Planning your trip to Mai Chau
Mai Chau is the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Mai Chau: an evocative landscape of breathtaking beauty, a tapestry of colours, and an insight into Vietnam’s astonishing cultural diversity.
Nestled in an idyllic and verdant valley, with majestic hillscapes rolling upwards and outwards towards dramatic horizons, the Vietnamese region of Mai Chau provides a blissful antithesis to the bustle of Hanoi. With the entire region comprising just under 50,000 inhabitants, this district offers Vietnamese at a more blissful pace. However, despite its relatively small population, it is the people of Mai Chau who make this part of the country such an unmissable one to immerse oneself in.
While the small town of Mai Chau itself offers relatively little to intrepid travellers, the region’s charm and points of fascination are many and varied; picturesque patchworks of paddy fields speckle the landscape, and tiny ethnic Tay and Hmong villages provide no shortage of opportunities for exploration and discovery.
A Spectrum of Cultural Treasures
Mai Chau is stunningly ethnically diverse, and is primarily home to the Ban Lac people. These tribal communities - loosely split between groups known as the White Tay and Black Tay - originated in China’s Yunnan province. They migrated across much of southeast Asia almost two thousand years ago before settling in Mai Chau, and by the 13th century, had laid considerable and far-reaching roots in the region which can still be detected to this day.
To explore Mai Chau is to immerse oneself in the visual culture and history of the Ban Lac, and the differences between the White and Black Tay people are evident in a multitude of ways, each as fascinating as the last.
For example, the homes of the White Tay are thatched and gabled, supported with bamboo walls, and feature plenty of windows. Those of the Black Tay are famed for their ‘tortoiseshell’ roofs and raised interior platforms, and the weaving styles of each tribe are evident throughout the beautifully-dyed fabrics and garments produced by the community’s women.
The Hmong people also bring their unique vibrancy to the region. Most closely associated with Mai Chau’s indigo-dying traditions. The Hmong are also masterful with silk production - raising silkworms in a variety of traditional methods, and weaving beautiful items from the delicate threads they produce - and have a rich culture of silverworking and bronze jewellery, among other cultural treasures.
Mai Chau: A Land To Capture Hearts and Captivate Minds
With the unique traditional stilt houses and bamboo architecture providing an intriguing counterpoint to the mesmeric ambience of birdsong and rushing streams, you’re never far from something to gaze at in wonder. Indeed, from the multitude of handicrafts and time-honoured weaving practices to the slow and reassuring pace of life, there’s much to fall in love with - it’s no surprise Mai Chau is held in such high regard by those who seek to uncover Vietnam’s vibrant heart.
You’ll uncover a region where tradition and vibrant ethnic identities reign supreme, and where the masterful textiles of the Tay women unveil symbols, cultural treasures, and clues to the region’s past and present. The connection with the land and its bountiful gifts is ever present - natural dyes and fibres are used to breathtaking effect, with each tribe having developed their own iconic colours, patterns, and visual identities across the years.
Visitors to Mai Chau have ample opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture of the region, both in its glorious natural vistas and in the local industries, which have survived turbulent centuries and the encroaching forces of globalisation alike. Local producers sell their wares in charming street markets and directly to consumers, and travellers will be pleased to discover that in Mai Chau, gentle bargaining is the norm in place of the tougher bartering practices of the city.
Of course, heading out of the populated areas brings its own wealth of delights. There are a multitude of beautiful treks to consider, as well as opportunities to kayak on the breathtaking Hoa Binh Lake or explore the verdant Pu Luong Nature Reserve which offers tranquil streams, waterfalls, and pools of astonishing colour that one cannot resist bathing in!
With such lush fields, mist-strewn hillsides, the peak of Pa Co, dramatic valleys and a kaleidoscopic spectrum of colours to encounter, Mai Chau is sure to capture the imagination and move the emotions from the first moment to the last.
Essential Information for Travellers
The currency in use here is Vietnamese Dong (VND), the currency of Vietnam since its unification on May 3 1978, – $100 will get you about 2 million dong! The word dong comes from the term đồng tiền which means 'money’. Exchange your money at your hotel, or in Hanoi before you arrive.
Electrical plugs are usually type A, type C and type F, a universal adapter would be advisable.
Mai Chau is widely considered a safe place to visit, but common sense and a vigilant attitude is never a bad approach. Always ensure that you safeguard your belongings, especially your mobile device(s), as they could be easily taken away from you even on the streets. There are no particular areas which you should avoid but you should always be careful and ensure that you do not go out late at night without company as a precautionary measure.
For convenience when it comes to mobile communication, purchasing a local SIM card would be recommended. The call rates as well as data rates are relatively cheap, making it ideal for you to purchase a local SIM card for the duration of your stay.
Wi-Fi is easily accessible in most hotels, so if you plan to book a hotel, it is recommended that you check if your hotel offers Wi-Fi.
When coming to Mai Chau, we’d always advise taking the recommended vaccines against measles, hepatitis, typhoid, and rabies. If you already have a health insurance plan in your country, you might want to check with your health provider that it covers your treatment in Mai Chau, should you require any medical services.
When packing items for your trip to Mai Chau, remember your health essentials like; antihistamine (if you suffer from allergies), antibacterial cream, pain reliever, and anything else your doctor or healthcare professional advises.
Stay away from stray dogs because you do not know whether they have been vaccinated.
If you hail a cab directly from the street, there have been some instances when the driver would say that your booked hotel has been closed down and offer to take you to a better and cheaper place, which you would end up in a place with higher charges. This is one of the most common fraudulent practices.
A few etiquette tips: Tone down on skimpy outfits, always dress modestly, avoid public display of affection, before you enter a house, take off your footwear, be respectful.
Mai Chau is a fascinating cultural location that exudes breathtaking natural beauty, a rich tapestry of identities and ethnicities, offering a broad array of transformative experiences for those seeking to create memories to last a lifetime. From the skilled local artisans to landscapes rich in rice fields, waterfalls, and dramatic valley sides, this spectacular region of Vietnam never fails to leave an awe-inspiring impression.