1. Overview of Pu Luong Vietnam
Pu Luong, in Thai, is the highest mountain peak. Pu Luong Nature Reserve belongs to the two districts of Ba Thuoc and Quan Hoa, located about 130 km northwest of Thanh Hoa City. With an area of more than 17,600 hectares and rich flora and fauna, Pu Luong impresses visitors with the wild beauty of primeval forests, terraced fields, and the peaceful lives of ethnic people mountain tribe.
Along with the extremely pleasant atmosphere, Pu Luong Thanh Hoa tourism also brings you the simple, idyllic beauty of a traditional countryside and the most interesting experiences when exploring beautiful landscapes, and enjoy countless delicious specialties here.
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2. When is the best time to go to Pu Luong?
The most ideal time to travel to Pu Luong is from May to October, when the weather changes to summer or autumn.
Around the end of May and early June, when the terraced fields stretching across Pu Luong enter the new crop of the year, the landscape here takes on a gentle green color. Because it is summer, the climate in Pu Luong is sunny with little rain, making it extremely suitable for visiting famous natural tourist attractions.
Entering September and October, the weather here is extremely cool and fresh. The natural landscape, from primeval forests to fields and terraced fields, also gradually turns a romantic orange-yellow color.
3. How to get to Pu Luong Thanh Hoa
Pu Luong is about 4 hours by road from Hanoi. The north and northeast of Pu Luong border Mai Chau, Tan Lac, and Lac Son districts of Hoa Binh province. Visitors can go to Pu Luong by motorbike, self-driving car, or passenger car. If your distance to Pu Luong is too far, you should choose a means of transport such as a plane or train to Hanoi and then book a private car or take a bus to Pu Luong. You can take the Hanoi-Pu Luong trip with reputable bus companies such as Hoang Phuong, Limousine Ecotravel, Sani Express, etc.
Currently, many accommodation locations sell combos, including round-trip buses from Hanoi to Pu Luong and rooms priced at 32.79 USD per person per night. In addition, guests traveling in groups can rent a private car package or pick up a passenger car for 12.30 USD per person per round-trip ticket; a higher-quality car costs about 20.94 USD. When arriving in Pu Luong, tourists go to attractions and villages by motorbike, bicycle, or trekking. Many accommodations offer these services with a tour guide.
4. Where to stay in Pu Luong Thanh Hoa
Currently, there are more and more homestays, motels, and resorts in Pu Luong, but they still ensure the environmental landscape of the natural reserve and develop eco-tourism. For those who love nature and like to learn about local culture, visitors can choose to stay at homestays or homestays with stilt houses in Kho Muong, Kit, Hieu, etc., priced at 4.10 USD per night.
Besides, tourists who like luxury vacations also have many options to stay at resorts such as Pu Luong Retreat, Pu Luong Eco Garden, Pu Luong Natura, Ciel del Puluong, Pu Luong Tree House, and Pu Luong Hillside Lodge. Prices range from 12.30 USD to over 40.98 USD per night. These places have spacious rooms, infinity pools, lovely landscapes, super-beautiful rice views, etc.
5. Top 10 most interesting experiences in Pu Luong, Vietnam
5.1. Cycling around ethnic villages
Cycling is one of the most authentic ways to explore the breathtaking scenery of Pu Luong. You can cycle along picturesque terraced fields, panoramic valleys, and passes. You can choose the appropriate bike level, from easy to intermediate to advanced. In addition, you can easily cycle through some local villages in the Pu Luong delta.
5.2. Trekking Pu Luong nature reserve
Trekking through Pu Luong is a favorite activity of many tourists when coming to Pu Luong. The starting point is Kho Muong for the trekking trip through Pu Luong. From Kho Muong village, you can follow the route of four Muong villages: Ban Pon, Thanh Cong, Cao Hoong, and Ban Kit to explore cultural characteristics, or follow the trail connecting Kho Muong to Ban Uoi and Pho Doan to reach the village Quan, a place with peaceful, simple houses
You can choose a trekking route that suits your needs, such as an easy hike to neighboring villages, a challenge on Pu Luong Peak, or a few-day hike through many villages on trails.
5.3. Kayaking and rafting on the Cham River
The rainy season is the most ideal time to kayak and raft on the Cham River. You can enjoy the wonderful landscapes in a slow rhythm and understand the local agricultural life along the riverbank.
5.4. Visit Ban Hieu and Hieu Waterfall
Ban Hieu and Thac Hieu in Co Lung commune, Ba Thuoc district, Thanh Hoa, are beautiful natural landscapes in Pu Luong Nature Reserve. Ban Hieu has more than a hundred rooftops scattered along both sides of the stream. The rooftops of stilt houses interwoven with rapids and waterfalls create a beautiful waterfall-stile house scene like a watercolor painting.
Hieu waterfall and Hieu stream originate from a cave in the limestone mountains of the Pu Luong-Cuc Phuong limestone habitat, creating a particularly clear blue water stream. According to people in the area, the Hieu Waterfall stream never runs dry, is always clear blue all year round, cool in the summer, and warm in the winter.
