Ban Lac and Pom Coong
"In particular, the most appealing impression in Pom Coong Village is the extremely fresh "pure Thai" space. The clean water and sanitation are regulated to offer tourists the feeling of freshness and safety. Water resource is mainly used the tap water respectively hygienic. The refuse is classified, put into containers and will be processed. All of the roads and alleys in the village are clean and no littering situation. Here, tourists will feel the freshness of earth and heaven, the peaceful life, and will actually forget tiredness and worries in the hustling and bustling urban life. Tourists also have a chance to meet lovely Thai girls in their traditional dances or encounter them in the tenderness and diligence in daily life."
Ban Lac
De dorpen Ban Lac en Pom Coong. - located in the idyllic Mai Chau valley. In these villages live the Thai. Recently they do homestay. Some have a sign hanging outside with "homestay" on it. The local houses are on stilts, a thatched roof and woven bamboo flooring. The windows in the houses are quite large and welcome a cool breeze; while the windows are home hanging orchids, flowers, or bird cages. In Thai, it is always very clean and fresh at home.
Most of the houses where you are staying, have electric lights and television. You pay a small amount and eat with the family.
You can only get in Ban Lac and Pom Coong with a motorcycle, bicycle or on foot. There are no roads to the villages of Ban Lac and Pom Coong.
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When you arrive in Mai Chau you must walk to the end of the village. There you will find the Mai Chau Guesthouse. There is a desk where you pay a few thousand dong to go to these mountain tribes. This desk is usually unmanned and you can follow the road.
Just before the guesthouse and right in front of the office is a small path through the paddy fields to Ban Lac. The path to Pom Coong starts a few hundred meters after the guest house on the right.
The local people of these villages are the White Thai. Most women still wear traditional clothes. A stay or a short visit is a good look into the Thai culture. A quiet night in the village is certainly more interesting than in the Jane Mai Chau Guesthouse. |
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Pom Coong
The villages of Ban Lac and Pom Coong are great for a morning walk. The beautiful landscape is green with rice fields and dotted with nice possibilities to make a long walk. The dusty streets in the village are now paved. Although hospitality in the villages is still real, they try to sell you souvenirs. This is a good addition to the necessary housekeeping money.
You need for a stay in Ban Lac or Pom Coong a good sense of adventure. You can wander among the rice fields, rivers and streams. Do not forget to bring your camera.
Homestay means that you come into contact with the local lifestyle. It is becoming more popular with tourists and individual travelers. You meet boys and girls, who are charming and shy and dance for you. You have a chat with the schoolchildren and you can learn a lot about the the Thai cuisine. It brings you a better relaxation.
In the villages near Ban Lac and Pom Coong, you have the ability to view the Thai minority popular dance "Xoe". The "Xoe" dance has a long history and is dated around the year 1000 AD. In the beginning, the dancing boys and girls from villages holding hands and forming a circle. This dance has become a tradition in the Northwest of Vietnam and is performed at many festivals. This dance is also performed as a welcome to tourists who come to this area. This dance has grown to 36 different dances and is a symbol of unity between the ethnic groups in the north-western region.
The Valley
