Well hello to you my reader chums! I fell in love with Mai Chau as soon as I arrived. It's a quaint village located in northern Vietnam, renowned for endless rice fields and a wholesome, nature appeal. There isn't much going on but that's the beauty of it, an opportunity for peace. 

If you're planning a trip to Mai Chau, here's my guide to everything you should know about visiting Mai Chau in Vietnam.

It's completely residential

Mai Chau is a village that is mainly filled with locals. You're essentially staying in a residential hub of those who work on the rice fields and because of that, don't expect an over 'tourist' appeal. The village is gorgeous and the perfect opportunity to switch off and just be. As it is pretty rural, don't expect attractions everywhere, just pure wonders of natural rice fields.

Restaurant options are limited

I'm not sure if it's the time we visited or what, but the restaurant scene wasn't massive. I'm talking a handful of restaurants around to choose from and that's why I ended up dining in the homestay, my partner and I were staying at. 

Enjoy homestay living

Speaking of homestays, expect those in the bucket load here as it's the main form of accommodation with many to choose from. And, a chance to enjoy countryside views and live with the locals, learning more about them and their culture. I loved my Mai Chau homestay, it was a quaint cabin with a balcony, overlooking the rice fields.

Rice fields change throughout the year

The rice fields change depending on the season and the weather. In springtime (March to May) and autumn (September to November), the rice fields turn a golden-yellow colour before harvesting. Whilst, for the classic green rice fields, February and August is the optimum time to witness this. I visited in February and was blessed with gorgeous green rice fields - a sight I'm still not over.

Hiring a bicycle is the best way to get around

Cycling around picturesque green rice fields on a bike is an experience like no other. If you want to explore the village and beyond, hiring a bike is key and what most visitors do to see the natural sights and get a taste of village life.

Spring and autumn have the best weather

The weather changes and can influence when you'd like to visit. The spring and autumn months have the best weather as it's mild and warm. The summer season is monsoon/rainy season and floods are known to create havoc on the roads. Wintertime is pleasant enough in terms of temperatures but gets cooler at night so it's important to bring layers.

You can reach Mai Chau by bus from Hanoi

Mai Chau is easily reachable from Hanoi and buses are pretty regular. As it only takes around three and a bit hours, you can leave early morning and arrive by lunchtime.

I hope you enjoyed this post. When are you planning to visit?

Thank you for reading <3