9 best attractions in Mai Chau Vietnam
- Noa
Mai Chau is a province located northwest of Hanoi , about a four-hour drive, and has the magical town of Mai Chau near the city. Hue Between. Until 2017, tourists would hardly come to the area at all, so it remained very authentic and special. Mai Chau Vietnam is a very calm area and there is a feeling that time has stood still. As if it had stopped somewhere during the agricultural revolution.
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Table of Contents
How to get to Mai Chau
Mai Chau is easily accessible from Hanoi (about a three-hour drive), and you can search for transportation from other destinations in Vietnam:
Mai Chau weather
It is best to come in spring or autumn:
Winter – December to February
There is almost no rain at all, but it is cold and cloudy, between 10-20c degrees.
Spring – March to May
The perfect season to visit! Everything is blooming, lots of butterflies and green rice fields. 23-29c degrees.
Summer – June to August
Rainy, very hot and humid, 30-35c degrees.
Autumn – September to November
Also a recommended season. A little rainy, humidity dropping. 23-27c degrees.
Recommended hotels in Mai Chau
There are many homestays in the town. A homestay is basically a guesthouse with a homely atmosphere, where you can usually have a family dinner and get to know the family that runs it.
The best place in Mai Chau!
The most fun thing about Hakone is the Family Dinner that takes place every day around 7pm. It costs about $5 per person. There is plenty of food (usually there are schnitzels!) Everything is delicious, fresh and prepared on the spot. Lots of vegetables and most of the food is vegetarian.
Rating of 9.5 on Booking.com
Breakfast included Perfect for backpackers and families Mountain view Starting from $21 per night
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Rating of 9.2 on Booking.com Breakfast included Comfortable rooms with views of rice fields Balcony in the room Starting from $37 per night
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Rating of 8.9 on Booking.com Breakfast included Luxurious rooms with views of the fields Suitable for couples and families Starting from $76 per night
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Best food in Mai Chau
Some basic concepts you should know in Vietnam:
Ga – chicken
Dofu – Tofu
Bo – visit
Ka – fish
An Chai – vegetarian.
They add the word Thit – meaning meat – before the name of the animal.
Phở Vy Gia Truyên Nam Định
Vietnamese people love to eat pho soup for breakfast. (A broth that is cooked with bones for several hours and served with rice noodles, meat, and vegetables). Therefore, restaurants that serve pho on the road will be open in the morning until they run out of food around noon. This restaurant only has two dishes: beef pho and stir-fried rice. The rice is served with a small bowl of soup and a crunchy cucumber salad. Both dishes are delicious and very comforting! Although it is not intuitive to eat soup in the morning, I recommend trying it!
Tiệm Trà Chanh Lắc Lắc
A cute restaurant with a stunning view of the rice terraces and the mountains of Mai Chau There is Western food (pizza, hamburger, spaghetti), but I would probably recommend the Vietnamese food more. What is more – there are excellent smoothies and good coffee.
Ban Bakery & Tea
A restaurant with delicious cakes and pastries and a good selection of drinks. They make iced tea with really special and affordable flavors. They also have excellent banh mi, pastas and pizzas.
Valley Coffee
Across from the Hahn Bakery (and it’s no coincidence, these are two businesses from the same family with the same menu), there’s a cute restaurant upstairs with a perfect view of the rice fields and mountains.
Vy vy food BÁNH CUỐN NÓNG_ BÚN CHẢ
Here, as in most local restaurants in Vietnam, only one dish is served. (As someone who has trouble making decisions, there’s nothing better than that.) The dish is called Bun Cha and it contains an incredibly delicious soup, rice noodles dipped in the soup, and fried pork cutlets.
Good to know
Local food in Vietnam costs $1-2 and restaurant food costs an average of about $5. Vietnamese food is very tasty and usually fresh. It’s worth walking the streets and exploring, but if you don’t eat meat, make sure to say you’re an chai (vegetarian).
Pay attention!! In Vietnamese, dog is called Cho and unfortunately some of them eat dogs. If it says Thit Cho, it means dog meat.
9 best attractions in Mai Chau
If you want to travel with a local guide who will take you to all the most worthwhile attractions, you are recommended to contact Vihn on WhatsApp, who is also the owner of Hakone Mateta. She was born and raised in Mai Chau, speaks good English and will take you on a day trip to special places with local stories.
