To get to Chieu Cave you must climb a staggering 1,200 stone steps, but once you arrive at its mouth you will be glad you made the effort. Filled with impressive stone structures, “Hang Chiều” is like the land before time. “Chiều”, meaning ‘afternoon’, is a name given to the cave by local people, because it is made even more magnificent in the afternoon when the sun fills the cave with sparkling jewels of reflected light.
An imposing limestone cave complex with four main grottos and two entrances, the main one of which is in Mai Chau Village. Situated inside Pu Kha Mountain, this cave is set deep into the rock with a huge variation in width, from 1m to 30m. The ceiling is at times incredibly high, and the cave itself has the ancient, timeless feel of something that was created long ago and will endure for a long time yet.
Other caves in the Mai Chau area that are well worth the visit include Pieng Kem Grotto, Khau Phuc Cave and Lang Cave.
Pu Luong Nature Reserve is a haven of nationally preserved land which stretches from Mai Chau to Cuc Phuong National Park in the southeast. It is located in the Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc districts of north-western Thanh Hoa Province, about 17km from Mai Chau. This large nature park is famous for its gorgeous scenery, featuring dense, rich forest, limestone ridges and beautiful flowing rice terraces. Home to the Muong people, a notoriously warm and friendly ethnicity, a visit to Pu Luong’s emerald green mountain passes and winding valleys is ideal for an immersion into authentic North Vietnamese way of life.
