Mai Chau is located around 140km from Hanoi in a peaceful valley sheltered by the outside world by a dramatic ring of hills. Its isolation has allowed a traditional way of life to thrive in a way that you wouldn’t expect so close to the capital city.

Conveniently located slap-bang in the middle of the country, Hoi An breaks up a journey between the North and South nicely, and as a result, few visitors come to Vietnam without passing through the town. But it is so much more than just a stopover or a tourist trap.