Hoa Binh Travel Guide

Hoa Binh is a mountainous province in the north. It is bordered by Phu Tho and Ha Tay to the north, Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa to the south, Ha Nam to the east, and Son La to the west. The culture of Hoa Binh combines several ethnic groups, each with its own language, literature, and festivals. In this article, we will provide you with general information as well as a helpful Hoa Binh travel guide.

General Information

• Area: 4,684.2 sq. km
• Population: 820.4 thousand habitants (2006)
• Capital: Hoa Binh City
• Districts: Da Bac, Mai Chau, Ky Son, Cao Phong, Luong Son, Kim Boi, Tan Lac, Lac Son, Lac Thuy, Yen Thuy.
• Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Muong, Thai, Tay, Dao, etc.

Weather in Hoa Binh & Best Time to Visit

Mountains and narrow valleys make up the topography. The annual average temperature ranges between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius. The dominant subtropical climate in Hoa Binh province is distinguished by the division of the year into two seasons: dry and rainy. The holiday season lasts from November to April when there is little rain and the sunniest days.

Tourists come here primarily in the spring because the winters are quite cold. The air temperature drops to 5 degrees Celsius in January. However, it is already warm in March and April, with temperatures reaching 15-20 degrees and the sun almost never hiding behind clouds. It is easy to enjoy the spring beauty of the mountainous region because you do not need to overdress to avoid the cold or suffer from the heat.

Getting to Hoa Binh

Hoa Binh Town is located 82 kilometers from Hanoi. Both road and water transportation are convenient. National Highway No. 6 connects Hanoi via Ha Tay to Hoa Binh, Son La, National Highway No. 15 connects Mai Chau to Thanh Hoa, and National Highway No. 12B connects Hoa Binh to Nho Quan (Ninh Binh).

Getting around Hoa Binh

You can rent a motorcycle or bicycle to explore the surrounding areas. For safety and personal reasons, you can hire your own car with a trustworthy driver. With a team of professional drivers, we provide car rental services in Vietnam.

Where to Stay in Hoa Binh

There are many beautiful and well-known places to stay in Hoa Binh, most of which are in Mai Chau, Kim Boi, and Luong Son.

Avana Retreat, an isolated resort in Phang hamlet, Bao La commune, attracts tourists to Mai Chau district. Mai Chau Ecolodge in Na Chieng, Na Phon, attracts tourists with its rustic appearance and location near rice fields, ideal for viewing the golden season.

Doi scented grass resort in Ram hamlet, Cu Yen commune is recommended for tourists in Luong Son district. It has modern and luxurious villas on green grass hills. Utilities have numerous outdoor swimming pools, Jacuzzis, and Dao tobacco bathing services.

Because the Kim Boi district is well-known for its hot springs, the resorts in this area are suitable for all four seasons. Serena Resort Kim Boi is located in Khai Doi hamlet, Sao Bay commune, and was inspired by the beauty and culture of the Northwest. It is made of stone, wood, bamboo, and a thatched roof, and it is close to nature. There is an Onsen bath, or indoor hot bath, in Japanese style.

Best Places to Visit 

Thung Khe Pass

This limestone mountain, located on National Highway 6, between Tan Lac and Mai Chau territory, was formed by the paving process. This is also a location where clouds frequently gather, creating a hazy scene reminiscent of white snow in winter. Visitors should only come here on sunny days to take beautiful photos and avoid being in traffic.

Lac Village

Lac Village, where hundreds of stilt houses dating back up to 700 years, is a must-see for anyone interested in learning about local culture. It also has an endless rice field scene and homestays on stilts to stay in. Lac village is about 3 kilometers from the Mai Chau Ecolodge resort and can be reached by bicycle.

Thung Nai

Thung Nai, also known as “miniature Ha Long,” is located on the road leading into Hoa Binh. Visitors should rent a boat to admire the Da River and photograph the large and small islands on the blue lake.

Hoa Binh lake

If you are visiting Mai Chau in a large group, you should not miss the Hoa Binh lake bed to Ngoi Hoa Bay, Tien Ao, and Ba Chua Thac Bo Temple. The marina is at the far end of Suoi Lon village.

Things to do in Hoa Binh

Tourists particularly enjoy ethnic special dishes such as bamboo-cooked rice and grilled meat. At night, visitors can stay in stilt houses in Mai Chau Valley’s Lac Village and enjoy traditional dancing, music performances (bronze drums, gongs), and Thai minority singing and dancing. Visitors interested in learning about ethnic groups flock to the remote Muong, Dao, and Tay minority villages. Interesting souvenirs include beautiful brocade and forest products.

Primitive forests and many clean springs are suitable for swimming, climbing, walking, and hunting. Visitors are also fascinated by the superb beauty of Hoa Binh Hydroelectric Power Plant, the largest one in Vietnam. Boating on Da River is an enjoyable feeling.

Apart from these, scientific tests have shown that the mineral water at Kim Boi Hot Spring is good for drinking, bathing, and treatment.

What to Eat in Hoa Binh

Grilled Fish

Fish sandwiched between bamboo sticks and grilled over a charcoal fire is a popular dish on the way to Thac Bo cave. Small batches of fish and clams are cleaned of scales and intestines before being salted and peppered and grilled. After that, the fish is served on green banana leaves with young crocodile leaves, apricot leaves, and guise leaves. The flesh of the fish is firm, sweet, and fragrant, with a faint scent of banana and bamboo and the aroma of charcoal grilling.

Chicken with sour bamboo

Hoa Binh’s specialties include chicken cooked with sour bamboo shoots. Fresh bamboo shoots are collected from the forest, cut into small pieces, washed, and salted before being fermented naturally. Bamboo shoots are pale yellow, fragrant, and free of scum. Hill chicken, which is tough and fragrant, is frequently used to make bamboo shoot soup. After cleaning, cut into small pieces and tighten with onion fat. The chicken is then simmered with sour bamboo shoots and doi seeds, both of which have a pungent, aromatic flavor.

Pickled pork

Because of the unique method of preparation, pickled pork gives visitors the impression that they are enjoying both the plants and the forest. The pickled pork dish is delicious and combines many different types of forest leaves. All are readily available, and each leaf is regarded as a valuable medicine that is beneficial to the body.

We hope the information in the article “Hoa Binh travel guide” will be helpful to you. If you want to have more information and ideas to build an unforgettable itinerary in Hoa Binh, do not hesitate to contact us!