Hoa Binh

Hoa Binh Overview

Hoa Binh is, topographically, a province in the mountainous area of Northern Vietnam.

Visiting here, travelers probably cannot witness many rice terraces as those in Son La or Lai Chau, other provinces in the same region. However, it boasts romantic, picturesque landscapes of mountains, sky, and water.

Also, its humanity and tourist resources are quite diverse and interesting, with about 184 cultural and historical places. These attributes help Hoa Binh become an unforgettable impression for visitors.

Besides, it is home to various ethnic minorities like Thai, H’Mong, Tay, Dao, and Muong. As you may know, each group features its own unique identity, contributing to building cultural richness for this province.

Many foreigners want to experience once in their life the living style of Vietnamese ethnic groups. That’s why Hoa Binh is always among other destinations in their bucket list.

Those visiting Hoa Binh will have an opportunity to explore some specialty dishes like grilled meat and rice cooked in bamboo, or enjoy music performances and unique traditional dancing of ethnic minorities.

In general, the province possesses incredibly great potential to boost its tourism industry thanks to its endowed natural environment and human-made architectures.

Explore Hoa Binh

Hoa Binh Map

Hoa Binh Attractions

When it comes to Hoa Binh, people must mention Mai Chau, which is considered as the most idyllic district of this province. The area features a host of vibrant green paddy fields, along with traditional houses on the stilts.

The life of ethnic minorities 

In addition, on the way to this district, you can stop by Doc Koon pass to enjoy spectacular scenery over the valley. Not to mention, Kim Boi hot spring is also one of the top attractions of Hoa Binh. It offers a refreshing and restorative retreat while Thuong Tien natural reserve houses various rare animals such as sun bear and clouded leopard.

Another top attraction is Hoa Binh Museum, which demonstrates a collection of war memorabilia like an amphibious vehicle from the war between Vietnam and French colonials.

If you have more time, you can visit the following destinations, including Than Nhan village, Ba Khan Islands, and Song Da Reservoir.

Hoa Binh Restaurants & Dining

Hoa Binh dining is mostly done at houses of local people, and small restaurants in the area. So you should not expect too much in world-class dishes or cafés here.

One of the typical dishes is rice cooked in bamboo, along with grilled meat. Besides, for those looking for a more upmarket dining scene, they can visit a restaurant of Mai Chau Lodge.

It serves a wide range of meals from local to Western ones. Furthermore, you can try rice wine that is made by the local people here with starch and forest leaves. The drink is often sipped from many pipes dipped into a pot.

Hoa Binh Nightlife

Although electricity has widely covered every corner of remote villages in Hoa Binh, the life here still shuts down to sleep soon. Therefore, options for nightlife activities are quite limited. You should not expect much!

However, occasionally, there are music performances and folk dance in the evening. You can join these activities when living in a homestay or participating in a local tour.

Beside, Veranda Bar of Mai Chau Lodge is another option for you to taste its yummy cocktail specials and beer.

On the other hand, you can simply spend time enjoying the serenity and stillness of the night in Hoa Binh.

Hoa Binh Shopping

Considered as the heart of the hill-tribe culture of the country, Hoa Binh features a wide range of traditional crafts and arts, along with textiles sold in the local markets.

Visiting here, you can visit some houses in the area to watch how the locals create fabulous handmade fabrics and clothing such as brocade weaving and colored silk on looms.

The fabrics are made into bedspreads, pillowcases, tablecloths, and other items for houses. An address where you can go shopping is Pa Co Market. Here you can find various kinds of goods from food specialties to handicrafts made by the ethnic minorities.

hoa binh vietnam

Hoa Binh – Best time to visit

Because in Hoa Binh, the winter coincides with the dry season, the best time to visit Hoa Binh is its winter, which is from October to February. Since it is cold, it is ideal for tourists to enjoy hot springs and unwind themselves with mineral water.

Also, visitors can get around and explore the beauty of this area as there is so little rain. Also, during these months, it is safe for visitors to get around in narrow roads along the side of mounts and deep valleys in Hoa Binh.

Hoa Binh – Where to stay

Mai Chau district is a great place to stay in Hoa Binh. There are various kinds of accommodation for tourists to choose from homestays, hotels, to luxury resorts here.

If seeking a suitable hotel in Hoa Binh drives you crazy, below are our recommended places to stay. All of them offer a refreshing atmosphere and beautiful landscapes.

  • Mai Chau Ecolodge
  • Hoa Binh Hotel
  • Linh Soi Homestay
  • Zostay Homestay
  • Mai Chau Nature Lodge
  • Family Homestay Ba Vi
  • Mai Chau Hideaway Resort
  • Khoa Thanh Hotel
  • Serena Resort Kim Boi
  • Mai Chau Mountain View Resort

Hoa Binh Itinerary for Ideal days?

As Hoa Binh is only famous for Mai Chau beauty, you should take a one-day itinerary to explore this idyllic beauty of this region as well as the unique cultures of ethnic minorities living here.

In the morning: you can leave Hanoi to Hoa Binh. It takes about two hours to get there. On the way to the final destination, you can enjoy the exotic sceneries of the countryside. Then you can take a trip by boat on Da river, which will bring you an incredible experience.

The next destination is Tru village of Muong people before returning for lunch.

After regaining energy, you can visit the largest hydroelectric dam in the country on Da river. From the dam, you can see seemingly countless mountains behind the dam, which creates a breathtaking view of this place. You then can get back to Hanoi in the evening.