Where is Pu Luong?  

Pu Luong in Thai means the highest mountain peak. Pu Luong Nature Reserve is situated the Ba Thuoc and Quan Hoa districts, approximately 130 km northwest of Thanh Hoa City. When you visit  Pu Luong, you will be awed by the majestic beauty of the natural surroundings.

Covering ​​over 17,600 hectares and boasting a rich diversity of flora and fauna, Pu Luong captivates visitors with the wild charm of its primeval forests, terraced fields and the tranquil lifestyle of ethnic minorities in the mountains.

Pu Luong Nature Reserve is located 25 kilometers from Cuc Phuong National Park and is connected to its tail by two parallel gray limestone mountain ranges with rice valleys in between. The ancient forest at Pu Luong Nature Reserve is a seasonal tropical evergreen closed forest with diverse and abundant flora and fauna. Pu Luong is recognized as a nature reserve having scientific, socioeconomic, and eco-tourism value. Along with Pu Hu, the forest in Pu Luong contributes significantly to the protection of Thanh Hoa province’s Ma River headwaters. At the same time, it is a site to safeguard unique flora and animals designated in Vietnam's Red Book while also developing community tourism.

The culture in Pu Luong   

Pu Luong is predominantly home to the Thai and Muong ethnic minorities. It appears that modern progress has not overpowered the native culture. As visitors go through the terraced rice fields, they may easily notice Thai and Muong girls working hard in the fields. Visitors can also observe water buckets still spinning on the streams in the background.

When visiting Pu Luong, guests should experience traditional “Xoe” dances, gond sounds, and the “Sạp” dance. This will undoubtedly be entertaining.

The best season to travel to Pu Luong    

As a mountainous area surrounded by tropical forests, Pu Luong Nature Reserve has a reasonably pleasant climate, even in the summer. Therefore, you can come here anytime to relax in the mild atmosphere with year-round fog. Just remember to check the weather to avoid heavy rain or storms. 

However, it will be a more wonderful experience if you come here during the rice season. Pu Luong Nature Reserve is covered with green rice in March and April. After that, the rice begins to turn yellow in May and June, with the scent of ripe rice overwhelming. Besides May and June, September, October, and early November are also perfect for traveling to Pu Luong. At this time, Pu Luong enters the second harvesting season with bright yellow terraced rice fields. 

How to get there?

The most popular way to get to Pu Luong (Thanh Hoa) is either by motorbike or car. You can easily hire one in Hanoi. Or you can hop on a limousine from Giap Bat and My Dinh stations. It will take you about 4.5 hours to Pu Luong. It is highly recommended to break the journey either in Ninh Binh or Mai Chau to explore the beauty of Northern Vietnam.

Things to do in Pu Luong

Hiking

There are some beautiful country roads that you can climb to the hilltops in Pu Luong. On the way, you can visit small villages and walk through the villagers' plantation areas. The views of the mountains and the valleys are breathtaking. Early birds will be the ones who catch up with the sunrise on the hilltops. Seeing a thick mist around the mountains being chased off by the sunlight is what will make the hike worth it.

Biking

Unlike the bustling streets in the city center, visitors will occasionally see a local on a motorbike in Pu Luong. The main means offered here is bicycles. Riding a bicycle around the pretty decent road around Pu Luong, get in the fresh air and the tranquility. Certain mountain roads may challenge cyclists to conquer. Homestays in Pu Luong often offer bicycles free of charge.

Visit ethnic villages in Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Pu Luong Nature Reserve is one of the country’s lesser-known ecotourism and trekking spots. Pu Luong Nature Reserve was established in 1999 to protect the area’s biodiversity. With a total area of more than 17,600 ha and a diverse flora and fauna system, you will find not only a mix of pristine forest and cultivated rice terraces but also cute little villages of ethnic people. This destination is the residence of the Thai and Muong people.

On your visit, you can admire their built-on stilt houses, observe them harvesting crops, work on the terraced rice fields, and enjoy ethnic typical cuisine. Pu Luong Peak, Don Village, Son, Ba, and Muoi Village are some featured spots to explore in Pu Luong Nature Reserve.

Explore Pho Doan market

Visitors can take time to pass by Pho Doan market to experience the local market of ethnic people. It is located in Lung Niem Commune, Ba Thuoc District, Thanh Hoa Province. There are trading activities, purchasing local products of Kinh, Muong, and Thai minorities from surrounding areas such as Tan Lac District, Lac Son District (Hoa Binh Province)... They are quite simple but prevalent in kinds of products such as traditional silk costumes, tube wine, mountainous vegetables, and fresh fruits,...

Admire the full-range scenery on Pu Luong mountain peak

Challenge lovers will love to conquer the peak at 1,700 meters high. Clouds floating at the peak of the mountain with dotted stilt houses and terraces in the valley on the mountain foot are the combination that you may get a dreamy moment; everything stays still, nothing moves, time stops, just the quietness of the landscape exists.

Hieu waterfall

Hieu waterfall in Hieu Village in the Co Long Commune is a community-based ecotourism destination. The waterfall consists of five small waterfalls. The water has a beautiful blue-green color, and it can be enjoyed year-round. You can occasionally swim here.

Rather than that, you can see bamboo water wheels that appear around Pu Luong. They are a symbol of the area as well as Thai ethnic people. The water wheels play an important role in agricultural development in Pu Luong. They are used to extract water from the streams and rivers to irrigate the surrounding rice terraced fields.

Ban Don

Located in the heart of Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Ban Don Pu Luong Thanh Hoa is one of the few villages that preserve the ethnic cultural identity and unique stilt house architecture. If you come to Pu Luong in mid-May and early June or in mid-September and October, when the rice is ripe, you will be able to admire the beauty of the terraced rice fields here