The northen province of Hoa Binh has been known for long as the home of the Muong people with many significant cultural features and more than 200 historic sites and landscapes, 64 of which have been recognised as national relics.

With more than 50 tourist-friendly villages, Hoa Binh has been tapping its great potential for homestay tours. Visitors to the province invariably have memorable experiences after joining the friendly local residents in their daily activities, staying in stilt houses and enjoying unspoilt natural scenery.

So it is not surprising that Mai Chau, a small town in Hoa Binh, has been named by the respected US Business Insider as among the "10 Awesome Cultural Tours That Will Make You Feel Like a Local".

The US magazine described Mai Chau as a wonderful destination if visitors are interested in a deeper experience of Viet Nam, staying with a warm and welcoming population. Mai Chau is a mountainous town that has many traditional stilt houses built by two ethnic minority groups - the White Thai and Black Thai, who make up the majority of the population there.-VNS