Pu Luong (Pù Luông in Vietnamese) is a nature reserve in North Central Vietnam. It is situated in the Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc districts of Thanh Hoa Province. It takes 160km or 4 hour to drive to south-west from Hanoi. The Nature Reserve is bordered by the Mai Chau district of Hoa Binh Province. The Reserve is located along two parallel mountain ridges which run from north-west to south-east and is divided by a central valley. However, it contains several human settlements and a large agricultural land area which is not included within the nature reserve. Similarly, it is endowed with great biodiversity, its flora and fauna is closely associated with the Cuc Phuong National Park.
the rice terraces in June (Photo: Internet)
“Pù Luông”
It means “the highest peak of the region” in Thai ethnicity because it is home to the Thai and Muong ethnic minorities. The people here have created terraced fields surrounding villages since ancient times that harmonize with the scenery of the mountains, streams and stilt houses. Put together, this creates a truly majestic picture of nature. Due to its geographical location far from urban areas, Pu Luong has not received much attention from visitors yet and that is the reason the landscape is still a hidden gem.
The beautiful valley scenery (Photo: Internet)
The best time to visit Pu Luong is: May – June to observe the green scenery in cool weather; September -October for the golden rice terraces and cloud photography. The average temperature here in summer is 20 degrees Celsius, this is also the ideal time to avoid the heat of the central coastal region. In the winter, the average temperature drops to 16 degrees Celsius from November to December. As a precaution we need to check the weather forecast before visiting as transportation can be rather challenging and inconvenient on rainy days. One of the most popular activities here is trekking. It takes 6-8 hours to trek through the mountains to the top of Pu Luong (1700m high from sea level). The view of the valley from the peak is totally worth the climb and it may possibly be the best souvenir from your Pu Luong journey.
The pool overlooks the Nature Reverse (Photo: Internet)
Cultural characteristics of the Thai and Muong ethnic minorities
When visiting Pu Luong, visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves into the indigenous life of the local people. The friendliness and hospitality of the locals will make anyone feel comfortable and warmly welcomed. Especially, the bamboo dancing, folk singing and specialty dishes will make the journey to Pu Luong unmistakably unique. We should try bamboo cooked rice, wild-banana flower salad, five-colored sticky rice, Co Lung duck, bitter soup and so on.
The water wheels (Photo: Internet)
Attractions in Pu Luong
+ Son-Ba-Muoi
+ Kho Muong village
+ Pho Don fair market (only Thursday & Sunday)
+ Kho Muong cave
In addition, we can combine the journey with visits to other sightseeing places such as Mai Chau, Ho citadel, ..
Where to stay in Pu Luong?
Anyone who comes here will want to blend in with the nature. As such, accommodation has been customized with that goal in mind. Wooden houses and stilt houses in the hillside are therefore the ideal accommodation choice. These may not be your usual luxury hotels, but they are elaborately and skillfully built such that every morning you are greeted by the grandeur of the terraced valley. Here are suggestions for your stay in the Nature Reserve: Pu Luong Retreat, Ban Hieu Garden Lodge, Pu Luong Home, …
Pu Luong Retreat (Photo: puluongretreat.com)
Due to its geographical location, amenities and infrastructure, it’s rather challenging to make the trip to Pu Luong which may explain the small number of tourists visiting. But it’s been said that difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. If you are a lover of nature, rice terraces, trekking and exploring the cultural beauty, you will not hesitate to put Pu Luong on your Vietnam travel list.
If you have any questions about this destination please feel free to ask us in the comment section.
(Justin Ngoc Pham)
