At Home in the Hills of Mai Chau

Bite-sized trip

Location:
Mai Chau & Mai Hich
Duration:
3 days / 2 nights (flexible)
Price:
From £ 428.- per adult (excluding flights)
From £ 298, - per child (up to 11 years)

Give your family a taste of real rural life in the beautiful countryside around Mai Chau. You’ll stay in a house on stilts in the village of Mai Hich, where you’ll be hosted by members of a tribe originally from Thailand. Learn about their life and culture, as well as enjoying their delicious food! You’ll also cycle through the rice fields where you can see life going by and meet the locals – it’s a real eye-opener for both adults and kids alike.

P.S. If homestays really aren’t for you, then we can arrange for you to stay in an ecolodge instead, just let us know!

Vietnam Mai Chau Hich local woman smiling

Day 1 – Travel to Mai Chau

You’ll be picked up from your hotel in the morning by your driver – usually you’ll travel from Hanoi so it’s a journey of around 4 hours today, but you can ask to make some stops along the way to stretch your legs. As you drive into the mountains, the scenery gets greener and greener and there’s plenty to look at from the window.

You’ll arrive in time for lunch in the village of Mai Hich, before being welcomed by your homestay hosts. They speak limited English, but a bit of sign language goes a long way! You’ll be sleeping local-style on a mattress with a mosquito net around it – this isn’t 5* luxury but it’s comfortable enough for a couple of nights, and it’s a fun experience for the kids. You can explore the village before a traditional dinner is served up.

Day 2 – Cycle through the rice fields

The sound of roosters will usually wake everyone up fairly early, and after a tasty breakfast you’ll meet your guide and hop on your bikes for an adventure through the countryside. It’s a pretty gentle ride which is fine for kids, and takes you straight through the rice fields where you can see daily life buzzing all around – children playing in the fields whilst the adults get on with their daily chores.

After stopping for a delicious lunch it’ll be time to head back to the homestay, where everyone can settle down in a hammock and get a little rest before dinnertime.

Day 3 – Departure from Mai Chau

Your driver will arrive after breakfast to take you to your next destination, whether that’s back to Hanoi ready to travel south, or maybe on to Bai Tu Long Bay for a junk boat trip…