Things to Do to in Mai Chau | Travel Guide

 Mai Châu offers stunning natural beauty untouched by modernization. Immerse yourself in this scenic mountainous region to get up close and personal with the indigenous culture and heritage, or venture out for exquisite natural marvels well-hidden within the unspoiled area. How to get to Mai Chau here.

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PLACES TO GO

1. Thung Khe Mountain Pass (Đèo Thung Khe)

If you choose to get to Mai Châu from Hanoi, Thung Khe mountain pass will most likely be on your path as it is a part of National Highway 6. From the peak of this pass, the view captures the entire valley beneath in its breezy and picturesque atmosphere. As we proceed, we get to White Slope (Dốc Trắng) where there is a market, best known as "The market in the clouds", travelers can shop for local products from vendors by the road.

 

3. Mo Luong caves and Chieu caves (Mỏ Luông & hang Chiều)  

Two natural cavern systems with thousand-year-old stalactites and stalagmites, they are mother nature's magnificent works of art. Filled with mineral structures of all shapes, sizes, and colors, these caves give tourists the feeling similar to that you get wandering into an ancient world of primitive creations. Such unique experience cannot be ignored by those adventurous at heart.

To get to the entrance of the Chieu cave, visitors must climb 1200 steps. This cavern system is made up of two levels, 150m in total length with majestic mineral structures, many of which were named after their shapes by the locals. At the end of the journey lies a river.

Consisting of 4 caves, the Mo Luong cavern system has a total length of approximately 500m. The first cave being the widest, 16m in width and 60m in length, leads to a 10m high staircase. Ascending the stairs, you will be in the second cave, said by the locals to be the ‘house of the gods’ because its mineral formations resemble theological characters. The third section is an expansive cave of 400 square meters. Finally, the fourth cave, 25m in height, 12 in width, 15m in length, at the end of which is a subterranean river flowing out into the Mo Luong lake at the front of the mountain.

4. Thai ethnographic museum (Bảo tàng văn hóa Thái) 

The museum itself is a stilt house by a hill which belongs to Mr. Kien, who was determined to collect and curate cultural artifacts about the Thai people. More than 1000 privately owned items on display are closely tied to the Thai’s everyday life. Visitors get to see hunting tools, ritual costumes, bowls, dishes, antique coins, musical instruments, hundreds of years old books, and so on. These authentic pieces of history represent the development of Thai culture over centuries.

5. Ba Khan 

The perfect getaway from the modern busy life, Ba Khan’s pristine beauty is crafted from mist-covered mountain ranges, gently curving river, peaceful villages and just overall tranquility. Although it is best to discover Ba Khan on bicycles, trekking through wide grassy flat lands can also be an unforgettable experience. In this forgotten paradise, mountain tips rise from the bottom of the lake, creating spectacular scenery seen nowhere else. Visitors can kayak across this vast body of water on rented boats. This is also an excellent area for overnight camping.

FOODS TO EAT

Being one of famous chef Gordon Ramsay’s destination on his trip to Vietnam, Mai Chau offers an array of exotic native food. To eat what they eat is how you understand the indigenous way of life - in harmony with mother nature. You will be trying, for the first time, delicious dishes you probably didn’t even know existed. And you will love it.

1.  Mai Chau sticky rice (Xôi nếp nương Mai Châu)

Sticky rice is a traditional daily food for the Thai people. But not just any sticky rice, “Nuong” sticky rice is a special kind, famous for its wonderful texture and taste. Grown and harvested right on the paddy fields you see on the mountain side in Mai Chau, the rice is then cooked in a wooden cylindrical steamer, which gives it a unique flavor. The special thing about this sticky rice is that it is cooked not once but twice. After being cooked for the first time, the rice is taken out into a basket to be carefully stirred and then cooked the second time, letting the rice’s flavor fully bloom. Although usually eaten with other main dishes (some of which shall be mentioned below), people also like to eat sticky rice with a sesame-salt mix. Try it and you will finally understand why Asians love rice.

2. Skewered pork (Thịt lợn xiên nướng)

It is what it is called: skewers of roasted well-seasoned pork. This simple dish embodies Mai Chau’s untamed wildness. The pork is boar meat or the Muong people’s “Man” pig. “Man” pigs are small black animals, and they differ from the pigs we eat every day in that they are left to roam freely and feed on what they naturally do, giving their meat much better texture and flavor. Natives and visitors alike, all love this famous delicacy – considered by many the best in Mai Chau.

3. Bamboo-tube rice (Cơm lam)

Rice and bamboo, a traditional Vietnamese dish. Mai Chau is not the only place you can have com lam, but only in Mai Chau can you have com lam this delightful. The rice used for com lam is the special “nuong” sticky rice, soaked in water overnight; the bamboo used is meticulously chosen so that it is fresh and new, allowing the rice to be wrapped inside. Thai people then put rice together with coconut juice into the bamboo and let magic do its work as the rice cook over hot coal. Afterwards, the bamboo is cut open and an inner layer peeled away, leaving us with an amazing blend of flavors. You can taste the essence of wild nature within the rice.

