Mai Chau stilt-house

Mai Chau gradually becomes an ideal destination for those who love to explore the wonderful natural scenery and friendly people. Mai Chau stilt-house will actually be one of the best choices for the tourists traveling to the wonderland.

Approximately 100km from Hanoi, Mai Chau appears as an immense nature strongly appealing tourists. Completely differing from the hustling and hustling urban life, the living here is truly calm and tranquil as an ink-wash paintings which are created by the talented natural artist. The tourist destination is an ideal place to visit for those who love the nature, love the simple and honest life, and would like to explore the daily life of the locals.

In Mai Chau Valley, Thai ethnic people mainly concentrate on their stilt-houses in Lac Village, Pom Coong Village, Van Village… Mai Chau stilt-houses today still preserve traditional features from ancient times to make the cultural quintessence, which is a predominant characteristic of an attractive communal community. Converging cultural essence of numerous other ethnic groups who used to live for a long time here, including Muong, Dao ethnic people…, Thai ethnic minority a now creating a particular identity of Thai people in Mai Chau.

Mai Chau is also famous for its villages, where the ethnic minorities make delicious specialties from the sticky rice. Those specialties have long become well-known culinary products nationwide. It is also an impressive place nestling in the evergreen valley with the immense rice terraces and white clouds covering the whole village. Yet, Mai Chau travel without living in the stilt-houses of Thai people will be actually imperfect.

Tourists will not feel the real life of the locals here. Though their life has been changed, Thai’s cultural identity, lifestyle and especially their stilt houses still remain the characteristics from the past. The locals still use manually traditional “brocade weaving” as their livelihood to cater to tourists. In addition, rice cultivation, livestock…are indispensable trades in each household.

As the number of tourists increasingly grows, homestay in Mai Chau has been developed and implemented to serve tourists who would like to ascertain and experience the life of Thai people. In Mai Chau, Lac Village, Pom Coong Village… of Thai people with their stilt-houses attract not only domestic but also foreign tourists. Pom Coong Village has retained 64 stilt-houses welcoming tourists. At the foot of these houses, Thai girls plies beside their looms to weave and sew souvenir products such as “pieu” scarf, skirts, brocade purses… Meanwhile, the number in Lac Village is 25 serving tourists… These stilt-houses has become an attractive tourist product because they give completely different experiences compared to daily life in urban areas. Tourists spending their vacation in these stilt-houses not only save accommodation costs, but also soak up the airy and simply space, enjoy the peace along with the honest locals… as such in their own homes.

The stilt-houses in Mai Chau have maintained simply architecture with airy and rustic space but bore peaceful and natural feeling, conserving in a unique historical value. The houses are made of rattan, bamboo, cork, or wood panels which are extremely solidly designed. The roof was thatched with palm leaves or grass leaves plaited together. The floor covering from 30 to 40 people with well-prepared amenities of the clean blanket, pillow, and cushion actually satisfies tourists’ trip. In particular, taking part in Mai Chau stilt-houses, tourists have a chane to experience the diverse and unique culinary culture of the upland. The regional specialties such as “can” wine (a kind of traditional wine in the ethnic minority), glutinous rice, grilled hill-chicken, boiled bamboo shoots with the sesame, steamed spring fish… have become the unforgetable dishes for tourists once staying in Mai Chau.

Fully converging the attractiveness of the nature, the lifestyle of Thai ethnic minority, from the amazing dishes, the experiences of the stilt-houses to subtle and luxury space, Mai Chau has become one of 10 most attractive tourist destinations in Asia. It deserves to be one of the bright spots and the most appealing tourist destination in Vietnam.