Mai Chau is a rural district of Hoa Binh province in northwest Vietnam, 160 km from Hanoi. Visitors who trek or bicycle around the beautiful area of Mai Chau will get a look at the ethnic hill tribes of the White Thai and Hmong in their villages. Weaving is a much-practiced skill, and traditional hand-woven clothing abounds. Another fascinating feature of this area is its many stilt houses, made of bamboo and timber and built 10 to 12 feet off the ground to protect residents from rising water as well as to shelter animals. Visitors have a chance to join the community of the local people in the rustic and pretty villages, where they will be satisfied with the fresh and delicious food which has typical flavors of mountainous areas. Welcomed by friendly smiles of local people, visitors will experience deeply local life in rustic home stay and have a memorable trip here.