Exploring Mai Chau, Ninh Binh & Halong Bay
Our Asia Product Manager, Rachel Gleave, along with Asia Specialist, Katie Owen, recently returned from a journey into Vietnam’s beautiful northern landscapes to discover how best to incorporate a little local, rural life into your Vietnam holiday.
Many years ago, before visiting Vietnam for the first time, I dreamed of verdant, mountainous scenery, peppered with traditional villages surrounded by rice fields. I love the countryside and discovering how the locals live.
My first visit was exceptional, ticking all the boxes for a first time visit to this incredible country. I explored the back lanes of historic Hanoi, cruised through the giant karsts of Halong Bay, explored the rambling shophouses of UNESCO World Heritage Hoi An and zoomed through Saigon on the back of a scooter – all wonderful! However, something was missing and this time I was on a mission to discover the rural side of Vietnam.
Mountainous scenery is not hard to come by in Vietnam. The Annamite Range stretches all the way from Laos, through Vietnam and into Cambodia and acts as a natural border, so as soon as you drive anywhere west, you’ll find yourself in picturesque hill country.
Halong, Lan Ha Bay & Local Overnight Cruises
Drive about an hour east from Hanoi (or even fly by seaplane – a fantastic way of setting the scene from the sky) and the journey is pretty flat, but you’ll reach Halong and Lan Ha Bay, neighboring bays, both equally dotted with limestone karst islands – an absolute must for any trip to Vietnam and perfect for an overnight cruise through the giant monoliths. This time we stayed on Heritage Ginger, a gorgeous boat with spacious ensuite cabins, each with its own balcony and delicious food served on the top deck restaurant with floor to ceiling glass windows to maximise views. Outside, there’s a small plunge pool and relaxing deck, and on the first afternoon you have a chance to cycle to a local village on Cat Ba Island to observe life in this remote corner of the country. I’d highly recommend the two-night stay on sister vessel, Ylang, for a deeper insight into the region, with an extra day to explore the national park of Cat Ba and really unwind after an exhausting journey flying to and exploring Hanoi.
Halong Bay from the seaplane
Rachel & Katie cycling on Cat Ba Island
I do digress, as I was talking about the western mountain ranges, but it’s good to know how it can all be linked with Halong Bay as it is usually featured on an itinerary.
Getting To Ninh Binh From Hanoi & Attractions
So – back to driving out of Hanoi – if you drive south for about an hour and 45 minutes, you’ll find yourselves amongst more limestone karst in a region called Ninh Binh – also know as ‘Halong Bay inland’. Tam Coc is a pretty little town, where small rowing boats (rowed by feet by the locals) will take you through lush green rice fields, surrounded by this magnificent scenery. We love the boutique hideaway – Tam Coc Gardens – nestled amongst the rice paddies with a gorgeous setting and the perfect place from which to hop on a bike and cycle around the surrounding countryside. You can easily combine Ninh Binh with Halong Bay as it is about a 3 ½ hour drive, so it makes a neat little triangle… Hanoi – Halong Bay – Tam Coc – Hanoi.
Scenery around Tam Coc in Ninh Binh
Hanoi To Mai Chau Valley & Mountains
You could also consider adding an additional stop in Mai Chau – the area South-West of Hanoi. This is where you find the mountains. As you journey from either Hanoi or Tam Coc, you’ll soon notice the picturesque vistas, passing through local towns and villages to reach Mai Chau, a beautiful valley known for its rolling rice paddies as far as the eye can see. Authentic Thai Villages with stilt houses, a lifestyle of traditional rice farming methods and ethnic handicrafts can all be found here. One of the best ways to experience the region is on foot, or better still, by cycling through the rice fields and past local villages. Mai Chau is charming and rich in nature and culture, and is a wonderful, and I’d say essential, addition to any trip to Vietnam.
Rachel & Katie cycling in Mai Chau Valley
The journey from Hanoi is 2 hours and 45 minutes and from Tam Coc its 3 hours and 30 minutes, however, our guides will turn the journey into an excursion in itself as there is much to see enroute. For example, when journeying from Tam Coc, you’ll pass through Phu Long, a steep valley, known for its rice terraces with some lovely walks and nice restaurants for a lunch stop. From Hanoi, you might stop off for a bike ride through some of the rice fields before reaching your accommodation.
Where To Stay In Mai Chau
Until now, the best option has been Mai Chau Eco Lodge, a lovely, yet rustic eco lodge set on the edge of one of the small towns with magnificent views and comfortable accommodation. You can cycle independently straight from here and even walk into the village, where many of the stilt houses have been converted into homestays with restaurants and cafes.
Mai Chau Eco Lodge
In late 2022, the opening of Avana Retreat, an exquisite lodge located about half an hour from Mai Chau, brought a new level of luxury to the region. And not luxury for luxury’s sake but an authentic, tranquil haven, set on a remote hillside with the most incredible views down the valley.
Just 36 individual villas hug the hillside, all designed with a nod to local culture with brightly coloured fabrics, traditional artefacts and plenty of wood to create a natural style. The villas are huge with separate living spaces, some with connecting second bedrooms. All allow 2 adults and 2 children. This place is utterly romantic and yet is also perfect for families with kids’ craft activities and a kids club – families are definitely welcome, and children would never be bored.
The resort has curated several activities to immerse guests in the local community… from jungle and village treks, jeep tours though the valley, and kayaking at nearby Ba Khan Lake. However, you’ll want to build in enough time to simply relax by the pool and enjoy the incredible views, indulge in the jungle spa, or walk through the grounds and relax by the waterfall that runs through the property.
Rachel’s video of the awe-inspiring views from Avana’s pool:
Avana Pool Views
Rachel on Jeep Safari
Lunch setting
A stay in Mai Chau is the perfect way to incorporate a rural stay into your Vietnam discovery. You could simply add a few nights after Hanoi or combine a stay with Halong Bay and Ninh Binh. In my opinion, it is a little too far to drive all the way from Halong Bay to Mai Chau, which is approximately 6 hours, so a stop off in Ninh Binh breaks the journey nicely. Perhaps spend a few nights in Hanoi, fly to Halong Bay for 2 nights, enjoy a night in Tam Coc and then 3 nights in Mai Chau and back to Hanoi.
A Sapa Extension
Just one more suggestion from me –another awe-inspiring region of northern Vietnam is Sapa, where the mountains are at a higher elevation and so the scenery is even more dramatic. It’s slightly further to drive but is well worth the visit. The hilltribe villages up here are more traditional than those you’ll find in Mai Chau – even though the farming in Mai Chau is very traditional, they don’t wear the traditional Hmong dress as they do in the villages around Sapa. Topas Eco Lodge is simply sublime, and is often fully booked, so if you are planning a trip, do book well ahead.
Read more about how you can discover Sapa, an impressive part of Vietnam.
Rachel & Katie also took the train and stayed at Zannier Bai San Ho – click here for more about their journey.
We’ve suggested exactly this in our 17 nights Vietnam Luxury – Nature, Locals & Landscapes itinerary, which combines the north with a few nights in charming Hoi An, journeys by train down to Quy Nhon, and ends at Zannier Bai San Ho, an utterly idyllic coastal hideaway in this unspoilt region of the country. Ready to take your own luxury journey through Northern Rural Vietnam? Enquire now.