5.5. Explore Pho Doan market
If you have the opportunity to come here every Thursday or Sunday, you must definitely attend the Pho Doan market, famous since the French colonial period, in Lung Niem commune, Ba Thuoc district, Thanh Hoa province. This is where exchange activities—buying and selling products of Kinh, Muong, and Thai ethnic people in surrounding communes—take place with people in Tan Lac, Lac Son districts, Hoa Binh province.
Pho Doan market has the characteristics of a highland market with mainly self-sufficient goods. Although the goods are simple, they are quite rich in variety, with products such as brocade costumes, canned wine, wild vegetables, insects, fresh fruits, etc.
5.6. Check in at Pu Luong Heaven Gate (Pu Luong mountain top)
Heaven’s Gate, or Pu Luong Peak, is considered the “Paradise of the Great Mountains.”, Standing at an altitude of over 1,700m, visitors can easily see the panoramic view of the majestic mountains and feel like they are stepping on nine cloud layers. In particular, the process of moving and conquering the Heaven’s Gate is also an unforgettable experience for many tourists when the stilt roofs, terraced fields, cassava fields, and corn fields appear hidden in sight.
5.7. Visit villages in Pu Luong
An interesting experience that tourists should not miss on their trip is visiting villages to explore the unique lifestyle and culture of the local people. Some ideal destinations that you can refer to when traveling here are:
Visit Don Pu Luong village: This village is located in Thanh Lam commune; this is where the Thai ethnic people live, with about 80 households, equivalent to 285 people. Ban Don attracts tourists from near and far because of its wild, peaceful space with terraced fields. In the distance, white clouds hover over the mountain peaks.
Kho Muong village: Kho Muong village is home to about 60 Thai ethnic households. Although located quite isolated from many other villages in the area because the access road is about 2 km long and difficult to travel, Kho Muong village is always an attractive destination when coming to the Pu Luong tourist area.
Son Ba Muoi village: Son Ba Muoi village is essentially three highland villages, including Ban Son, Ban Ba, and Ban Muoi in Co Lung commune. The climate here is cool all year round, ranging from 18 oC to 22 oC. This place is also an ideal place to hunt clouds for sightseeing, with two peaks over 1,200m high, Pha Chien and Pha He. In particular, Son Ba Muoi village is also a place that still preserves many typical cultural features of the region. Ancient Thai people, such as traditional stilt house architecture, traditional festivals, etc.
5.8. Check in Pu Luong water wheel
To be able to see with your own eyes and check in beautiful photos at the giant water wheels, visitors must visit Tom village or Cham stream (about 11km from Hieu village). In addition to watching the water, you can also enjoy rafting across the stream for about 2.05 USD per person per turn (each raft can carry 8–14 people).
Note: The water wheel will not be used during the rainy season, so only in the summer months can visitors admire each water wheel rotating rhythmically.
5.9. Explore Pu Luong Bat Cave in Thanh Hoa
Bat Cave in Kho Muong village is one of the mysterious caves possessing wild beauty. Although the entrance to the cave is only about 100 meters wide, the inside of Pu Luong Bat Cave is up to 2.5 square kilometers wide, including many areas deep into the ground. In the middle of the cave are dozens of hundreds of millions of years-old limestone blocks standing tall and solid, surrounded by trees. In the cave, there are also many stone blocks, stalagmites, and stalactites with unique morphologies.
5.10. Enjoy Pu Luong cuisine
Not only does it have its own unique identity, but Pu Luong is also loved for its typical cuisine. So when you come here, you should not miss these dishes.
Grilled stream fish: Grilled stream fish here has a strong flavor of the high mountains. The fish is marinated with ingredients available in the mountains and forests: mac Khen, wild herbs, chili, lemongrass, etc mixed with salt.
Hill chicken: If you travel to Pu Luong, don’t miss dishes from Hill Chicken because their meat is tastier than regular chicken and is only available in some regions, including Pu Luong.
Co Lung Duck: Co Lung duck has been famous since ancient times, the meat is both soft and sweet and is a famous Thai people specialty. This is a duck with a small neck and short legs, a neck and head that often have loose, smooth feathers, and is raised by people here in the fields.
Lam rice: Pu Luong blue rice is a dish that cannot be missed when exploring Pu Luong cuisine. Lam rice is made from new rice, both fragrant and flexible, cooked in wild bamboo tubes.
Bitter bamboo shoots: Bitter bamboo shoots have a bitter taste; people who are not used to eating them will find them very difficult to eat. However, this very strange taste is loved by many people because of the wildness and nature of this bitter bamboo shoot.
6. Things to keep in mind when traveling to Pu Luong
To have an interesting trip to Pu Luong Thanh Hoa, you should note the following:
- You should wear sports shoes, hiking shoes, and comfortable clothes to absorb sweat well and move easily.
- Bring documents, cash, basic medications, insect repellent, etc.
- If you ride a motorcycle, you should fill up with gas before entering the village.
- If you intend to bathe in the waterfall, you should bring appropriate clothes.
- You should book rooms and transportation as early as possible if traveling during peak periods.
- Bring a camera or tripod to capture wonderful moments here.
7. Conclusion
With the information shared about Pu Luong travel by Metta Voyage in the above article, we hope that you will have a memorable and wonderful trip. You can contact us immediately to plan your upcoming trip.
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