{"id":454,"date":"2016-10-30T08:19:05","date_gmt":"2016-10-30T08:19:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.thealternativeways.com\/?p=454"},"modified":"2017-05-02T08:23:30","modified_gmt":"2017-05-02T08:23:30","slug":"ma-le-vietnams-town-of-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thealternativeways.com\/ma-le-vietnams-town-of-happiness\/","title":{"rendered":"Ma Le, Vietnam\u2019s town of happiness and simplicity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Vietnam’s town of Happiness and Simplicity<\/h1>\n

Ever since I was a child, I\u2019ve had this fantasy of living in a small village nested in a cliff side.<\/p>\n

\"kids<\/span><\/p>\n

A village that woke up with the sunrise and the sounds of the roosters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"town<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Where you could walk down to the stream and take a swim.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"stream<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Living in a log cabin built by locals hundreds of years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"ma<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Offering a view that cannot be described by words alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ma<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Enjoying meals with locals,<\/span><\/p>\n

\"eating<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Delicious meals made with local foods that come from their own mountainside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"ma<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Giving you a moment to think, and appreciate the good things of this world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"ma<\/p>\n

Ma Le is that type of magical place. The type which allows you to feel at home in a different world. A vertical world where 1000 meter mountain is considered small, and where over 150 rice fields stacked on top of each other within the mountain side is a norm. Welcome to Ma Le, Vietnam\u2019s town of happiness and simplicity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Situated in the Ha Giang Province, about 15 km north of Dong Van City, Ma Le can be easily missed when passing by it. At first, it looks like any other cross-town on these mountainous passes, but as soon as you get off the main road, you enter a new world of peace and serenity, where you feel as though time has left the town as it was centuries ago. If you plan on visiting Dong Van, I highly recommend staying in this small hidden gem of a town instead of Dong Van.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Up Next: 10 Local Foods not to miss in Vietnam<\/a><\/h3>\n

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Where to stay in Ma Le<\/span><\/h1>\n

To experience the authenticity of Ma Le, you should stay at the Ma Le Homestay.\u00a0Owned by Dung (pronounced Zoom), the Homestay has recently become part of a humanitarian project to help the town develop itself. Dung is a generous and righteous man who is also bringing electricity to one of the Hmong People communes, who live in the mountains about 4 KM away from Dong Van. At night, we would cook massive meals and invite all the neighbors to eat with us, drinking Happy Water (homemade rice wine) into the later hours of the night. Offered at a very affordable price, this Homestay exceeded my expectations in every way. It is the type of place you plan to stay in for 1 night, but end up staying for 1 week, so watch out!!<\/span><\/p>\n

Alt Tip: The place is quite difficult to find if you don\u2019t know where to look, so instead call Dung, and he will be able to help you. The number you can reach him at is: 097 379 18 42.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

What to do in Ma Le<\/span><\/h1>\n

There are many things to do around Ma Le. Even staying around the Homestay will teach you how to do some pretty incredible stuff like this little animal made of plants!<\/span><\/p>\n

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In Ma Le, you can<\/span><\/h2>\n