1. These are what you should not miss when traveling in Pu Luong:
Kho Muong village – Bat Cave: Kho Muong Is a hidden village is probably the most special one as it is accessible only by motorbike or walking. Lost in a hidden valley, home of a circular mountain range with rice paddies and the largest cave in the Reserve, the Bat Cave (Hang Dơi in Vietnamese).
Hieu village (Bản Hiêu in Vietnamese) has also changed in last 3 years with homestays blooming all over the village. This is due to the stream along the village creating a multi-level waterfall – Hieu waterfall (Thác Hiêu in Vietnamese) that allows water hike in the dry season or a swim with the friendly.
Don village (Bản Đôn, xã Thành Lâm) is the most developed one and can be considered as the epicenter of the touristic area. His location is very special with stunning view on the rice fields and the mountain range. You will find every kind of accommodations in the village from the traditional homestay to higher standard hotels.
Climb Pu Luong peak: Pu Luong in local language means “The highest peak in the area” and culminates at a height of 1700m. You can join a full day tour to conquer the Pu Luong peak that last 12 hours or take a private camping tour with our experienced tour guide if you have muchtime.
Visit Pho Doan market: You take a half day tour to experience this typical local market and see how locals exchange goods. The market operates on a traditional schedule, opening only on Sundays. It is also available for tourism on Tuesdays and Fridays.
2. Pu Luong Transportation Travel Guide
By bus – saving cost solution:
A daily limousine bus operated by First Class Xpress is departing from the Hanoi’s Old Quarter every morning at 7am and arrive in Pu Luong around 12pm. The bus is comfortable with WIFI connection. The bus will drop you off at the entrance of Don village or in any other hotels along the main road to Bang village.
By Car
The second option will be to hire a private car. The trip will last around 4 hours. The benefit is to choose which way to go and also to stop whenever you want. You will get by the Ho Chi Minh road if you want to reach the fastest possible the Reserve.
If you have time and want to enjoy some sightseeing on the way, you will pass by Mai Chau to stop at the Thung Khe pass (one of the most beautiful passes in the North Vietnam) and visit the local market. You can even arrange a lunch in Mai Chau to admire the valley before arriving to Pu Luong.
You can also decide to pass through the Reserve. You will have the opportunity to stop at Son Ba Muoi to take some photos of the untouched area from some viewpoints. You can see more information about Son Ba Muoi here.
By Motorbike
The last option will be to ride a motorbike to reach Pu Luong. North of Vietnam is an excellent playground for the riders. In this case, the Ho Chi Ming trails is not so exciting. Passing the other side will be more interesting. You can have a look to our Pu Luong Motorbike tour travel guide to collect more information for your trip here.
3. Best time to visit Pu Luong
For every traveler, one of the main concerns when making the travel plan is to choose the best time to visit the destination. The luckiest can decide when to go while some people don’t have flexible dates. This Pu Luong Travel guide will inform you on what to expect depending on the time of the year. When thinking of Northern Vietnam, one of the main icons is the rice paddies. Fortunately, it is one of the highlights in Pu Luong and as there are two crops a year, the opportunities to enjoy the beautiful colors of the rice terraces are many.
The Golden Rice Season
Let’s start with what is called the “golden season”, when the rice turns yellow before the harvest. You will be able to contemplate that in May and October. It is also the harvest time. While temperatures can be hot in May due to the high humidity rate, in October the weather is usually perfect. Cool temperature, around 25°C in day time, sunny days and rare rainfalls.
October is the most enjoyable month as it can combine nice weather and yellow rice fields. It is also the high season in Pu Luong, book in advance your accommodation will allow you to have more choices.
Summer Time in Pu Luong
The summer is also a nice time to enjoy Pu Luong, from July to September. Even if it can be very hot, most of the hotels nowadays have a swimming pool and air-conditioned rooms. From July to September, the rice will grow from the water terraces to the green ones. Temperatures can climb high in daytime (more than 35°C) but will cool down in the evening. The storms that may happen at the end of the day or at night won’t disturb your activities in daytime. In June, the rice will be harvested and temperatures are usually the hottest with very high rate of humidity. If you come in June, do not worry, there are many other activities besides enjoying the rice field views.
Spring Time in Pu Luong
From March to April, the rice terraces are like July to September. The rice starts to appear from the young roots to the high green plants. The weather is cool (can even be cold in March). It can be very changing, from the pristine blue sky to the invading fog.
Fall and Winter in Pu Luong
November is a particular month. The rice will still be harvested at the beginning of the month and then will be fallow. The farmers scattered all around to clean the fields. Even if it is the end of the rice season, the weather is very enjoyable. Mostly sunny, temperatures gravitate around 25°C. Winter, from December to March, is not the season for the rice. Fields are resting, regaining the energy until the spring. For the hotels having only a rice field view, it is less interesting. It is better to choose one with mountain view. Enjoying a cup or warm local tea from your balcony remains a wonderful activity.
To summarize, from March to November, Pu Luong Nature Reserve is idyllic. If the winter is not the rice time, as all areas in the North of Vietnam, it is pleasant and you will find below in this Pu Luong Travel Guide that the large range of activities are well adapted to every season.
