Deep Trek to Mai Chau Valley

DAY 1: HANOI – MAI CHAU VALLEY (-/L/D)

Set off after breakfast this morning for a four hour drive to Mai Chau. The drive takes you through beautiful Hoa Binh Province, located in the mountainous area southeast of Hanoi; the scenery is dotted with limestone karsts. Thai, Hmong and Dao people live in the area and you’ll pass several small villages along the way.

Descend the last 14km along a steep mountain road into the stunning valley of Mai Chau where a hot lunch will be served by your trekking cook in one of the small villages. Your homestay this evening is in this quaint village and is a great way to experience the cultures and traditions of the Thai people.

After lunch and some time to relax, take a short 1-2 hour walk around the village and the valley. Depending on the day of the week, visit Mai Chau Market and Van Village. Overnight homestay in a Thai village

Distance and journey time:
Transfer: 3.5 hrs
Trekking around the village: 1-2hr
Difficulty: Easy

DAY 2: MAI CHAU – HANG VILLAGE (B/L/D)

After breakfast, we drive 22km further into the reserve where we begin our trek. We trek for approximately 3 hrs before arriving at Hang Village, which is home to Thai ethnic minority. We spend the night with a local Thai family who will be our hosts in a traditional house built on stilts. We can stroll around the village to observe daily life activities of the locals before dinner. Overnight homestay in a Thai village

Distance and journey time:
Transfer: 4 hr – Trekking: 3hrs – Difficulty: Easy

DAY 3:  HANG VILLAGE – KHO MUONG VILLAGE (B/L/D)

If you can get up early in the morning, you can take part in the local life activities, or take a stroll around Hang village before having breakfast. Today is a harder day of hiking, 50% on village paths 50% on an old disused unpaved French road. There are some steep climbs and yet more stream crossings. The trekking becomes more remote but one is never far from a villager tending fields or walking back from early morning market. Relax from the heat of the day in a local home at a village while lunch is cooked before continuing on along the old jeep road to a village nestled between steep karts mountains. Arrive early with spare energy to hike a two hour round trip to a newly discovered and incredibly large cave, hidden on high ground surrounded by thickets and hanging vegetation. It is now protected by the Forest rangers, due to the delicate ecosystem and bat species inside. 

Overnight homestay in a village

Distance and journey time:
Trekking: 6 hrs – Difficulty: Medium

DAY 4: KHO MUONG – PHO DOAN – HANOI (B/L/-)

Wake up early to the sound of chickens and ducks and children preparing for school. Take an early morning walk through the village to experience morning life in a farming community. We trek toward Ma River. The trek is quite gentle since we descend a wide-open valley. After 2 hrs trek we will reach Pho Doan Town. If this falls into Sunday, you may want to visit the busy Pho Doan market. Followed by trekking to Ma River, we will see nice view of river, paddies and water wheel on the way. We will be picked up and transferred to Hanoi. Arriving back in Hanoi around late afternoon

Distance and journey time:
Transfer: 4 hrs – Trekking: 3-3.5 hrs – Difficulty: Medium

Note: An itinerary may at times be altered by our guides due to local conditions, the skill of participants and other unexpected circumstances. Our priority is always the experience and safety of our clients.