Mai Chau is 130km northwest of Hanoi. Tourists can take a car to Highway 6 from Hanoi to Hoa Binh City and then continue going about 70km along Son La Road to the first intersection behind the mountain range, then turn left onto Vang Street and going about 5km further to Mai Chau Valley.
Very often the pass leading to Mai Chau is shrouded in clouds. If it's a clear day, one will be able to look down upon Mai Chau valley, looking down upon trees, vast rice fields and wooden stilt houses.
The white Thai people that live there are very friendly and welcome visitors to their homes. Lac and Pom Coong Hamlets are typical of Thai minority communities. The houses are built on stilts, 1.5m above the ground, having bamboo floors and roofs made from Goi or May leaves. The area under the house is usually reserved for livestock, but for the sake of the tourists, at some houses this area has been converted into a souvenir shop flaunting items such as shawls, dresses, bags, purses, brocade cloths and multi-colour cloth balls skilfully made by Thai ethnic people. In some houses tourists can witness local women diligently working at a loom, weaving colourful brocade fabric. Also, a visit to a local hamlet is not complete without trying the famous Can wine (wine drunk out of a jar through pipes) that is made from sticky rice, Hinh ho leaf, Meo leaf and ginger that fascinates any visitor.
Continuing on to the tour with the next destination of Hang Kia Commune, tourists will enjoy melodious tunes of flute and mingle in the life of locals at Pa Co market where they can buy typical products of Mong ethnic people as presents for relatives and friends. Then they will visit Mo Luong Cave which is famous for mysterious stalactites in different shapes of flowers and springs.
When night falls, tourists are encouraged to stay at homes of local families and enjoy a special artistic programme with fascinating dances and songs of Thai ethnic people. After dances of gongs, Xoe, Gia gao and Xoe quat, they will be invited to participate in a Sap dance with the locals. Overnight stays in homes floating on the lake are also available, where one can take in a gorgeous sunrise and enjoy the clean and pure atmosphere of the early morning.
A night spent in Mai Chau is an unforgettable experience. This manner of tourism at Mai Chau is called community tourism development and it is thought to be a successful way of both encouraging tourism and raising the incomes of rural people.
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