among the surrounding mountains and the stunning vistas over the region.
You may choose between several options regarding the accommodation. Indeed, you may either stay at locals’ or in an eco-resort. Once arrived, you may also have the opportunity to encounter the White Thai minority group.
Thai and Muong
Mai Chau is mostly inhabited by Thai, a minority group that belongs to the 54 ethnic groups currently living in Vietnam. They are divided in two main groups: White Thai and Black Thai. Their traditional outfits are easily recognizable. Black Thai women wear black skirts and blouses with butterfly-shaped buttons, whereas White Thai women rather wear short sleeve V-collar white blouses called ao com. Both worship their ancestors and practice polytheism. The two groups have different lifestyles. Black Thai tend to move around more easily than White Thai, who are usually settled down. The latter use submerged rice culture, unlike their neighbors.
Some Muong also live in Mai Chau. You may recognize them by their long sleeve short jacket that covers a kind of lozenge-shaped wrap called yem and that is to be tied in the back. Women wear long black skirts as well, and red scarfs as headdresses. Belts and waistbands hold ancient symbols. The most common is a dragon. On the other hand, men wear round collar slit blouses, along with scarfs as belts and white scarfs as headdresses.
Mai Chau Attractions
Mai Chau and its surroundings are a great venue to enjoy outdoor activities such as bicycling and hiking, and to get a look at breathtaking landscapes all around. Besides, a market takes place every Sunday.
Hang Kia Valley is located 20 km away from Mai Chau. It houses Black Hmong. The place is also called “White Valley” because of the white flowers from fruit trees that cover everything during spring.
You may want to cruise on Ma River, among bamboo forests, valleys and riverside houses and hamlets. A lot of boats and rafts go through the river. They are equipped with a bamboo tail that allows locals to navigate both upstream and downstream.
Pa Co is a village that holds a market where Hmong often go. Colors are all over that place, catching eyes with their brightness and diversity. Fabrics may display the most exquisite range of hues in the whole market. On the other hand, Pom Coong village stands as Thai group’s representation. Houses are built on piles; inhabitants do business in markets and souvenir shops. Locals, who are usually very generous, sometimes call tourists to join them and have a zip, using a bamboo straw, of rice alcohol.
1 hour and a half away from Mai Chau lies Moc Chau Plateau, in Son La Province. It features terraced tea fields along the road, as well as verdant and wide plains, which are among the most beautiful in North-West Vietnam. Flowers from fruit trees brighten up landscapes with their colors. In November, plains are covered with white (field mustard) and yellow (da quy) flowers. Then in January, peach pink flowers fall down, followed by white flowers from plum trees in February. Twelve ethnic groups live together in Moc Chau, mostly Thai, Hmong and Kinh.
Bamboo Dance and Cotton Picking Dance
Visitors may stay in homestays, sharing meals and sometimes daily occupations with locals. They may also attend beautiful traditional shows such as Thai dance, which uses colorful scarfs, or White Thai bamboo dance, passed on generations. In the latter, dancers jump above bamboo canes while sticking to the rhythm of the music. Cotton picking is also a typical local dance. It is dedicated to Thai women’s work in the fields. Indeed, they early learn how to plant cotton trees and pick up their flowers. The dance comprises little cotton-made pompoms.
Best Time to Travel
The best moment to go to Mai Chau may be from March to May and from September to October. Indeed, the first rice planting happens in February, after Tet period. Therefore, rice fields are very green from April. Moreover, fruit trees blossom from February, offering a wonderful spring show. Temperatures go from 18 to 25 Celsius degrees. Rain might fall but humidity is quite low. Heat rises in summer, from June to September, and temperatures may increase to 31 Celsius degrees along with shower rains. They are cooler in winter though, and may go down to 16 Celsius degrees from November to February.
Local Cuisine
Com lam, or lam rice, stands as one of Mai Chau’s specialties. It consists of glutinous rice cooked in bamboo tubes. Otherwise, xoi ngu sac is also a famous dish. Its name means “five colors sticky rice.” The look of the dish may give an appetite to anyone. Indeed, it comprises five rice balls that are each of a different color. They represent the five elements of Oriental philosophy. Each ball has a different taste: some may be fruit flavored (pineapple or orange for instance) whereas others are bean flavored.
Meat rolls wrapped in grapefruit leaves are a popular dish from Hoa Binh. It is made of little pieces of nuoc mam flavored meat and onions. Grapefruit leaves are washed then used to wrap the meat. The whole thing is then grilled, and the result is delicious.
Should you want more information, please contact us:
