Thanks to its beautiful landscape and fresh climate, along with folk culture, unique festivals, and traditional handicrafts imbued with the culture of ethnic groups in the Northwestern region, Mai Chau district has emerged as an ideal community tourism destination.
Tourists on a raft on Xia stream, Mai Hich commune (Mai Chau district).
Lac hamlet in Chieng Chau commune is a must-visit site in Mai Chau. Aged more than 700 years old, it is home to a Thai ethnic community. Local residents have still preserved their traditional customs. The hamlet has welcomed foreign tourists since the 1960s, and been known as a "bright spot" on Vietnam's tourism map.
Others include Pom Coong hamlet in Mai Chau district, and Van hamlet, where visitors are treated to special dishes and facilitated to explore local culture.
Further, Hich hamlet in Mai Hich commune, about 12km from the centre of Mai Chau district, is another option. Holidaymakers will have a chance to learn about Thai people’s brocade weaving, enjoy local food, and ride boats on Xia stream.
Mai Chau markets attract those who want to explore traditional culture.
Coming to Buoc hamlet in Xam Khoe commune, visitors are not only overwhelmed with the green of nature but also able to relax themselves in palm hills, terraced fields, and kitchen smoke spreading.
Meanwhile, Mong people’s hamlets in Hang Kia and Pa Co communes are luring vacationers with markets held every Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Hoang Duc Minh, Vice Chairman of the district People’s Committee, said over the past years, local authorities have restored many traditional cultural festivals to attract tourists.
Currently, the district counts more than 200 lodging businesses, including 30 resorts and hotels, and more than 170 homestays, with 15 hamlets offering tourism services.
Last year, Mai Chau served more than 500,000 visitors. Recently, the famous booking site Booking.com has announced the annual Traveler Review Award 2023 honouring Mai Chau as one of the 10 friendliest destinations in Vietnam in the year.
Hoa Binh has taken measures, focusing on removing barriers in terms of mechanism, policy, infrastructure, and upgrading technical infrastructure facilities serving tourism and the quality of human resources, to promote tourism development in the Hoa Binh Lake area.
Over the past time, Da Bac has deployed measures to lure more domestic and foreign visitors to the locality, aiming to turn tourism into the district’s economic spearhead.
Covering an area of over 52,000 hectares spanning districts of Mai Chau, Tan Lac, Cao Phong, Da Bac, and Hoa Binh City, Hoa Binh lake has strong potential for tourism development. In recent years, thanks to the attention of local Party Committees and authorities as well as support from international organisations, the advantages of tourism in the lake area have been utilised.
Mai Chau is a mountainous district and home to many ethnic groups such as Thai, Muong, Kinh, Mong, Dao, and Tay with distinctive cultural identities, creating a diverse and unique cultural treasure. Aware of its advantages, the district has paid attention to the preservation and promotion of ethnic groups’ cultural values so that culture will become a leverage for tourism and contribute to socio-economic development and life quality improvement.
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