1. About Mai Chau

Mai Chau has beautiful weather conditions and dreamy nature. It is home to several ethnic minorities. That creates cultural diversity, architecture, and unique beauty for this Northwest gateway land.
Famous attractions in Mai Chau include Ban Lac, Ban Pom Coong, Ban Nhot, Ba Khan Lake, Go Lao waterfall, and Da Trang Pass...

2. When is the best season to go to Mai Chau?

Mai Chau is breathtaking in any season. Spring lasts from February through April when the flowers blossom and the weather are warm and pleasant. Mai Chau's landscape changes throughout the summer. May and June are the rice season, and the yellow color of ripe rice covers the valley. July is the rainy season. The best time to visit Mai Chau is from August through October when the autumn weather is warm, and the sun is pouring honey on the rice fields. When it's time to harvest, the valley turns yellow at the end of October. The valley's apricot and plum blossom season runs from November to the following January.

3. Prepare before the trip

To experience the culture and people of Mai Chau, most tourists love and choose to stay in homestays or houses on stilts.
On holidays and Tet, the number of tourists flocking to Mai Chau is relatively large. Therefore, to ensure accommodation, you should book a room 2-3 weeks in advance through reputable travel websites, or travel associations/groups. The price can range from 200,000 - 3,000,000 / night depending on the hotel, resort, or homestay.

If you make a nice living, Ecolodge Mai Chau is a considerable choice. You will enjoy the comprehensive resort services and facilities of Ecolodge Mai Chau. The space here is luxurious, cozy, and close.
Otherwise, we recommend Mai Chau Green homestay (Na Phon village, Mai Chau) for you to stay overnight. This homestay is located in the center of cultural villages. It has a cafe on the first floor, overlooking the rice fields and majestic mountains. At the same time, the room here is clean and the host is friendly. Moreover, the price is reasonable (600,000 VND per night including unpaid breakfast). There are also several other homestays such as A Little Mai Chau, Mai Chau green ecohouse, and With love from the mountains homestay,...

Besides accommodation, you can also prepare some personal items such as mosquito spray, hats, and snacks. And importantly, you should check your vehicle carefully and prepare a good mind to start the trip.

Read more: TRAVEL GUIDE Mai Chau » Breaking News, Latest World News Updates - VietReader Viet Nam 

4. About the travel schedule

To feel liberated, ride a motorcycle or self-driving car, or take a bus from Yen Nghia bus station in My Dinh.

If you take the bus, you get out at Tong Dau crossroads and then hire a motorbike taxi for another 5 kilometers to the center of Mai Chau town. Bus tickets range between 80,000 and 140,000 VND per passenger.

About the itinerary to discover Mai Chau 2 days 1 night:

- Day 1: We depart from Hanoi at 07:00 am and will stop for breakfast in Hoa Binh City at around 08:00 am. At 09:30, we reached the Da Trang Pass and stopped to check in. On the top of Da Trang Pass, there are small shacks of people selling specialties such as grilled corn, sausages, and Lam rice. Around 11:00, we arrived at the homestay in Na Phon village. After checking in and packing, you can walk along the village road to admire the rice fields and Thai stilt houses before having lunch and resting.

13h00: We go to Go Lao waterfall. Go Lao waterfall, also known as Go Mu waterfall, is one of the most magnificent waterfalls in Mai Chau, located in Phuc San commune, approximately 15 kilometers from Mai Chau. The road is relatively easy to go, can follow directions on Google Maps. From the main road, you have to walk about 70m to reach the foot of the waterfall. April 30 is a great time to visit the waterfall because the weather is quite warm, so you can freely take pictures and play in the water.

14h00: on the same road, you continue to run to Ba Khan Lake. Here you can take a boat to admire the scenery of Ba khan lake or picnic on the empty land on the lake shore. The scenery along the way is entirely beautiful and charming. However, you must pay attention to the time to return to the homestay before dark because the road is twisty and tight.

16h30: We return to the homestay after having an afternoon of wandering. Homestay has unpaid bicycles for guests to rent rooms. Cycling to visit the village and buy souvenirs is a reasonable choice at this time. Lac Village sells locally manufactured goods such as hats, brocade clothing, knives, crossbows, and arrows at moderate costs. Therefore, many tourists have bought them as gifts for relatives and friends.

18h00, we go back to the homestay for personal hygiene and dinner. The host of the homestay will prepare dinner as per your order. The menu is diverse with attractive specialties such as Ban pork, grilled chicken, fried bamboo shoots, and cabbage soup,... You can order odd dishes or combos depending on the number of people in the group. The average cost of two pax dinner is about 300,000 - 400,000 VND.

20h00: We go to the center of the village to watch dancing, sing, and have a campfire. Jumping stalls usually take place on holidays or weekends. It is also an activity that tourists coming here should not miss. You will be dancing to the music, flickering fire, and cheers of people around. When the dew drops, the evening in Mai Chau is chilly, so remember to bring a jacket to keep warm.
22:00: We return to the homestay. You can have a snack, enjoy a cup of hot cocoa and listen to music, then go to bed to prepare for tomorrow's journey.

- Day 2: At 05:00 am, we depart from the homestay to visit the Hang Kia rattan hunting spot (in Hang Kia commune, Pa Co). These are Hoa Binh's only two Hmong communes, nestled between four rugged mountains. You can immerse yourself in a sea of white clouds by climbing to the sky gate. November to April is the best season to go cloud hunting in Hang Kia - Pa Co. The road is dark, winding, and dangerously steep. Therefore, you must move very carefully. In addition, your motorbikes need to be checked and filled with gasoline before starting. The road is dangerous, but the scenery at the cloud-hunting spot is outstanding. That is a moment that any travel enthusiast wants to see.
Read more: Hang Kia - Pa Cò, a booming tourist destination » Breaking News, Latest World News Updates - VietReader Viet Nam

After catching the sunrise at the top of the mountain, we returned to the homestay to have breakfast and pack up to return to Hanoi. Around 15:00 we arrived in Hanoi and ended the exciting two days and one-night journey to discover Mai Chau. Reasonable travel time will help you not feel tired during the trip.

The total cost for two people traveling by motorcycle for two days and one night is 1,700,000 VND. It is highly inexpensive and cost-effective. This summer, Mai Chau is an excellent choice for leisure and discovery travel.

Also read: 
- Hang Kia Pa Co: Perfect Cloud Hunting In Vietnam | Expatolife
- Lac village, a nice escape to immense natural scenery & authentic local culture in Mai Chau valley (goldenholidaytravel.com)