If you want to travel alone, you can take a scooter or rent a taxi for the day. But it is very important to note that if you do not have a scooter license and driving experience, it is absolutely not recommended to rent a scooter, as driving in Vietnam is very dangerous – these are not the traffic laws you know from home.
So from here to there, these are the most recommended attractions for a few relaxing days. in Mai Chau:
Hot springs Mai Chau Bo Đại Nước Nước
Amazing springs about 45 minutes drive from town. There are two pools, one hot and one a little less so with a transition area in the middle. Clear and pleasant water and no smell of sulfur at all! The water comes from springs into the pools. Locals sometimes come there with small bags of shampoo and soap to shower.
Thac Tat Nang Waterfalls
Spectacular waterfalls located about a three-minute drive from the hot springs. A relatively large area with a stream running through it, creating a full range of waterfalls and pools. You can wander there for about half an hour.
Chiều Cave
A climb of 1200 steps! The climb takes about an hour. While climbing we will discover an amazing view of Mai Chau. If you want, you can take the opportunity to climb in a conscious and healthy way for the body, with a minimum of unnecessary effort and panting by walking mindfully.
Sunset Viewpoint from the lake
A huge and stunning lake surrounded by great viewpoints.
Viewpoint Mai Chau
A fifteen-minute drive from the town center, there is an amazing view of the entire valley. A great spot to stop and drink Vietnamese coffee.
Go Lao Waterfalls
Stunning waterfalls that you can swim in! Park at the top (usually you pay about 10,000 VND for parking) and take a ten-minute descent to the waterfalls.
Hidden lake between the mountains - Hồ Xam Tạng
About an hour’s drive from Mai Chau. (The drive alone is worth it). You go really high (if you come in winter, it’s really cold), until you discover a lake that the locals created to irrigate the rice and corn fields. A beautiful place, full of grass all around with a very special atmosphere.
Pà Cò Village
A very special village. It is recommended to have Google Translate because there are almost no tourists there and the locals do not speak English. There are lots of places to walk around. For example, tea fields, homestays if you want to sleep, forests and a small market called Chợ Pà Cò where you can find local delicacies, food and some clothes.
Pu Luong
About an hour and a half from Mai Chau. A stunning rural area, full of tiny villages, wild nature, rice fields, areas to trek, waterfalls, caves and many other beautiful places to visit. You can go there for a day or you can spend a few days there hiking between the villages of Pu Luong.
Trek with a guide through all sorts of authentic and interesting villages in the area. A rare opportunity to get to know the local life, agriculture and nature of the area. English-speaking guide Easy – medium route Includes lunch and water
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Destinations after Mai Chau Vietnam
There are lots of other things to do in Mai Chau, and it’s really fun to take a bike and explore the area. There are lots of rice fields to walk through and reach all sorts of river channels and small, secluded houses. The locals are really nice and love tourists. Sometimes they invite you to sit and drink chasers of rice wine with them (be careful because it’s strong!). You won’t exchange many words but it’s always fun and funny.
If you are looking to explore Vietnam further, there are a few other destinations that you should not miss. After Mai Chau, it is worth reaching Hanoi, the colorful capital of Vietnam, and then continuing to Halong Bay for a night cruise. From there, continue to Tam Coc famous for its spectacular views of rivers and endless rice fields. If you are an adventure lover, Phong Nha is your next destination – here you can explore vast and mysterious caves.
If you want to get off the beaten path and reach a super special destination, then Moc Chau is the perfect place for nature lovers, with lush green spaces and spectacular waterfalls. Each of these destinations will provide a unique experience that will expand your heart and soul, and it’s all relatively close after visiting the magical Mai Chau.
Mai Chau FAQs
What is the best time to visit Mai Chau? 
It is best to arrive between March to May And between September to November, when the weather is pleasant and not very rainy, and the rice fields are also at the peak of their stunning bloom.
What can you do in May Chau? 
First of all, it’s really fun to just take a bike and ride around the rice fields. The hot springs, Tat Nang Waterfalls, Go Lao Waterfalls are also attractions that you shouldn’t miss!
Is Mai Chau suitable for families? 
Very! Thanks to the relaxed atmosphere and the surrounding nature, it is also really suitable for coming as a family.
How long should you be in Mai Chau? 
In my opinion, it’s worth coming for at least 2 nights to take in the attractions that interest you and enjoy the rural atmosphere.
What nearby destinations can we continue to? 
In an hour and a half you will reach Pu Luong The stunning, and if you want to encrypt you can continue to Sapa or to Mu Cang Chai The authentic.