Mai Chau – The peaceful green valley

Mai Chau is a small town located about 150 km west of Hanoi. With its picturesque landscapes and tranquil, slow-paced lifestyle, it has become a popular weekend getaway for travelers from the capital. What draws visitors to Mai Chau is its fresh, gentle scenery of mountains and rice fields – not as majestic as Ha Giang, Sapa, or Ha Long, yet uniquely charming. Its distance of 150 km from Hanoi makes it both far enough and near enough – the perfect escape from the bustling, dusty city into a serene and peaceful valley.

The local population of Mai Chau consists mainly of the Thai ethnic minority. They have their own language and customs, but in general, they are warm, hospitable, and also fond of drinking rice wine. Most of the residents make a living from agriculture – growing rice, raising livestock – combined with running homestay tourism. This creates a harmonious economic structure where tourism and farming complement each other beautifully.

When visiting Mai Chau, staying in a traditional Thai homestay is an experience not to be missed. Here, you can admire their unique stilt-house architecture, learn about local culture, share meals with the family, and enjoy warm moments over cups of homemade rice wine.