05 Days - Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Vietnam

Day 01: Hanoi - Mai Hich (Lunch and dinner are included)
We depart from Hanoi and drive to Muong Khen, set amongst limestone formations, rice fields and tiny villages which are ideal for hiking around and interacting with the local people.

In the afternoon we hike along a footpath surrounded by terraces and picturesque hills. We reach Mai Ha, a White Thai minority village. The next 2 km are rather steep but rewarding as we enjoy a hike along the trail used by local people.

The view below both sides of the trail becomes more and more impressive. When we have finished our hiking we see another White Thai village, home to White Thai people.

At night we settle in with them in a traditional wooden house to experience their way of life.

Day 02: Mai Hich - Kho Muong Village (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included)
The Pu Luong Nature Reserve is an area of outstanding beauty, cultural interest and high biodiversity value stretching from Mai Chau in the northwest to Cuc Phuong National Park in the south east.

The region is blessed with rich forest, limestone panoramas, magnificent rice terraces and breathtaking scenery. We depart from the Te village and hike along paths amid verdant hills and pictursque villages, before arriving at the reserve where we begin our hike to the Thai village of Kho Muong.

We relax in the cool climate, enjoy their hospitality and culture over our dinner. We  share the dinner and spend the night with a local Thai family.

Day 03: Kho Muong Village - Hieu Village (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included)
This morning we have the opportunity to stroll around Kho Muong village before we start hiking. The scenery is breathtaking. We hike through several Thai and Muong villages before arriving at the village of Hieu, a Thai minority village. We enjoy another warm welcome.

Here, we absorb the atmosphere and savour the local chicken, sticky rice and drink locally brewed ‘rice wine’ through long straw. The night is spent in a traditional stilt house, giving us an opportunity to experience their culture.

Day 04: Hieu Village - Cuc Phuong National Park (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included).
It is time for relaxation, as we wander around corn fields, an amazing fish stream and rice terraces. We see the villages and local people going about their day.

Later in the morning we hike to our waiting vehicle in Pho Doan village and journey alongside the beautiful Ma river. We head out into the countryside to the very picturesque area around Cuc Phuong national park.

Upon our arrival we have some free time to explore the area and build an appetite for the fantastic local specialities. Here, we spend the night in a local family to experience their way of life.

Day 05: Cuc Phuong - Trang An - Hanoi (Breakfast and lunch are included).
Trang An, home to magnificent twisted rock formations and Vietnam's ancient capital, is our destination today. We enjoy a boat ride on a charming and peaceful canal. Cycling is one of great ways to explore the serene villages of the area.

We cycle along quiet countryside at an easy and leisurely pace to suit everybody, or hike around a beautiful valley to soak up the atmosphere and spirit of this area, before boarding our vehicle for our journey back to Hanoi, arriving there at around 5h30 pm

A wide variety of food is commonly available in local restaurants, markets and family homes, using fresh local ingredients, typical of the way people eat in the area. We also cater for Vegetarians but please request this at time of booking.

Tour Guides:
All of our experienced and friendly Guides speak excellent English or French. They are extremely knowledgeable about local cultures, history and the environment.

Accommodation:
- Homestays (4 nights) which are lean and comfortable homestays with mosquito nets, mattresses, pilows provided.

The cost of the trip includes:
- Accommodation.
- Private transfer with driver
- Meals listed on the itinerary.
- Local english speaking guides.
- Entrance fees and goverment taxes.
- Permits during guided excursions.

The cost of the trip does not include:
- Travel insurance.
- Drinks (soft drinks, alcohol, bottled water).
- Other personal expenses such as shopping; telephone, laundry & bar bills.
- Admission fees during free time.

What to take:
Pack essentials, including light comfortable clothes suitable for outdoor activities. It is essential to bring your passport on this trip. We also recommend packing: small day pack, insect repellent, sun cream, raincoat and sun hat…Have a great journey with Ethnic Voyage !!!

