Most casual travellers could easily be forgiven for not knowing of this laid-back town on the outskirts of Hanoi, while civil engineers the world over will be quick to tell you that it’s the home of the largest hydroelectric dam in Southeast Asia! Financed and built by the Russians (who left a few unseemly Soviet-style blocks in their wake) in the late decades of the 20^th century, the facility is now estimated to produce just shy of a third of all Vietnam’s electricity. But that’s not why visitors will want to linger here. That privilege falls to the breath-taking vistas of picturesque mountains and green valleys surrounding the town. At the famous Mai Chau District, glimmering green rice paddies encircle bamboo villages and longboats bob on the irrigation channels of the Black River, and the hot springs at Kim Boi are ideal for therapy seekers as well as those looking for relaxation. Hòa Bình tour guides based in the town also organise day trips and to the near-perfect spot of Thung Nai, while sailing trips on the Hoa Binh Lake and cultural excursions to the Hmong villages are also on the menu.