Three and a half hours or 165km west of Hanoi in Vietnam’s Mai Chau
Province, the Avana Retreat has launched its Immersion package designed
to highlight natural landscapes of rice fields, waterfalls and mountains
– together with the culture of local ethnic groups.
Vu Huy, the 15-hectare retreat’s founder, says the natural splendour
surrounding the resort makes for “an immersive experience that can be
overwhelming”.
The 36 resort villas were constructed according to local Hmong and
Thai building techniques, incorporating thatched roofs, rattan ceilings
and warm wood interiors.
Local dancers performing at the Avana Retreat’s Stilt Museum.
The retreat’s new Avana Immersion experience places particular focus
on the area’s culture and natural beauty with a three-hour guided nature
trek, a jeep tour of the local villages, and a 60-minute body massage
at Orchid Spa, set by a jungle cascade.
Also included in the package is a craft and cultural workshop led by a
local artisan, a tour of the on-site museum, housed in a 50-year-old
Thai-style stilt house, and daily yoga classes in the H’mong Cottage,
overlooking tiered rice paddies, bamboo groves and forest.
The Stilt House lets visitors learn about the lives, culture and traditions of the local Thai, Muong, and Hmong ethnic groups.