Pu Luong, Thanh Hoa

Pu Luong Introduction

Pu Luong Nature Reserve is located in the northwest corner of Thanh Hoa Province, which is roughly 160km southwest of Hanoi.

Although only a few hour's drive from Vietnam’s burgeoning capital city, 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. Let's explore this wonderful place with Vietnam Travels!

Sunrise in Pu Luong

Women in conical hats tend to 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 almost 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.

There are dozens of smaller paved and dirt roads crisscrossing the reserve, often linking remote hamlets and homestays. Several small towns surround the nature reserve: Mai Chau, whose wildly popular homestay villages put this area on the map, is to the north, and the seldom-visited towns of Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc are to the west and south of Pu Luong respectively.

Pu Luong view from above

In the last few years, Pu Luong Nature Reserve has attracted more and more visitors, especially domestic travelers and ex-pats from Hanoi looking for a quick escape from the city. However, the nature reserve is still very quiet wild, and peaceful

Pu Luong Tourism

The name Pu Luong means "the highest mountain peak" in the Thai ethnic language. Pu Luong Nature Reserve is located just 130 kilometers to the northwest of Thanh Hoa City and is a part of both the Ba Thuoc and Quan Hoa districts.

Pu Luong-Thanh Hoa, which spans an area of more than 17,662 hectares and is home to a diverse array of flora and fauna, awes visitors with the beauty of its primary forests, rice terraces, and ethnic minorities' peaceful way of life.

Activity in Pu Luong at night

Pu Luong tourism is a new form of tourism development in Thanh Hoa province, contributing to both preserving nature and promoting tourism and the economy. It is a brand-new, alluring location for tourists who love the outdoors and want to travel to new places.

Son Ba Muoi (in Lung Cao Commune) and Pu Luong Peak are the two primary potential locations that have been transformed into resorts (1700 meters high in Thanh Son Commune).

Boating in Pu Luong

In addition, numerous well-known sights nearby, including Lac Village in Mai Chau, Cam Luong Angelfish Stream, Cuc Phuong National Park in Ninh Binh Province, and the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty, are worthwhile visits (Thanh Hoa Province)... All of them have come together to form a desirable travel itinerary for both domestic and international visitors from all over the world.

Pu Luong Weather

Pu Luong has a distinctive climate similar to mountainous provinces in the north of the country and is situated in the mountains of the northern Vietnamese province of Thanh Hoa, close to the Lao border.

It is located in the Pu Luong Nature Reverse, which is surrounded by a number of tall mountains and dense forests, causing Pu Luong to experience seasonal weather changes. In general, Pu Luong has a tropical rainforest climate, which keeps it significantly cooler and more pleasant than the nearby cities or towns, even during the hottest summer days.

Pu Luong daily life of the locals

Pu Luong is proud of its beautiful rice terraces, so there are two opportunities to take in their breathtaking beauty.

May to June: This is the beginning of the locals' new crop, and all of the rice terraces will be filled with water, reflecting the sky, the clouds, the towering mountains, and the surrounding greenery. At sunset or sunrise, landscapes are even more breathtaking.

September to October: It’s the harvest season in Pu Luong, which is a wonderful time to see the multi-layer terraced fields' glorious yellow covers, as well as the festivals and other special events that the locals hold and their joy.

Trekking in Pu Luong mountain

Pu Luong Transportation

There are two main ways to get to Pu Luong, which is 160 km from Hanoi.

Public transportation 

If you decide to use public transportation for the transfer, there are no direct routes to the destination. Because of the need for transit stops along the way, it is not advised if you are unfamiliar with local transportation.

Travelers can drive to the center of Bac Thuoc from the capital city of Hanoi (Cang Nang town). After that, take a taxi to complete the final 20 kilometers.

Enjoying food in Pu Luong

Private vehicles

Using a private vehicle (motorbike or car) is the most common way to visit Pu Luong Thanh Hoa.

Follow National Road No. 6 from Hanoi to Hoa Binh Province. To get to Pu Luong, you can either go through Lung Van Cloud Valley or Ban Lac Village Mai Chau.

Although the Lung Van Valley's road is quite narrow, with crooked passes and slopes, the surrounding scenery will undoubtedly catch your attention when you first see it. A number of cloud layers covering the mountain ranges and an early dew layer floating in the valleys will be visible for you to admire. The road is completed in four to five hours.

Local dancing in Pu Long

Following completion of the Pu Luong itinerary, you should travel back to Hanoi via National Road No. 6 and 15C, stopping at Cam Luong Angelfish Stream along the way. Although it is a little further, it is safer, and you have the opportunity to take in more captivating scenery. Visit the diverse flora and fauna of Cuc Phuong National Park if you have the time.

Pu Luong Accommodation

Currently, there are more and more homestays, motels, and resorts in Pu Luong, but they still, ensure the landscape and environment of the nature reserve and develop eco-tourism. For nature lovers and those interested in learning about local culture, visitors can choose to stay at homestays, homestays on stilts in Kho Muong, Hieu village. 

View homestay in Pu Luong

Besides, tourists who like luxury resorts 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. These places have spacious rooms, infinity pools, lovely miniatures, and super-beautiful views of rice...

Due to ecotourism, many resorts do not have televisions or air conditioners; however, the rooms are always clean and airy, with enough basic amenities.