As a tourist destination, Mai Chau is nothing new in the roster of immense Vietnamese holiday destinations. Thousands of tourists each year are enchanted by its elegant mix of nature and culture, which is spread across villages of ethnic minorities and the rice paddies and jungle that separate them. Why, then, are many potential visitors so unsure of how to travel to Mai Chau?
Firstly, where is Mai Chau in Vietnam?
The emerald valley of Mai Chau is located in the northwest of Vietnam. It crowns the beautiful province of Hoa Binh, which is also home to parts of Cuc Phuong National Park, Pu Luong Nature Reserve and Hoa Binh Lake. Mai Chau is classified as a ‘district’ and lies about a 3.5-hour drive from Hanoi to the northeast. There are 4 main ways to get to Mai Chau from Hanoi, all lain out below.
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Public Bus
If you’re seeking a local, truly Vietnamese way to travel, one of the public buses from Hanoi to Mai Chau might be the way to go. This is far from the most popular way to reach the valley as the public bus is never advertised by tour operators, but budget travellers looking to see how Vietnamese live and travel will find a wealth of attraction in this endearingly local service.
My Dinh Bus Station is a large public terminal in the west of Hanoi. Public bus times from Hanoi to Mai Chau are rather sporadic and there is very little clear information online about the timetable. 2pm,2.45pm and 7.45pm are the times quoted on one website, but Vietnamese public bus information is reliably unreliable. It’s best to ask your accommodation to phone My Dinh Bus station to check the times and then arrange a taxi for you to get there before your bus to Mai Chau. Prices are cheap at about 80,000 VND ($3.5 USD), but the bus can take a while with all of the stops, not to mention the time it takes to get to My Dinh Station. Fortunately, Mai Chau Bus Station is just a short walk away from Pom Coong, the central village of Mai Chau where most accommodation options lie.
Motorbikes are the preferred transit system of Vietnam, which is obvious to anyone who simply looks at a street. If you feel like you can handle the heat of the fray, taking a motorbike to Mai Chau from Hanoi is an excellent way to feel the freedom of travelling in Vietnam.
This way is beautifully direct and doesn’t involve a lot of effort. You will need to arrange for a motorbike beforehand, which is easy enough, but make sure that you don’t hold onto it for too long as costs can build up quickly. The fastest way to Mau Chauis along the CT08 Highway, which turns into the AH13 further on. The scenery isn’t up to much as you drive west of Hanoi, but it takes a markedly beautiful turn after passing Hoa Binh city. For the last hour of the drive, the road is flanked by gorgeous rice fields and towering limestone mountains that reach a climax at the ThungKe Pass, which looks down over the valley of Mai Chau. Driving a motorbike to Mai Chau is not completely safe, just by the nature of Vietnamese roads, but if you follow the signs, wear a helmet and obey what few Vietnamese traffic laws there are, you’ll be okay.
Indochina Motorbike Tours will be pleased to arrange the privately guided package motorbike tours.
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Shuttle Bus
Those not wanting to fly by the seat of their pants may want to eschew public buses and motorbikes in favour of a shuttle bus. Shuttle buses from Hanoi to Mai Chau are the most popular ways of getting from the capital to the valley as they combine ease and convenience to make sure that the trip is smooth for all passengers.
Shuttle buses have become a popular method for many accommodations in Mai Chau to transport their guests from Hanoi. Mai Chau Ecolodge offers one of the most convenient answers to the question of ‘how to get to Mai Chau?’ with our shuttle bus, which picks up guests from their hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and brings them straight to our luxury eco-accommodation in Mai Chau. Many other hotels in Mai Chau require their passengers to meet at a certain point at a certain time in the Old Quarter; our door-to-door service is why we consider ourselves one of the most convenient. Shuttle bus trips take about 3.5 hours after collecting guests from hotels and transports them in comfort and style along the nature-bordered highway. We take one stop at a lovely café along the way for a quick refreshment and toilet break.
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Tour Package
A popular way to see Mai Chau amongst middle-aged and older travellers is through a tour package. This is an all-inclusive service that takes guests from Hanoi to Mai Chau and provides them with food, accommodation and activities along the way.
Tour packages, like the ones provided by Indochina Motorbike Tours, are great for travellers wanting to rid their holiday of any unnecessary hassle. The actual transport to Mai Chau is a shuttle bus, but the service also includes everything that they will need to stay and see the beautiful valley in total comfort. These can range from basic 1-night packages, including transportation, food, overnight accommodation and one activity, to 3-night packages and more. The tour packages offered by Indochina Motorbike Tours are always hugely popular and offer a more local, rural experience that still retains a high level of luxury.
Whichever way you decide to travel to Mai Chau from Hanoi, you will always find a gorgeous, intrinsically Vietnamese blend of greenery and ethnic life upon arrival. Indochina Motorbike Tours provides exquisite eco-accommodation in central Mai Chau, with excellent rooms, wonderful amenities and a forward-thinking philosophy that protects both the culture and nature of the valley. Find out more about us here; and thanks for reading!
