VN · Phu Tho Province · 20.67°N 105.09°E

mai chau

Rice fields, stilt-house villages and easy cycling in a valley west of Hanoi.

Best time
March and April, and October and November, are warm and mostly dry, with the rice green or turning gold. June to August is hot with heavy rain, and December to February can be cold and misty.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Fly direct to Hanoi (about 3 hours 20 minutes from KL), then about 3.5 hours by road; minibuses run from the Old Quarter. Vietnam is 1 hour behind KL.
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VN · Phu Tho Provincemai chau20.67°N 105.09°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Rice fields, stilt-house villages and easy cycling in a valley west of Hanoi.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingMai ChauVN, Phu Tho Province
KLmai chau
≈ 1,984 km from KL, as the crow flies
Photo of Mai Chau

Photo: Viethavvh at vi.wikipedia · Public domain

1 / 5

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A flat green valley ringed by hills, about 3.5 hours from Hanoi, where White Thai villages of stilt houses sit among the rice fields. Borrow a bicycle, sleep in a stilt-house homestay and eat what the family cooks.

Makan

  1. Com lamSticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes over the fire, then peeled out and dipped in sesame salt.Map ↗
  2. Grilled stream fishSmall fish stuffed with herbs and grilled, a homestay dinner staple.Map ↗
  3. Bamboo shootsFresh from the hills, stir-fried or in soup.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Lac villageThe main White Thai village, with homestays in stilt houses and weaving looms underneath.Map ↗
  2. Pom CoongA quieter neighbouring village, a short walk away through the paddies.Map ↗
  3. The valley by bicycleFlat lanes through the rice fields to villages further out. Most homestays lend bikes.Map ↗
  4. Thung Khe PassThe road in from Hanoi crosses a high pass with a lookout over the mountains.Map ↗

Good to know

  • There's no halal food in the valley. Bring snacks from Hanoi, where the Old Quarter has a few halal restaurants, and ask your homestay for fish and vegetable dishes.
  • A homestay usually means a mattress on a shared upstairs floor; book a private room if you want one.
  • Cycle early, before the day-trip vans from Hanoi arrive.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.