Mai Chau

The jewels are somewhat hidden
By BruceMoon (dabbler - 5 reviews)
Written on 2nd July, 2009 after a visit to Mai Chau in October, 2008
I fully concur with the observation above...

Ban Lac is the more developed of the two, and the main drag was packed with tourists and tour buses on our visit, people playing pool at an outdoor billiards table, and pop music blasting on a sound system somewhere.

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The alternative village worthy of one's stay is said to be Ban Pom Coong. But, when I was there, there was confusion as to where this village was actually located.

Some indicated it was 'over' the creek (meaning through Lac and over the creek), others said 'no', it's 'down the road and over the river', meaning further along the road south-west and past the school.

Whichever, the village further down the road IS the place to head for.

To get to the village 'further south', after leaving Hwy 15 and going along the local road, instead of veering right to enter Lac (at the school), continue along the road (from the turn-in) go over the bridge, and after about 500m, the 'better' village is both before you and on your left (nestled into and at the foot of a mountain).

Not all householders in this village offer accommodation, but merely by asking you'll be quickly directed to those that do.

Sleeping in the stilted houses adjacent to rice paddies, while not romantic, still allows a delightfully rustic ambience to the early morning.

From this village, you can go walking north-east along a delightful and very scenic pathway alongside a small river (around the mountain that this village abuts). As you proceed past the mountain to where the river path departs north, you can choose to follow the rice paddies to various other villages (by veering left), or continue south to take a reasonably well worn path that brings you onto the Lac - Xa Linh road (track when past this village).

To the south-east, a walk will take one to through or around rice paddies to other villages.

During Spring, the constant splashing and 'chattering' of the plentiful ducks waddling through the young rice crops made for a delightful ambience.

On a Sunday, there is a market, with Tai peoples from near and wide offering local wares. Not many tourists avail themselves of the market, so many ethnic goods can be bought for reasonable prices.

Few locals wear traditional costume (unless they are in Lac and selling woven goods from under their house). Most women have a loom under the elevated house and appear to do some weaving. Sadly, much of the product for sale in Lac is manufactured in China. Some households in the 'other' village sell home made weavings.

Unlike elsewhere in Vietnam, those seeking to sell their wares are very polite. That said, quiet bargaining is the way here rather than haggling.

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I've 'rated' Mai Chau as:

Sights & activities = 7. Not for what is provided you, but for what you can do in the locality.

History & culture = 4. While the Tai live here, there isn't anything done, either by the Tai or the Vietnamese government to reveal history & culture. So, aside from sleeping in a stilted house, one could be anywhere in rural VN.

Scenery = 7. For much of VN, the urban dominates even rural areas. Here, the scenery & ambience are really rustic.

Eat & drink = 5. You either like local (plain) food or not.

Traveller scene = 3. Lac has one, but it isn't a raging party. Rather, the lack of respect by westerners to the local environment means that there is a clash of culture.

Romance = 6. I'm too old for 'romance'. But, I could see how young couples would find the rustic laid back ambience romantic.

Value = 5. It depends on expectations.

I'll be back = 5. If I'm in the area, yes, I'd stay again.

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Cheers
Also reviewed by BruceMoon: Luang Nam Tha, Pai, Umphang,