Mai Hich vs Sapa
Our next stop after Ninh Binh was Mai Hich, a small village in the mountains west of Hanoi.
When planning our itinerary for North Vietnam, we saw that the most popular attraction in this area is the mountain town of Sapa. It supposedly has beautiful mountain scenery and nice hiking options. It is also where residents of Hanoi go to escape the summer heat.
The agent we were working with to plan this trip convinced us instead to go to Mai Hich. In addition to being several hours closer to Hanoi, he said it would provide a more “authentic” experience than Sapa.
White Tai and the Mai Hich Homestay
The residents of Mai Hich are primarily of the White Tai ethnic minority (one of 54 ethnic groups recognized by Vietnam). They are known for being extremely polite, respectful and hospitable.
Most of them are simple rice farmers, but they seem to be a genuinely happy people. This was evidenced by the big smiles we saw from almost everyone we encountered.
They live in large houses on stilts, and several of these have now been turned into homestay accommodations for tourists. The house we stayed in featured a large bunk room that could probably sleep 20, plus a small number of adjacent private rooms, so it was hardly a one-to-one type of homestay. Nevertheless, the service was warm and the food was good, so we very much enjoyed our 2 days of bicycling through the fields and floating down the river on bamboo rafts.
One night, a local dance troupe performed for us at our hotel. The group performed a number of dances for us, each one in a different, colorful costume. It was all very entertaining and informative. Of course, being the dancing fool that I am, I had to join in on the fun.
The Vietnam Train Experience
After 2 days, it was time to leave Northern Vietnam and start working our way south. Our next stop was Hoi An, in the center of the country. Rather than fly, our agent insisted that the quintessential Vietnamese experience was to take the overnight train from Hanoi to Danang.
Our train left Hanoi around 10PM and we pulled into Danang at 2PM the next day. For the first 13 hours of the journey, we didn’t really understand why it was an essential experience. Finally, the last hour of the trip took us through a mountain range on the coast, where the track was perched precariously on the steep mountainside. The views of Danang Bay from the train were truly spectacular and at last we understood.
gail
So interesting and what an adaventure