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Mai Chau is a valley located in the west of Hoa Binh province, adjacent to Moc Chau district (Son La). It is not only a place with many majestic and captivating natural beauties but also bears the rich cultural identity of mountainous ethnic groups.
By booking affordable tours to Mai Chau from Mytour, you will have the opportunity to fully experience and enjoy these cultural values. Moreover, if you visit Mai Chau in September, you will also have the chance to explore the unique mountainous festival season.
What's Hot about September Tourism in Mai Chau?
Mai Chau is known as a small town nestled in the valley of Mai Chau district. It is located 35km from Tan Lac district and approximately 135km from the city center of Hanoi. The majority of the local residents are of the Muong, Thai, and Kinh ethnic groups.
Although Mai Chau may not boast as many tourist attractions as Moc Chau, it possesses the pristine and picturesque beauty bestowed by nature, with a cool and fresh atmosphere and a rich diversity of culture and cuisine.
In Mai Chau, you can visit at any time of the year, as each season offers unique and enticing activities that attract numerous visitors. However, according to the latest Mai Chau travel experience from Mytour, it is recommended to visit Mai Chau in September as this is when many festivals are celebrated throughout the year. The most prominent of these is the Independence Day celebration.
During this time, the weather remains slightly cool, ranging from 18-25 degrees Celsius. Nevertheless, it is still much cooler and more pleasant. Additionally, you can also come to enjoy the golden ripe rice season in the fields. This is considered the 'icon' of the mountainous ethnic people.
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Discover Independence Day when traveling to Mai Chau in September
In the last days of August, people in the highlands of Mai Chau have begun bustlingly preparing for Independence Day. This is a major holiday of the year, so people temporarily put aside their farming work and together clean up the neighborhood streets.
Independence Day in Mai Chau (Hoa Binh) usually lasts for several consecutive days. It begins with a commemoration ceremony followed by a series of festival days with various folk games, traditional dances such as xoe dance, and traditional music performances throughout the night.
Within each stilt house, everyone is busy with their tasks. Men take care of the pigs, while women prepare traditional rice cakes. Especially during festivals, villagers enjoy lively volleyball matches and other energetic games like sack races and stick pushing.
The children, despite their appearance, are lively and excited more than usual. They wear new clothes to go out, gather with many friends, and have fun in the festive atmosphere. Visiting Mai Chau in September, you'll hear the echoes of gongs, joyful cheers, and melodious singing throughout the area.
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Discover stunning Instagram-worthy spots when traveling to Mai Chau in September
1. Thung Khe Pass
Thung Khe Pass, also known as White Stone Pass, is hailed as the 'four-seasons-in-a-day' pass, as it showcases the nuances of all four seasons within a single day. In the morning, sunlight pierces through drifting clouds. By noon, the landscape is bathed in the golden hues of ripening rice fields. In the afternoon, cool breezes mingle with gentle afternoon sunlight, and by evening, the air turns chilly, reminiscent of winter days.
Thung Khe Pass lies between Tan Lac and Mai Chau (Hoa Binh) along National Highway 6. Along the way to the pass, you'll be immersed in the majestic beauty of nature, with romantic and picturesque scenery. Moreover, you can stop by roadside stalls to indulge in roasted corn, grilled meat, and a cup of warm tea.
2. Mai Chau Flagpole
After leaving Thung Khe Pass, there's a spot you can't miss due to its unique landmark: Mai Chau Flagpole. Standing here, you can admire the panoramic beauty of Mai Chau. Originally an open space for sightseeing, it later became home to a flagpole, serving as a landmark for tourists to check-in and capture memorable moments.
3. Mo Luong Cave
A complete Northern Vietnam tour package wouldn't be complete without a visit to Mo Luong Cave. Mo Luong Cave is part of the Pu Kha mountain range near Mai Chau town. It's about 2km away from Lac Village.
This is always an ideal tourist destination for those who enjoy experiencing and exploring nature. The cave comprises four main chambers with impressive stalactite formations, creating unique and mesmerizing shapes.
Moreover, after concluding your visit to Mo Luong Cave, you'll also have the chance to witness the underground stream flowing into the lake, which is quite unique.
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4. Lac Village
Traveling to Mai Chau in September definitely wouldn't be complete without mentioning Lac Village. This place is not only the local village where people live but also a famous tourist destination to check-in whenever visiting Mai Chau.
Here, it's not bustling and noisy but rather resembles a quaint little village, hiding many charming, intimate, and friendly aspects. Those who have had the chance to visit here all feel as beloved as at home.
A highlight of Lac Village is the strong imprint of Thai culture. The locals here mainly make a living from rice cultivation and weaving.
5. Pom Coọng Village
If you're booking an affordable Northwest tour, you should choose Mai Chau to fully explore the beauty of village life. In addition to Lac Village, this place is also prominent with Pom Coọng Village. What attracts tourists here to explore is the fresh air, clean water source, and peaceful way of life.
Pom Coọng is a name with many symbolic meanings. It is understood as a village located on hills with large drums. This mountainous cultural village is famous for its unique stilt houses, clustered closely together, sometimes only separated by vegetable beds.
