Secretly nested in the beautiful valleys and hills of Mai Chau, a mountain retreat offers you a relaxing and natural excursion far from the city hustle and bustle. 

A mere 150 kilometers from Hanoi, Avana Retreat is in Mai Chau Province, though its idyllic atmosphere more closely resembles neighboring Moc Chau highland. Surrounded by rural mountain landscapes and ethnic villages, Avana Retreat offers a relaxing and invigorating excursion to the northwest mountains where you can immerse yourself in nature and relish plenty of fresh air.

Avana Retreat nestles amid rural mountain landscapes. Photo by Avana Retreat.

Nature is abundant within the retreat

Nature enthusiasts can find a variety of landscapes at Avana. The 15-hectare retreat has an abundance of attractions; a waterfall that runs wild and free, paddy fields radiating with the fragrance of young rice, hills and valleys to spread the soul over, streams that roll in solemn silence, fresh air and the ever-present, slight sweetness of greenery. To Avana, nature is truly a living and breathing entity.

Nature is abundant within the retreat. Photo by Avana Retreat.

Happiness has a smell

Avana Retreat offers a chance to escape the city hustle and bustle for a taste of quaint mountain life. At any time of day, there is always a place to feel a sense of peace while breathing in the sweet scent of happiness.

Avana Retreat bathed in a stunning sunrise. Photo by Avana Retreat.

Here, happiness comes with the early morning sun casting light across Avana, the trees smelling damp and the air pristine and sweet. It comes with wildflowers brushed with the morning dew and the coffee aroma hanging in the air while you are curling still on the bed in our cozy hillside bungalow listening to the tranquil morning.

Avana's waterfall. Photo by Avana Retreat.

Happiness is a walk along a wooden bridge to the sanctuary at Orchid Spa, or relaxing by the pool while watching the lights of twilight color the valley as the wind caresses the dancing leaves.

One can leave the loud world behind to embrace a quiet moment of contentment while sitting, listening to the natural music of the waterfall.

Live the culture up close

Offering more than simply the joy of sustainable nature living, Avana is steeped in ethnic culture. While relaxing on the terrace, one can cast their gaze toward the Hmong families tilling their breathtaking rice terraces.

Local artists offer enchanting traditional performances while Thai women display beautiful scarfs woven on a traditional wooden loom. A museum, located in a 1970 Thai stilt house, preserves and promotes Mai Chau's history and daily life via detailed exhibits.

Hmong families cultivate their terraced rice fields. Photo by Avana Retreat.

An idyllic atmosphere and peaceful local life are some of the defining characteristic of the Avana Retreat neighborhood. A drive in a U.S. military jeep traverses rugged trails and miles of bucolic countryside. Visitors are encouraged to take a trek with a local guide to the hills and visit ethnic villages where they are welcomed with warm smiles.

More than a luxury mountain retreat - Avana is a wellness sanctuary dedicated to those seeking their inner selves and fully embracing the simplicity of life and nature in rural Vietnam.