Mai Chau Ecolodge

Mai Chau Ecolodge is a hillside eco-resort overlooking rice terraces and the villages of Lac and Pom Coong, in Vietnam's Mai Chau valley, about three hours from Hanoi. Thai, Hmong and Tay communities work the land here much as they have for generations. Rooms are built from local wood, palm leaf and stone in the style of the valley's traditional Thai stilt houses, arranged around a central pool with sweeping views over the terraces.

Cycling and hiking routes lead straight out to the stilt-house villages of Lac, Van and Pom Coong, close enough to reach on foot, where traditional Thai dance is still performed and cooking classes run using local ingredients. Further afield, Chieu Cave's limestone chambers and Hoa Binh Lake, the largest reservoir in Southeast Asia, are a fantastic trip out.