Mai Chau Adventure

This add-on is a 4-day tour to the valley of Mai Chau that departs from Hanoi on Wednesdays and can be booked in conjunction with most of our SE Asia group tours that begin in Hanoi on a Saturday. Alternatively, similar arrangements can feature as part of a Tailor-made holiday.

Located a few hour’s drive from Hanoi, Mai Chau is home to the White Thai people, whose descendants are from Thailand. The valley is famous for its checkerboard of paddy fields and traditional stilt houses. On this trip get a feel for what daily life is like for the local farmers and their families whilst staying at the beautiful Sol Bungalows which are surrounded by emerald mountains and lush rice fields.

Day 1 - Wednesday, upon arrival into Hanoi airport you will be met and transferred to the hotel in the city. The remainder of the day is at leisure to start exploring Vietnam’s exciting capital. Overnight – Hanoi.

Day 2 - Departing the hotel this morning we head west towards the border with Laos for about 4 hours before reaching the lush valley of Mai Chau and the land of the White Thai. We have lunch at a traditional family run guesthouse on stilts in the village of Mai Hilch before taking a walk around the village. We are likely to see local farmers working in the fields and the children taking the water buffaloes out. We head to our lodge for the rest of the afternoon where we can relax by the pool and take in the amazing surroundings. Overnight – Mai Chau (B, L)

Day 3 - After breakfast we take a short drive to Hoa Binh province and the rocky plateau of Hang Kia where the scenery is ever changing. We meet a Local H’mong family where we take part in a traditional Batik workshop and learn the ancestral techniques used with H’mong fabric. We have another traditional lunch at a local home. This afternoon we take a steady paced 3 hour downhill hike back to the sub-valley in Mai Chau. The hike is on scenic single trails affording fantastic views of the wild stretches of land between the mountains. Once at the bottom we will be met by our car and transferred back to the lodge for the rest of the day. Overnight – Mai Chau. (B, L) Please note: This is a relatively easy hike on single trails, although it can be rather slippery when wet. If you prefer not to hike, we can transfer you by road from Hang Kia back to the lodge in the afternoon, where you can enjoy some rest and relaxation. Overnight - Mai Chau (B, L)

Day 4 - Saturday – After breakfast we Mai Chau stopping briefly at the local market. Before arriving into Hanoi, we stop at the town Hoa Binh where we get the opportunity to visit the Muong Cultural Museum – home to a fine collection of information, objects and architecture from the Muong culture. Later we have some lunch in Hoa Binh before continuing to Hanoi for a mid-afternoon arrival.