Mai Chau eco-lordge

How Many Days to Spend in Mai Chau?

It’s easy enough to get lost in the magic of Mai Chau, a rice paddy-coated mountain region that casts its spell over many visitors to northern Vietnam. This 520km2 district has rightfully earned its reputation as a multi-day stop, where activities like trekking, cycling, cruising, exploring caves and generally leaning into perfect relaxation keep visitors enraptured. Though day trips are available endorse from Hanoi, we at Mai Chau Ecolodge, one of Vietnam’s best eco-friendly accommodations, heartily endorse at least an overnight stay. But how many days should you spend in Mai Chau, exactly? Find out with our idea and an example itinerary explaining how to spend 3 days in Mai Chau.

 

How Long to Spend in Mai Chau

• One Day – Day trips from Hanoi to Mai Chau always fail to demonstrate the full beauty of the valley, as the long travel times and rushed nature of tours leave only about 4 to 5 hours of actual enjoyment time.
• Two Days – A good option for those pushed for time. Those wondering whether to spend overnight in Mai Chau will be glad that they did once they experience the stillness of night-time here, only permeated by the sounds of crickets and the flashing of fireflies.
• Three Days – In our opinion, 3 days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Mai Chau. Two nights of serenity come between 3 days of relaxation, exploration, eating, drinking and cruising at leisure.

 

Check out our example itinerary below to see how you can enjoy Mai Chau for 3 days:

 

Day One

Travel from Hanoi | Relax over Lunch | Take a Trek | Sunset Drinks

 

As almost everyone does when travelling to Mai Chau, you will likely be making your trip here from Hanoi. The bustling capital of Vietnam is located about a 3-hour drive from the greenery of Mai Chau and provides a much-needed retreat for visitors fatigued of city life. Start with an 8am transfer to Mai Chau, which can be a little tricky if not going with an organised tour. A haphazard public bus is available from My Dinh Bus Station and the motorbike ride to Mai Chau is hair-raising, but flecked with moments of beauty. Those staying at Mai Chau Ecolodge will be able to book onto our shuttle bus for a cheap and wonderfully efficient transfer. Find out more about that here

 

Now, your own answer to how long to stay in Mai Chau is completely dependent on the beauty you find within the district itself. If you find yourself staring in amazement at the rolling rice fields and the emerald forests clinging to towering mountains of limestone, you may want to opt to stay for a while, which is a decision you can make over a scenic lunch either at your accommodation or in the main tourist town of Pom Coong.

 

When your lunch is over and the heat of the midday sun has subsided, you can engage in any of the trekking tours that will give you a greater understanding of the valley and its people. This is especially true with one of our guided trekking tours, but none of the magic is lost if you set out on your own. The areas of the highest intrigue and natural beauty are in the northwest of Mai Chau around Hang Kia, Pa Co and Cun Pheo communes, though longer treks to Pu Luong Nature Reserve will not soon be forgotten.

 

Wind down for the night by resting those weary legs atop the roof terrace of Sunset Bar, an establishment that serves up exactly what its name suggests. This bar in central Pom Coong village offers exquisite panoramas of Mai Chau and an outstanding view onto the vivid red sun as it dips between tree-topped mountain peaks. It never fails to draw back visitors spending 2 or 3 days in Mai Chau.

 

 

Day Two

Morning Yoga or Swim | Cycle Tour | Explore Chieu Cave | Evening Spa Session

 

Rise early on the second day of your Mai Chau escape – it’s time again to sink into the sublime nature of the famous district. With a stunning backdrop gleaming in the fresh morning sun, you can start the day right with a self-run yoga session at your accommodation or a dip in the swimming pool, both of which Mai Chau Ecolodge can accommodate in style.

 

Wolf down a delicious breakfast and keep up the wellness vibes with a cycling tour of the valley. No matter how long you stay in Mai Chau, a cycle along its quaint village paths and through its gorgeous ethnic villages of stilt houses is a real treat for the senses. The largely flat ground of the valley region makes cycling tours a simple enough task, though anyone wanting to head out on their own accord can do so with the complimentary use of bicycles at Mai Chau Ecolodge.

 

If not too tired from your cycling ride, the early afternoon can be spent exploring the magnificent Chieu Cave. This central Mai Chau cavern actually glistens in the early afternoon sun, as cavities in its roof allow sunlight to filter through after noon time. Visitors to the interior of the cave are free to marvel at stalactites and stalagmites formed over millions of years, but only after making the mega ascent up 1,200 irregular stone steps outside.

 

The evening, after this day of activity, belongs to some serious pampering. Watch another incredible sunset and feast on some of the succulent flavours of Mai Chau for dinner before retiring to a spa for a scintillating and soothing massage. Local remedies and Western treatments are available in the spas of Mai Chau, each designed to round off a day of intrepid exploration or even poolside lounging. Mai Chau Ecolodge houses one of the best spas in Mai Chau and is exclusively open to guests of our eco-friendly Vietnamese resort. Check out our service here

 

 

Day Three

Boat Cruise on Hoa Binh Lake | Return to Hanoi

 

If looking to spend 3 days in Mai Chau, your final day should definitely involve some time at Southeast Asia’s largest artificial lake. Don’t let the word ‘artificial’ put you off; Hoa Binh Lake is a jaw-dropping site with genuine nature rising up from its sides, one holding 9.5 billion cubic metres of water to the west of Hoa Binh city. Hire a cruise boat and head out onto the lake; you’ll stream past seaborne mountains reminiscent of Halong Bay and ethnic villages lying at their foothills. Tours to Hoa Binh Lake often head to Thac Bo Temple, a religious site on a jutting island, plus some other natural sites nearby like Go Lao Waterfall.

 

Finish your relaxing, nature-blessed morning back on the dry land of Mai Chau. You can wrap up your 3 days in Mai Chau with a final lunch and a comfortable ride back to your hotel in Hanoi with the Mai Chau Ecolodge shuttle bus.

 

We hope you enjoy your time in Mai Chau. For those staying the night, Mai Chau Ecolodge would be delighted to have you. We are one of the top accommodation options in Mai Chau and one of the best eco-friendly accommodations in Vietnam. Click here to find out more. Thanks for reading!