Pu Luong Nature Reserve, A hidden gem
Located in Thanh Hóa Province, about 3 hours southwest of Hanoi, Pu Luong Nature Reserve would live up to most people’s image of an idyllic Vietnamese landscape and rural life. Jagged limestone mountains enclose a fertile river valley, dotted with small settlements of wooden houses on stilts. Luminous-green rice fields extend from the waters’ edge to the thickly-forested slopes, which are streaked with waterfalls. Women in conical hats tend the fields, men herd buffalo and goats from one pasture to another, and children play with domestic animals in earthy courtyards, or take turns jumping from bamboo bridges into rivers. It appears – to the casual visitor, at least – to be a landscape where nature is entirely benevolent; a land so fertile that it sustains each household throughout the year. If you can imagine how an animated Disney movie set in rural Vietnam might look, then you get the idea – kind of like a Vietnamese Shangri-La.

Pù Luông Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in northern Vietnam. This nature reserve is situated in Quan Hóa and Bá Thước districts of Thanh Hóa Province, North Central Coast region of Vietnam. Pu Luong Nature Reserve is bordered by Mai Châu, Tân Lạc and Lạc Sơn districts of Hòa Bình Province. The reserve is located along two parallel mountain ridges, that run from north-west to south-east, and are divided by a central valley, which contains several human settlements and a large agricultural land area, therefore, is not included within the nature reserve. Pù Luông is endowed with great biodiversity, its flora and fauna is closely associated with the Cúc Phương National Park 25 km south-east. Pu Luong is a natural reservation in northern land of Vietnam. It is 160 km away from Hanoi and takes 4-hour driving to north-west of Hanoi.

The Pu Luong limestone landscape is an area of outstanding beauty, culture interest and high biodiversity value stretching from Mai Chau in the North to West to Cuc Phuong national park in the South East. It is blessed with rich forest, limestone panoramas, magnificent rice terraces and breathtaking scenery.

Pu Luong Nature Reserve was established in 1999 is roughly 170km from Hanoi. Being a nature reserve with a total area of 17,662 ha, 3/4 of the nature reserve is primary tropical forest. This is also living place of ethnic Muong and Thai people. Pu Luong means the highest peak of the village, in Thai language.

Recently, Pu Luong becomes a great destination for a few day trips from Hanoi. Trekking in the forest and a long rice paddy fields, cycling through the reserve and visit many beautiful small villages are among the activities travelers like. Pu Luong is among a few "off the beaten path" places near Hanoi that receives recommendations from explorers recently.

Scenery is beautiful with two ranges of mountains on both sides creating a lush green valley in the middle dotted with traditional villages. The locals here are among the most friendly people in Vietnam. You can always be invited to their homes for a cup of tea on your way. The local culture is rich and authentic. Villagers are living in small villages nested in the valleys, in their traditional house on stilts. Joining on a dance after dinner is always an unforgettable experience.

The best time to visit Pu Luong is during rice harvest season, from September to November or February until May. This time, the plantation is lush and weather is pleasant. Pu Luong can be best accessed either from Mai Chau or NinhBinh. Multiple day trekking through va to Pu Luong on the least visited trails is also a good option for trekkers. Trekking through villages including Ban Sai, Ban Hang, Ban Kho Muong or Ban Hieu and stay in one of the authentic homestay is the best activity one can do here. There are options for everyone including families with small children. Handspan Travel Indochina is currently offer tours to Pu Luong Nature reserve  in combination with Mai Chau, Ninh Binh and Halong. The tours cover some interesting areas that give you a real taste of authentic Vietnam. Let's us show you the best of this un-discovered place.

Homestays in Vietnam offer some of the best value accommodation and food that’s available anywhere in the country. More often than not, homestays are located in parts of Vietnam that are ‘comfortably remote’: off the beaten track, but not too far from an easy transport or tourist hub. The homestays in Bản Hiêu, a village in Pù Luông Nature Reserve, are some of the most atmospheric and romantic you could hope to find.