Mai Chau

Mai Chau is a district in Hoa Binh Province, approximately 135 km from Hanoi and 60 km from Hoa Binh City. Standing atop Cun Mountain, visitors can admire the breathtaking panorama of Mai Chau with its lush green valley and stilt houses. Mai Chau is home to many ethnic minorities, with the largest being the Thai people.

Stilt houses line both sides of the road, closely packed together. These houses are quite spacious, with palm leaf roofs and polished bamboo floors. In the center of each house is the kitchen, where cooking and the weaving of 'tho cam'—the traditional fabric of the Thai people for making clothes—takes place. The windows are large and adorned with decorative patterns. Each house also has a pond for fish farming.

The Sunday market attracts a diverse crowd into town. People from various ethnic minority groups living in the mountains come to the Mai Chau market to sell their distinctive products: honey, bananas, corn, and 'tho cam' woven by skilled Thai women. The Sunday market is also an opportunity to enjoy traditional Thai dishes and participate in ethnic dances.

Mai Chau can be an ideal destination for trekking to the surrounding villages, with overnight stays in the stilt houses of the H'Mong and Thai people. Joining a guided trekking tour will enhance your experience.

Hoa Binh is a mountainous province located in Northern Vietnam. It is bordered by Son La to the West, Phu Tho and Ha Tay to the North, Ha Nam and Ninh Binh to the East, and Thanh Hoa to the South. The culture of Hoa Binh is a blend of six ethnic minorities with their own languages, folklore, and unique festivals. Tourists particularly enjoy the specialty dishes of the ethnic minorities, including bamboo-cooked rice and grilled meat. Additionally, tourists can appreciate traditional dances, music performances (featuring bronze instruments, drums, and gongs), as well as Thai minority singing and dancing. The remote ethnic minority villages are attractive destinations for tourists.