When visiting the village, you can easily spot Thai girls diligently weaving unique brocade products under the stilt houses. These souvenir products are often bags, shirts, scarves... woven with unique brocade. That's also one of the cultural beauties that both domestic and international tourists are captivated by when visiting Pom Coọng.
Moreover, visitors to Pom Coọng also get to enjoy the characteristic xoe dances, gong festivals, traditional wine-drinking ceremonies, and many other unique festivals.
6. Gò Lào Waterfall
Located more than 15km from the city center, Gò Lào Waterfall belongs to Phúc Sạn commune. When visiting Mai Châu, you should not only explore the hills, villages, but also spend time enjoying the streams and waterfalls.
Gò Lào Waterfall has 2 small waterfalls flowing from a height of about 15m. It's quite convenient for you and your family to organize a picnic right next to it because there's an empty space. However, you should also check the weather forecast before traveling. If it rains, the road to the waterfall can be slippery and dangerous.
7. Pà Cò Market
Pà Cò Market is about 40km from Mai Châu town. The market is located in the center of 3 communes: Hang Kia, Pà Cò (Mai Châu, Hòa Bình), and Loóng Luông (Mộc Châu, Sơn La). Visiting the mountainous area without exploring Pà Cò Market is a big miss.
Pà Cò Market only convenes on every Sunday. The locals here have to wake up early in the morning when the mist covers the mountains to make it to this special market. It's not just a place for trading goods but also an opportunity for people to meet, exchange cultures, and share stories about life.
Although it doesn't happen frequently, when the market day arrives, it becomes bustling and lively like a festival. Visitors here get to immerse themselves in the most distinctive mountainous cultural atmosphere.
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Mountainous specialties when traveling to Mai Châu in September
1. Bamboo Rice
Bamboo Rice is always the most famous dish in the journey of exploring Mai Chau travel in September. This dish is extremely familiar to the mountainous people. Bamboo Rice is cooked in young bamboo tubes, filled with rice, peanuts, grated coconut... then grilled over fire. When the rice is cooked, it's eaten with sesame salt, roasted sesame, and grilled meat.
Although the dish looks simple, it requires the cook to be meticulous and skillful. Cooking it to perfection, with a fragrant aroma and avoiding burning is crucial. When the water inside the bamboo tubes dries up and the rice is cooked, one uses a knife to peel off the outer layer. The rice should be sticky and fragrant to meet the standard.
2. Glutinous Rice with Mountain Herbs
The people of Mai Chau don't just cook sticky rice with ordinary glutinous rice but with a special type called mountain herbs glutinous rice. This is a type of rice grown by the Thai people on the terraced fields in Mai Chau valley.
The mountain herbs glutinous rice is soaked for several hours to soften before cooking. Here, the rice is put into a wooden pot to steam. Once the rice becomes fragrant, it's stirred evenly to ensure uniform cooking. Then it's put back into the pot and pressed to make sure it's cooked through.
So when you visit Mai Chau, you must try this fragrant and unique mountain herbs glutinous rice. It's definitely a suitable dish for romantic and enticing days of Mai Chau travel in September.
3. Muong Pork
Another specialty of Mai Chau that you must try is Muong pork. This type has a long body, a pointed nose, and is raised in natural conditions. That means they roam freely in the forest, feeding on grass and plants instead of industrial livestock feed. Perhaps that's why the meat is always lean, low in fat, and has a distinctive aroma.
After being grilled over a charcoal fire, it cooks evenly with a natural sweetness. This is one of the dishes that strongly reflects the culinary culture of the Northwest region.
4. Wild Bamboo Shoots
This is a specialty of Mai Chau's mountainous region and is a food that is always present in every meal of the local people. Wild bamboo shoots are usually harvested and pickled or dried for later consumption as a kind of 'vegetable'. The bamboo shoots here are not the ordinary type but have a uniquely bitter taste.
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5. Mai Ha Liquor
The specialty Mai Ha liquor is a famous drink that everyone who comes here must try. This liquor is distilled from leaf yeast. The minimum ingredients for the yeast must include 9 types of forest leaves: pomelo, guava, wild betel leaf, Indian almond, gourd, bell-shaped flower, ardisia crenata, areca nut palm, and Indian taro. This mixture needs 3 days to ferment into yeast. After the yeast turns cloudy white, it is distilled in a pot.
Mai Ha liquor is also special for its clarity and intense fragrance. It can be enjoyed as a beverage with delicious snacks or used as medicinal liquor for massage.
6. Phao Leaf Water
People in Mai Chau search for forest leaves during the clearing process. These leaves are then dried, chopped, and boiled to make a drink. This leaf water has a bitter taste and herbal aroma.
The locals often use phao leaf water as their daily beverage because it is very effective in stimulating digestion, nourishing, and boosting immunity.
Above are the most detailed insights into the September journey to Mai Chau, from the visiting schedule, attractive tourist destinations to the enticing specialties. Don't hesitate to call Mytour Mytour for assistance and booking cheap tours today.
