It’s only 5km off of Highway 6 and 139km away from Hanoi is where you will find Mai Chau. Internet, phone service, and shopping is not available in this village. If you truly need one of them, you will have to travel all the way back to the nearest town. If you want to live like a villager, you will leave these things behind. Isolation from modern civilization and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is what will be awaiting you.
Passing through the town’s stilted houses, you will travel 2km from the center. From there, take a right at the Mai Chau Lodge directly across from the rice fields. You will encounter Pom Coong and Ban Lac just a few hundred meters apart from each other. If you decide to take the next right off the main road, you will come upon Ban Lac 1 and 2.
You will find everything along the main road. It will be confusing at first; the constant beeping and bustle of people will make it difficult to navigate. The road also has no name, but eventually you will get used to it. If you want a break from the crowds, journey to the relaxing Mai Chau region. Meet new people in the area and bond by partaking in everyday activities with them. Maybe enjoy a meal together: we have many stories of the unusual (but often delicious) country delicacies served to us. When it gets closer to nighttime, settle down in a homestay and sleep peacefully until the bright and beautiful sunrise greets you. After you rest and gear up for another day, depart from your new friends and make your way to the capital of Vietnam: Hanoi.
