Travel to Mai Chau: A-Z Guide for a Memorable Trip

1. About Mai Chau

Mai Chau is a beautiful valley that mesmerizes travelers. It not only attracts visitors with the rustic beauty of the mountains and the charm of the local women, but also with the warm-heartedness of the locals. Visiting Mai Chau, you will have a wonderful trip to explore the beauty, culture, and cuisine of Mai Chau.

(Nguồn ảnh: Internet)

2. When is the best time to travel to Mai Chau?

Thanks to its valley terrain, Mai Chau has a pleasant and cool climate all year round. However, the best time to visit Mai Chau is during two periods:

From October to December: During this time, the weather is quite pleasant, and visitors can immerse themselves in the blooming cherry blossom and white apricot flowers of Mai Chau. This is also an ideal time for flower lovers to travel to Mai Chau.

March and April: According to many Mai Chau travel tips, this is the time when the local ethnic groups organize many festivals, and visitors also have the opportunity to admire the unique Ban flowers – the typical flower of this region.

3. Means of transportation for traveling to Mai Chau

* Transportation to Mai Chau

Traveling to Mai Chau on your own:

There are two routes to choose from when traveling to Mai Chau:

Route for motorbikes: From Hanoi, take Nguyen Trai – Quang Trung – Ba La – Chuc Son – Xuan Mai – Luong Son – Ky Son – Hoa Binh – Cao Phong – Tan Lac – Thung Khe Pass. After passing Thung Khe Pass, you will see a signpost indicating the direction to Mai Chau, which is about 6km away (the total distance is 140km).

Route for cars: Take the Thang Long Boulevard – Hoa Lac and then turn left into Xuan Mai. Keep going straight along National Highway 6 until you reach the turnoff to Mai Chau. Be sure to pay attention to the road signs as this area has many traffic police checkpoints (the total distance is 150km, which is farther than the motorbike route, but since there is a long stretch of highway, the travel time to Mai Chau will be faster).

Traveling to Mai Chau by bus:

For a cheap and easy experience traveling to Mai Chau, taking a bus is the best option. From Hanoi, there are many buses departing to Mai Chau every day from My Dinh or Yen Nghia.

* Transportation in Mai Chau

Mai Chau valley is relatively small, and the tourist spots and villages are located close to each other. Therefore, the most convenient way to explore Mai Chau according to travel experience is by bicycle. All guesthouses and homestays here offer bicycle rental services at a price of 30-50,000 VND/bike, so you can rest assured. Or, if you want to travel further, you can rent a motorbike right at the homestay for 80-100,000 VND/bike for half a day (excluding the cost of gasoline, which you will have to refill yourself).

4. Beautiful places in Mai Chau that you can’t miss

Ban Lac

As a must-visit tourist destination when traveling to Mai Chau, Hoa Binh, Ban Lac always attracts visitors with its incredibly picturesque scenery surrounded by lush mountains and forests. The fresh and cool air here is perfect for family vacations and trips with close friends.

Each season in Ban Lac has its own unique beauty. You can visit Ban Lac in the spring to immerse yourself in the vibrant and colorful natural landscape with cherry blossoms, orchids, apricot blossoms, and plum blossoms blooming.

Mo Luong Cave

Mo Luong Cave is an ideal tourist destination when visiting Mai Chau. This place is perfect for those who love adventure and seek new and exciting experiences. However, few people know that this location is also called Bo Luong by the White Thai people, which means a large water mine.

The cave has four main chambers with various unique stalactite formations. The deeper you go inside the cave, the more you can appreciate the mysterious and enchanting beauty of this place. Halo recommends that you go down to the bottom of the cave where an underground stream flows day and night into Mo Luong Lake in front of the mountain.

Thung Khe Pass

Thung Khe Pass is about 1,000 meters above sea level and located on National Highway 6 in Hoa Binh Province. This place is loved by many tourists, and most of them stop here because from the top of Thung Khe Pass, you can admire the beautiful valley below. This is also listed as one of the most beautiful scenic spots in Hoa Binh province.

Mai Chau Flag Tower

After passing through the misty Thung Khe Pass, visitors will be amazed by the bright yellow sunshine above their heads. From the Mai Chau Flag Tower, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the valley from a high altitude, along with the white clouds hovering over the distant mountain slopes.

5. What are some delicious foods to try in Mai Chau?

Raw wild boar meat: 150,000 VND/kg. Cooked wild boar meat prepared according to customers’ requests costs 210,000 VND/kg.

Raw hill chicken: 150,000 VND/kg. After being cooked (grilled, steamed, etc.), the price is 180,000 VND/kg.

Local rice wine sold by the jar, with each jar containing 4 liters and priced at 70,000 VND.
Mai Ha rice wine priced at 50,000 VND/liter.

Forest honey collected by local residents from the forest costs 600,000 VND/liter.

6. Where to stay in Mai Chau?

Homestay:

As one of the well-known community-based tourism destinations in Hoa Binh, it is not difficult for tourists to find accommodation options. You can choose to experience sleeping in the stilt houses in Ban Lac village.

Resorts in Mai Chau:

Mai Chau Ecolodge:

This is the first resort to be mentioned in the list of Mai Chau resorts. Located in the Mai Chau valley, the resort is hidden in a quiet and wild space but no less romantic. With a convenient location, about 2 km away from Ban Lac village, this is a 4-star resort in Mai Chau.

Mai Chau Sunrise Village Resort:

This is one of the prominent resorts in Mai Chau and is located right in the area of Ban Lac Mai Chau. The resort has a design of bungalow-style rooms with thatched roofs, along with golden walls that make the entire resort stand out.

7. Some tips for traveling to Mai Chau

• You should choose a suitable time to travel to Mai Chau Hoa Binh.
• If you travel to Mai Chau on your own during the rainy season, remember to bring an umbrella, raincoat, and plenty of clothes to change into.
• When buying local specialties as gifts, you should check prices at multiple places. Don’t rush to buy to avoid being ripped off.
• Join the locals in protecting the environment by not littering.
• Mai Chau has many famous attractions for you to visit. But, you should choose places near your accommodation to make transportation more convenient.
• According to Phuot’s Mai Chau Hoa Binh travel experience, renting a motorcycle per day is more convenient and easier to move around.
• If you visit religious tourist destinations, you should wear neat and formal attire.
• Prepare your luggage for your Mai Chau self-sufficient trip. The luggage you should bring includes: clothes, shoes, hat, coat, mask, personal specialized equipment.
• Only bring enough cash to avoid loss, getting wet, or stolen.
• Remember to bring personal identification papers, especially ID card and driver’s license.
• Don’t forget to bring a power bank to use when your phone runs out of battery.