With the idea to honor the architectural highlights of the natives, 36 bungalows and villas of Avana Retreat are constructed with the guidance of craftsmen from three minority groups of Mai Chau. Every corner, every inch, is imbued with the cultures and identities of the natives.

Dry in spring, cool in summer, warm in autumn, and wind-proof in winter, the villa responds to the environment of the Northwest mountain wonderfully, thanks to a unique building method: totally hand-crafted earthwork. With architecture modernities these days, it’s hard to believe a raw, natural material like earth is still useful. In fact, this ancient method is one of the most sustainable building methods. 

The craftsman said that thatched roofs are the best, they are abundant, light, and effective. By layering up palm leaves, it prevents heat leaks in the winter and keeps the space chill around the summer. Looking from afar, it’s like camouflage that blends seamlessly into nature.

A traditional craft of the Thai ethnic groups, using the outer layer of the rattan tree, the craftsmen skillfully entwine the solid timbers into patterns. You can see it on the ceiling, you can see it on the chandelier, the sedge carpet, or the buffalo muzzle decor, all contribute to a space that is truly in tune with nature.

Take a day to explore Avana Retreat and you will see a stilt house hiding on a low hill. It might surprise you that usually there would be a bungalow constructed here, so why does a stilt house of the natives placed right here? Well, it's not just a traditional house, it is a renovated museum full of stories and past memories. 

Built in 1970, this stilt house was moved to its current location as the construction started. Back in the days when Avana Retreat was no more than concrete and frames, the founders would get together in the stilt house after a day of hard work and talk about the process, share their hopes, and just bond over the tough times. The stilt house witnessed all and came through the hardships with us, it was our special place.

Then, the house was converted into a museum when the project was finished. Opening from 9:00 to 17:00, you can come and observe the collections of jewelry, traditional clothing, farming tools, literature, musical instruments, and many other interesting objects of the three ethnic groups that reside close to Avana: Thai, Muong, and H'mong. There are new ones, there are old ones, and there are ones that are still useful to this day. A guide is always there to walk you through the details. Every artifact has its own story, and it's always nice to understand the culture from the natives. 

A Thai old lady sitting peacefully, looming over her weave is a familiar sight in the space underneath the stilt house. It is also the place for Avana's craft workshops such as Batik art or Bamboo weaving craft, all you need is to register and get a hands-on lesson with the artisans themselves. In winter evenings, we would gather around, light up some firewood and roast corn and sweet potatoes. Eating the yummy treats, having a sip of warm tea, and warming up the atmosphere with cozy moments around the fire really bring back the good old days.

​​Brocade motifs are regarded as the spirit of mountain culture. Every ethnic group has unique textiles and colorways, and you will be mesmerized by the Thai’s creative patterns of nature, family, and culture. 

Thai brocades are known for rich, lively hues, so their colorways don’t match the word ‘boring’. White for rice, green for trees, blue for the sky, and endless shades of flowers, under the skillful hands of Thai women, they loom each thread into a big pattern, reflecting their vivid life of nature and labor. 

In Thai ethnic culture, brocade weaving and women are inseparable.  Starting from 8 to 9 years old, little girls learn the basics of brocade weaving from their moms and grandmothers. "Girls know how to weave, boys know how to fish", that's what they say. After a girl has acquired all these abilities and can create her own goods, she is regarded as an adult. Brocade weaving is the symbol of a woman’s virtues. Her aesthetic appears in every color she entwines, her meticulousness shows in every thread she spins, and her passion shines through every pattern she weaves. 

We believe that culture is a form of art, of which the only artist to perform it is people who connect deeply to it. No pens or notebooks, just you and the artisan, cherishing authentic culture. Hear the tales being woven through the loom and learn a thing or two from their patterns mix matching from a Thai woman sitting at the loom weaving brocade patterns under the Stilt House.

Costumes say a lot about a person, and looking at the traditional clothes of the H’mongs you will see their culture in it. The H’mong, they proudly wear traditional costumes that exalt the beauty of Batik Art - a long-standing traditional custom. In the midst of modern times with fast fashion and quick costumes, true artistry like batik art is truly precious.

Every H’mong batik artist is familiar with the aroma of heated wax. They are masters in creating elaborate designs with wax and a tjanting tool, a wooden instrument with a small metal receptacle at the end for holding hot, melted wax, and the nib through which the wax flows. Batik is a type of resist dyeing, so every detail they draw on the hand-loomed hemp is not fixable. The more skilled the artisan is, the better dexterity is shown on every line, every curve. 

As the H’mong do not have a written form, textiles have become their way of expression. Living in the midst of nature, their motifs are heavily influenced by the surroundings and labor life: plant seeds, snail shells, ferns, rice flowers,...Alike the ancient Vietnamese, the H’mong thought that the sky was round and the ground was square, thus you'll see these basic forms employed in many of the foundation designs inside each little square of cloth.

Last but not least, Batik art isn’t completed without the indigo shade. At late summer, the H’mongs will go to the fields to cut indigo leaves and dye the fabric, with young girls often following their mothers to the fields from early morning. After the batik drawing has dried and the wax has been removed, the material is again dipped multiple times to create the signature dark blue. The batik process is complete, with powerful white motifs set against hues of blue indigo.

Independent from modern fabrics, with dexterity from years of refining the craft, they inlaid their costumes with exquisite golden motifs. It is Batik Art, the pride of the H’mong.

Up in the mountains, where life is still at its own pace, the ethnic groups' lives are much braided with nature and all its rawness in a familiar material: rattan

One of their oldest skills, weaving with bamboo and rattan, is still widely practiced in their villages. Made of solid timbers from bamboo, may come out stiff and boring, yet under the skillful hand of the artisans, rattan strands are intertwined in the most complex patterns. Plain, twill, basket, satin, every knot is highlighted by the earthy undertone of bamboo strips.

Besides the beautiful patterns that are pleasing to the eye, rattan is a material that has a lot to offer. Durable, abundant, and easy to amend, the Hmongs have a variety of handicrafts to assist their daily lives: sedge baskets, kitchenwares, boxes, even religious artifacts, and many more. 

Much as modern days have replaced natural items with more efficiency, there is not any match as authentic, close-to-nature, and intricate as rattan weaving. Captivated by the rustic, unique beauty of rattan weaving, Avana Retreat's decoration can not miss out on the touch of rattan. You can see it on the decor by the nightstand, you can spot it on the basket, you can notice the walls weaved in wave patterns, and you can feel the heat subsides by the rattan ceiling in the summertime. All of our rattan products are made of Hmong artisans, who still keep the craft alive and going. To engage rattan weaving in our concept is to treasure an art, and to continue a story of a prolonged culture that is almost replaced and forgotten. 

Under the Stilt House Museum, you can join the rattan weaving workshop. Sit next to our artisan, listen to his story of mastering the craft, admỉre the expertise in every knot, and experience weaving it yourself!