Pu Luong , Vietnam: 3 days of trekking
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Pu Luong It is a nature reserve with lots of small, authentic villages, located about an hour and a half drive from Mai Chau or 4.5 hours from Hanoi . You can spend a whole day there to four days wandering between the villages, meeting locals, eating Vietnamese food and seeing wildlife. For Phu Long, we dedicated four days to doing a kind of trek that included a day of walking 14 km and two more days of shorter trips in and around the villages, with a stunning guide named Adam. You are welcome to contact him on WhatsApp.
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Table of Contents
How to get there to Pu Luong ?
- Mai Chau – an hour and a half by taxi/scooter or an hour-long bus.
- Hanoi – You can also get there by bus, which takes 4.5 hours .
- Ninh Binh/ Tam Coc – 4.5 hours bus.
Where should you sleep? in Pu Luong Vietnam?
in Pu Luong There are really affordable, luxurious, and romantic places to stay! What's more, they can be a little more expensive than what you're used to paying in the rest of Vietnam. Here are some recommendations for affordable, luxurious places to stay. in Pu Luong :
A stunning resort with a pool, a great breakfast, and luxurious rooms. Outside, there is a perfect view of the terraces!
More details and closing with Booking ⤹
Beautiful rooms at good prices, with a delicious breakfast and a perfect view from the balcony.
More details and closing with Booking ⤹
A beautiful and cozy place, with a gorgeous view of the terraces, a fun pool, and a delicious breakfast.
More details and closing with Booking ⤹
Day 1 in Pu Luong : Swimming in stunning waterfalls
We left Mai Chau in the morning for a trip that took nearly two hours. We left our bags in the room and went straight to the waterfalls – Hieu Falls. You can swim there, the water is cool and perfect!
Then we went for a short hike with a man on a farm road, which took about an hour.
Finally, we went to drink a stunning coconut coffee at a cafe with a mesmerizing view, called Coffee View .
Day 2 in Pu Luong : Bamboo rafting, pho soup and local market
On the morning of the second day and the mornings after that, we had beef pho soup (Pho Bo) for breakfast. We ate at a local restaurant that only serves pho soup (among the tastiest I've ever had) called Nha hang Thanh Hoa . You can ask for it with egg (trứng) instead of beef. It may sound strange to eat boiling soup with meat in the morning, but I admit that it was warming and satisfying and really appropriate, especially on gray and cool days.
Next to the Pho restaurant there is a local market called Doan market . The market has vegetables, meat, clothes, bubble tea and all kinds of fried doughs that are worth trying (most not with meat, but with bananas/rice or red beans). Please note! The market is only open on Thursday and Sunday mornings.
Because it was really rainy that day, we only had time to go to Bamboo Rafting – CHÈO BÈ TRE SUỐI CHÀM . The raft is made entirely of bamboo, with a roof that protects against rain or sun. A Vietnamese with a long paddle pushes the bamboo along a route that takes about 40 minutes in a wild and beautiful jungle where you can hear birds chirping, and ends at a water wheel that was built there as a tourist attraction. When you reach the wheel, you can get off the raft and walk for a few minutes in the area near the stream, then return the same way.
Day 3 in Pu Luong : 14 km trek
We spent the third day hiking 14 km, which took about seven hours, with our guide Adam. The route started near the Hue Uẩn Homestay . We started by descending through a village and continued along a path that overlooked an agricultural area with lots of rice fields.
We continued through a valley that passes through a very pastoral village with a stream in the middle, full of ducks and chickens roaming freely, and from there we continued to the Bat Cave .
From the valley we reached the special cave (Bat Cave), where you climb for about ten minutes until you reach a large cave, where you can go down and walk around in the dark. A little scary but cool and feels like you're traveling in outer space.
From the cave we continued to an orange orchard – Vườn Cam Quýt Kho Mường. You pay the entrance fee, enter the orchard and eat as many oranges as you want. It’s actually more like tangerines, but it’s really tasty and nice to stop and refresh yourself.
From there we continued on an agricultural road, through authentic villages and full of stunning rice fields.
We continued between the villages until we reached a bamboo bridge, from where we continued on foot to the homestay.
In terms of meals, we packed a bag of sticky rice inside a banana leaf, hard-boiled eggs, boiled cabbage, and sausages and had a picnic near a banana plantation on a platform we improvised from banana leaves.
The route is of medium difficulty, but you can stop at almost any point and take a taxi back, but be aware that taxis are relatively expensive in the area because there aren't many and because the trips are long.
Recommendations for organized trips in Pu Luong Vietnam
Trekking and hiking in Pulong is best done with a local guide or on an organized trip, to reach all the most amazing places and not get in trouble with the roads.
Here are recommendations for three hikes that pass through the nature reserve. Pu Luong , with excellent reviews from other travelers.
✅ Rated 5 ⭐ by other travelers
✅ Passing through a cave, Hieu waterfalls and authentic villages
✅ Includes lunch
✅ Hotel pickup in Pulong
Reserve your spot on the trip now! ￬
✅ Rated 5 ⭐ by 90 other travelers
✅ Arrive at the most amazing and beautiful villages with a small group
✅ Includes accommodation and meals
✅ Pickup and drop-off from Hanoi
Reserve your spot on the trip now! ￬
✅ Rated 5 ⭐ by 24 other travelers
✅ Get to know local ethnic groups and villages up close with a local guide
✅ Includes accommodation and meals
✅ Pickup and drop-off from Hanoi
Reserve your spot on the trip now! ￬
Where can I continue after? Pu Luong ?
If you want to continue south, you should continue to Tam Coc which is a 4.5-hour drive away, or to Phong Nha Nature Reserve.
In northern Vietnam, it's worth visiting authentic Mu Cang Chai , rural Sapa , or the Ha Giang Loop, which is a must-see destination for anyone visiting the region!