4. Wild bee larvae (Nhộng ong rừng xào măng)

Summer – the only time of the year this dish is available – is when people go out into the forests to harvest honey and baskets of bees from wild bee nests. Mature brown bees are used to make bee wine; the fat and rich larvae are the ones we want to eat. First, they are washed and cleaned with cold water then fried until they turn yellow. Bamboo shoots are stir-fried until they are thoroughly cooked and the larvae are added. This simple but bizarre dish is not only delicious, but it is also extremely nutritious as the larvae contain lots of vitamins, proteins, minerals, sugars and amino acids. Great news for you bug lovers out there. However, people who have not tried insect food might be slightly intimidated by the look of that creepy(but tasty) mass on the plate. Asians eat anything that moves and you can too! You must prove to mother nature mankind’s worthiness of survival and devour these inferior animals. One bite and you will fall in love with this amazing dish.  

5. Mai Ha rice wine (Rượu nếp Mai Hạ)

Making Mai Ha wine is a traditional art of skillful White Thai people. Open a bottle and you can smell its own flavor in the air. To produce high-quality Mai Ha wine takes much skill and experience as the process is complicated. The most important element is the yeast from the leaves of a specific type of local tree. Making good wine requires the combination of at least 9 different types of forest leaves, ginger, galangal. They are all ground and dried before being mixed with rice flour and tapioca to produce small soft cakes, which shall go through another long process of distilling before we have the wonderful drink (and if you are interested, you just might be able to get a native to show you how to make Mai Ha wine). Thai people use this drink in some major events like Tet, ancestral worship ceremonies. The drink is very strong, reaching sometimes 50% alcohol.

6. Sour meat (Thịt ướp chua)

Most of the time, people use buffalo or beef to make this dish. Meat is cleaned and cut into thin slices. The skin is cooked over open fire, carefully cut into small pieces and then put into the bunch of meat. The meat-skin pile proceeds into a pot along with galangal and ground roasted rice. This mixture is left to ferment for 3 days. After 3 days, take out the meat, wrap it in some leaves, put it into hot ash, or just cook until the water thickens and we have ourselves some mouth-wetting sour meat. The dish is just so explosively tasty(everybody will tell you that), you will like it.

7. Sour river fish (Cá suối ướp chua Mai Châu)

This is an ancient traditional dish that Thai family cannot live without during Tet (Lunar New Year). People go to rivers and catch the fish they call “Pa va”(pronounced “pah-VAH”) and prepare the fish into cuts which are then sealed into bamboo shoots with spices. The fish should be ready when it is a month old – when it starts to turn soft and absolutely delicious. Sour fish, sticky rice and some rice wine are all needed.

8.  Fried cicada (Ve sầu chiên)

Another insect. Mai Chau is definitely not the only place in the world with fried cicada, but here, there is a twist to it. People first remove its wings, then replace the cicada’s gut with a crispy roasted peanut. The peanut-stuffed cicadas are seasoned and then fried up. The taste with the flavor of the crispy piece on your tongue is just unforgettable!

9. Special Thai vegetable salad (Rau xôi nộm)

In the term “rau xoi nom”, “rau” means vegetable, “nom” is a type of vegetable salad, and “xoi” is a unique way Thai people cook their food. The vegetable of choice can be whatever you like; however, certain ratios of plants yield harmony in flavor. Understanding the vegetables and knowing how to combine them, the Thai people can give such a simple dish heavenly taste. Thai people “xoi” with the “hay phac”. The vegetable is eaten with fish sauce or cham cheo spice mix. This is a particularly distinctive dish of the Thai people.

You can have these exotic dishes at the place you stay as most guest houses, hotels, resorts serve food, and especially the guesthouses. There is always a small restaurant under the stilt house.  Else, you can find authentic Thai food at markets.

There are several other places you can enjoy Mai Chau specialties

1. Dung Hoa quan – Tay Bac specialties

Address: on the path into Mai Chau Ecolodge, Mai Chau, Hoa Binh, Vietnam.

Tel : +84 94 630 82 15

2. Mai Chau ecolodge restaurant

Address: Na Thia village, Na Phon commune, Mai Chau, Hoa Binh, Vietnam

Tel : +84-218 381 9888 (Mai Chau ecolodge resort’s number)

SHOPPING IN MAI CHAU

Every Sunday morning, residents of the local community come to markets to trade goods, meet new people, participate in competitions and recreational activities. Here, one can find all kinds of local products along with an array of textiles, jewelry, clothing, and embroidery made by the hands of skillful local artisans. Mingling with the people and having fun at these markets would be unforgettable cultural experiences.

 1. Specialties

With the abundance of natural ingredients from the surrounding areas, you will be welcomed with tasty exotic dishes. You can smell it in the air as you step into a market. Who can resist a skewer of smoky grilled pork?

2. Tho Cam Vintage and accessories 

The traditional textiles play a vital role in the indigenous’ lives. Women teach their daughter the weaving techniques at the very young age so by the time they grow up, they will have mastered the traditional art. Tho Cam - Vintage clothing is used in everyday life, ceremonies and celebrations. The outfit of a person reflects strongly his/her identity.  

Made completely from natural cotton and dye, Tho Cam gives a vibration absent in synthetic materials. This element and the fact that they are hand-made make authentic Thai clothing and accessories irresistible to visitors.

Note: One common mistake travelers might make is buying certain vegetables that look good but don’t actually taste all that well when you actually eat them. Grapefruit is another thing that needs careful consideration because generally, Mai Chau isn’t the best place for grapefruit.

Here are a few shopping spots where you can shop :

• Pa Co market day (early Sunday morning)

Location : Pa Co, Mai Chau, Hoa Binh, Vietam