Fleewinter
16 Bedrooms, Sleeps 32
Bicycle hire
Swimming pool
Spa facilities
Restaurant and Bar
Air conditioning
"The staff were quite charming and very welcoming!" - Leigh D, Oct 2019
Mai Chau is our favourite mountain destination in Vietnam for escaping the crowds and observing local tribal culture because it is less crowded with tourists than the increasingly popular Sapa in the north. And the Mai Chau Lodge makes the trip all the more worthwhile.
This pretty little lodge has a spectacular backdrop, nestled into a wonderful little valley surrounded by mountains. It has just 16 rooms and all modern conveniences - including a lovely pool, air-conditioning and flatscreen TVs.
But walk down the road for five minutes and you will find yourself in a White Thai village, where people live in stilt houses, graze their water buffaloes in the rice fields, and weave beautiful fabrics on simple looms. Yes, the Mai Chau Lodge promises a rather special stay indeed.
The rooms are light and airy and tastefully furnished with smart polished wood floors and wooden furniture. The Deluxe Mountain View rooms are cosy with bright cushions against the heavy dark-wood furniture and floors but for extra space we recommend the Deluxe Pool View rooms, which open onto verandas overlooking the pool. Meanwhile the Junior Suite in the main building is an enormous room with an equally large balcony on which to watch the sun set behind the hills.
The lodge has a fabulous open-air restaurant with views over a lily pond to the distant hills. It offers a buffet breakfast which is included in the room rate. At lunch time and dinner the restaurant serves a selection of Vietnamese influenced dishes as well as a barbecue on Saturday nights. There is also a bar at the lodge which offers snacks, drinks and has a wine cellar.
Most nights, White Thai dancers perform on the attached patio space and put on a charming exhibition of traditional dances. If you're brave enough to join with the last dance you?ll be rewarded with a sip of some local rice wine from your very own long straw stuck in an earthenware jug.
Mai Chau Lodge is located 135km southwest of Hanoi in the Northern province of Hoa Binh. It takes approximately 3-4 hours to make the drive from Hanoi.