Nestled in Hoa Binh Province, Mai Chau is a serene, verdant valley serving as the cultural heartland of the White Thai people, who settled here from Southern China around the 13th century. Historically, this area served as a remote, rugged corridor connecting northern mountainous tribes, maintaining a deeply traditional, rural lifestyle that has largely resisted modernization. Known as a “Province of Peace,” its history is rooted in traditional subsistence rice farming, unique stilt-house architecture, and a resilient, vibrant culture that has maintained its identity despite colonial influences and modern tourism.
Today, Mai Chau has transitioned from a hidden highland gem into a model for sustainable community-based tourism. While it offers a peaceful alternative to the bustling streets of Hanoi, the valley retains its soul through the stilt-house villages of Lac and Pom Coong. Visitors can immerse themselves in slow-paced, eco-friendly activities in a landscape highlighted by towering karst peaks. Mai Chau is ideal for nature lovers seeking both adventure and peace.
During our nine-day tour of Vietnam with G-Adventures, we spent one night in Mai Chau. In addition to Hoi An, it was one of our favorite stops in Vietnam. I sure wish we spent an entire weekend in Mai Chau as its culture and outdoor activities deserve more time. But when you are trying to get an overview of Vietnam in just a few weeks, we only got a glimpse of Mai Chau.
Overnight Train Ride from Hue to Hanoi
In fact, we might have traveled longer to get there than we actually stayed. After 24 hours in Hue, we took an overnight train to Hanoi and then a four-hour bus ride to Mai Chau. The overnight train was an adventure in and of itself. Chris, our guide, warned us to bring toilet paper, buy food from town before beginning the journey, and to bring a jacket because the train cars get cold!
We rode in a first-class sleeper car which slept four via bunk beds on each side. The car was colorfully painted with scenes of Vietnam and each bed came with a thin mattress, pillow, blanket, reading light, charging station, and a brown bag of snacks like chips and bananas. The bathroom was the front of the car, and while many of the train cars were very cold, ours was not! It was a bit warm.
The restaurant car was toward the rear of the train, so we meandered through each car with the cabins changing by class. The next few cars featured rooms with six beds (3 bunks on each side), and as we continued back, we got to cars with seating like the premium economy and economy on airplanes. The restaurant car sold fast food like ramen noodles in a cup. The attendants rolled the food cart through all the cars, but the biggest seller in our cabin was beer!
We mixed men and women from our tour into each cabin and thankfully no one in our group snored. Additionally, the boys took the top bunks, while we ladies took the bottom bunks, which was nice.
Bus Ride From Hanoi to Mai Chau
From Hanoi, the bus ride which always includes a 20-minute rest stop took us through mountainous countryside blanketed in clouds. The view of the valley was blocked as we came over the pass, so we did not stop at the overlook. Soon we dropped into a landscape of rice fields, and then the villages of Mai Chau, Lac and Pom Coong, came into view.
As with tradition in the area, G-Adventure booked us a homestay in one of the many stilt houses. Upstairs was a large room with 14+ mattresses neatly arranged on floor around the perimeter of the room. Each came with a privacy curtain, pillow, and quilt. Downstairs was an open air dining area built over four bathrooms.
Having just come from a night on the train, most people wished to have their own accommodation, so before leaving Hanoi we rebooked ourselves into accommodations with single rooms. You can get a nice room for less than $20 a night. Some of us overpaid for the Mai Chau 4 Seasons which wasn’t worth the price, especially since we had to order the electric taxi to take us back and forth between the group stay at Homestay 03 Hung Tu in Pom Coong Village to Mai Chau 4 Seasons in Lac. But we did get a full breakfast buffet.
Things to Do in Mai Chau
Stroll the Streets of Pom Choong
Pom Choong is a delightful village with winding, narrow lanes draped in flags and lined by open air stores displaying colorful brocades, hand woven on wooden looms. I really enjoyed seeing the locals’ ways. One gentleman with a net on a long pole was peering into the treetops in search of locusts while hens and their babies pecked at the ground for insects. Many locals also kept wild songbirds in cages because they like to listen to them sing. I felt a little sorry for the wild bird being caged, but I suppose it probably lives longer.
As a photographer, I could have wandered around much longer than for the hour of free time we had, despite the small area. It was just so picturesque. I particularly liked the Mai Chau Restaurant Countryside with its waterwheel and extensive floral decorations is darling. If we stayed longer than a day, I definitely would have stopped here simply for its atmosphere.
Enjoy the Local Cuisine
But one of the special things about booking a homestay is being able to enjoy all the home cooked Vietnamese food. We shared a big tray of food that included porkballs, cucumber salad, chicken wings, a frittata, and another salad for our lunch.
And for dinner, we dug into eggrolls, fried chicken strips, green beans, a slaw, and more. The three amigos from the UK washed dinner down with 333 beer! All drinks were on the honor system. We just tallied up what we took from the cooler at the end.
Take a Hike
Between our meals we took a guided walk through the rice fields from Pom Choong to Cha Loong and then trekked through the forest. I loved getting the chance to snap photos of thatched roof huts, mountains reflecting in the rice paddies, locals working with their cows and carving chopsticks, trash burning in the cinderblock fire station, as well as other beautiful views and landscape.
Seeing as how we were on a nine-day tour of Vietnam, we missed a few special places in Mai Chau including Chieu Cave, Mai Chau Flag Tower, Go Lao Waterfall. As a waterfall lover and an avid hiker, had I done any research on Vietnam, I would have made more time for this area.
The Chieu Cave was walking distance from our homestay, and one young man with lots of energy managed to squeeze in the climb of 1,200 to 1,300 steps to the massive cave of stalactites with a view before our afternoon walk.
The Mai Chau Flag Tower and the Go Lao Waterfall are a short drive or bike ride away, respectively.
Appreciate the Mai Chau Culture
In addition to appreciating the rice farming culture, joining a weaving workshop or watching an evening of traditional Thai dance at your homestay are other ways to support the local traditions in Mai Chau. While we didn’t pay for a dance show, our neighbors did, so we saw much of the bamboo dance at the homestay next door!
Overall, Mai Chau is a great rural town to visit as a side trip from Hanoi. From its landscape to its culture, Mai Chau is perfect for weekend escape. ETB
Mai Chau looks like such a peaceful escape, especially compared to busy cities like Hanoi. I love how you described the mix of culture, nature, and traditional stilt-house stays—it sounds like a truly immersive experience. That journey with the overnight train and bus ride feels like part of the adventure itself. Definitely adding Mai Chau to my Vietnam list, but for more than just one night!
It looks like a beautiful part of Vietnam and a peaceful escape from the country’s amazing cities 🙂
I can see why you liked it here so much. It looks peaceful and relaxing and just so far removed from the every day hustle and bustle. There’s definitely an appeal to that.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this!