04 Days - Trek & Homestay in Mai Hich Valley & Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Day 01: Hanoi - Mai Hich Valley (L, D)
Set off after breakfast this morning for a four hour drive to Mai Chau. The drive takes you through beautiful Hoa Binh Province, located in the mountainous area southeast of Hanoi; the scenery is dotted with limestone karsts. Thai, Hmong and Dao people live in the area and you’ll pass several small villages along the way.  

Descend the last 14km along a steep mountain road into the stunning valley of Mai Chau where a hot lunch will be served by your trekking cook in one of the small villages. Your homestay this evening is in this quaint village and is a great way to experience the cultures and traditions of the Thai people.

After lunch and some time to relax, take a short 1-2 hour biking tour around the village and the valley. Depending on the day of the week, visit Mai Chau Market and Mai Hich Village. Overnight homestay in a Thai village in Hai Hich

Distance and journey time:
Transfer: 3.5 hrs
Trekking or biking around the village: 1-2hr
Difficulty: Easy

Day 02: Mai Hich Valley - Kho Muong village (B,L,D)
After breakfast, we drive 13 km further into the nature reserve of Pu Luong where we begin our trek. We trek for approximately 2 hrs before arriving at Kho Muong Village, which is home to Thai ethnic minority. We spend the night with a local Thai family who will be our hosts in a traditional house built on stilts. We can stroll around the village to observe daily life activities of the locals before dinner.
Overnight homestay at house on stilt in a Thai village

Distance and journey time:
Transfer: 4 hr
Trekking: 2hrs
Difficulty: Easy

Day 03: Kho Muong village - Hieu village (B,L,D)
If you can get up early in the morning, you can take part in the local life activities, or take a stroll around Kho Muong village before having breakfast. Today is a harder day of hiking, 50% on village paths 50% on an old disused unpaved French road. There are some steep climbs and yet more stream crossings. The trekking becomes more remote but one is never far from a villager tending fields or walking back from early morning market.   Relax from the heat of the day in a local home at a village while lunch is cooked before continuing on along the old jeep road to a village nestled between steep karts mountains.  Arrive early with spare energy to hike a two hour round trip to a newly discovered and incredibly large cave, hidden on high ground surrounded by thickets and hanging vegetation. It is now protected by the Forest rangers, due to the delicate ecosystem and bat species inside. If the weather permits, you will enjoy swimming in Hieu waterfalls to refresh and relax. Overnight at homestay in Hieu village
Distance and journey time:
Trekking: 5 hrs
Difficulty: Medium

Day 04: Hieu Village - Pho Doan - Hanoi (B,L)
Wake up early to the sound of chickens and ducks and children preparing for school. Take an early morning walk through the village to experience morning life in a farming community. We trek toward Ma River. The trek is quite gentle since we descend a wide-open valley. After 2 hrs trek we will reach Pho Doan Township. If this falls into Thursday or Sunday, you may want to visit the busy Pho Doan market. Followed by trekking to Ma River, we will see nice view of river, paddies and water wheel on the way. We will be picked up and transferred to Hanoi by Ho Chi Minh highway ( known as HCM trails before ) . Arriving back in Hanoi around late afternoon

Distance and journey time:
Transfer: 4 hrs
Trekking: 3-3.5 hrs
Difficulty: Medium

Remark: An itinerary may at times be altered by our guides due to local conditions, bad weather, the skill of participants and other unexpected circumstances. Our priority is always the experience and safety of our clients.

Our services include:
+ Private vehicle for transfer (not available during trekking)
+ English Speaking certified Adventure Guide
+ Additional assistant guide for 16+ pax
+ Motorbike support where need.
+ Local guide for trekking days
+ Plenty of water per person per trekking day
+ Snacks and local fruits
+ 01 first aid kit per guide
+ Sightseeing tickets and zone entrance fees where mentioned in the itinerary
+ Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D – Dinner)
+ Accommodation as listed above.
+ Flight reconfirmations