Tours out of Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam
Northern Vietnam
Two nights above the terraces, and nothing to hurry for
Four hours from Hanoi, a nature reserve of rice terraces and Thai stilt-house villages, where the best plan for an afternoon is a walk, a swim in the stream and a chair on the lodge terrace.
Overview
A reserve for walking slowly
Pu Luong is a nature reserve in the hills of Thanh Hoa province, far enough from any big road that the loudest noise at night is the water wheels turning in the stream. Rice terraces climb every slope, the villages are Thai stilt houses, and the paths between them are old farm tracks with bamboo bridges over the streams. The scale is gentler than Sapa and the walking is easier, which is exactly why some people prefer it.
Three days gives you one full day in the reserve without driving, which is the day that makes the trip. Our long-standing partner operator in Hanoi provides the car, the driver and the guide; we choose the lodge, and we choose it for the view from the terrace rather than the size of the pool.
- Length
- 3 days, 2 nights
- From Hanoi
- About 4 hours
- Walking
- 2 to 5 hours a day, your choice
- Stay
- Lodge above the terraces
- Best months
- May to June, September to October
- Run by
- Our Hanoi partner operator
Nights
Where you sleep
Day by day
Day by day
Day 1
Hanoi to the reserve
We leave Hanoi at 08:00. The road runs west through Hoa Binh and past the turning for Mai Chau before climbing into the reserve; the last stretch is narrow and slow. Allow about four hours plus a coffee stop, arriving at the lodge for a late lunch.
In the afternoon, a short walk of about ninety minutes down to the stream and the water wheels, and back up through the terraces as the light goes. Dinner at the lodge.
Day 2
The valley day
The main walk: four to five hours between villages on the valley paths, across bamboo bridges and through terraces, with lunch in a family house along the way. The guide can cut it to two hours at several points, and the car can collect you from the road if the heat or the mud wins.
Late afternoon is free. A swim in the stream below the Hieu waterfall, when the water is up, is the local choice; a chair on the lodge terrace is ours.
Day 3
A market or a bicycle, then back — or on to Ninh Binh
Pho Doan market runs on a cycle of days rather than weekly; if it falls on your last morning we go, otherwise there are bicycles for the valley road. After lunch you drive back to Hanoi and are at your hotel by about 17:30.
The better option, if your trip allows it, is to continue to Ninh Binh instead: about two and a half hours, and it turns the drive into a link rather than an out-and-back.
Price
Price
| Travellers | Tier 1 — simple | Tier 2 — comfortable | Tier 3 — the good ones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 travelling | from 385 | from 480 | from 730 |
| 4 travelling | from 315 | from 395 | from 600 |
| 6 travelling | from 285 | from 355 | from 540 |
The table above uses a good simple lodge. The top tier buys the best-sited bungalows in the reserve, which are few and book out in the harvest weeks. Finishing in Ninh Binh rather than Hanoi costs little extra and saves a day of backtracking if you were going there anyway.
Included
What is included
What the price includes
- Private car and driver from Hanoi and back (or to Ninh Binh)
- English-speaking guide throughout
- Two nights in a lodge with breakfast
- All lunches and dinners during the trip
- Reserve entrance and village fees; bicycles on day three
- Our 24/7 line
What it does not include
- Drinks at the lodge
- Massage or other lodge extras
- Travel insurance, visas, flights and tips
Practical
When to go, and the harvest question
The terraces have two peaks. In late May and June they are flooded and freshly planted, and the whole valley reflects the sky. From late September into October the rice turns gold before harvest. Harvest dates move from year to year and from valley to valley, so if gold is the reason for your trip, we ask the lodge what the fields look like that week rather than trusting an average. July and August are hot and wet; December to February is cool and misty, and quiet in a way many visitors enjoy.
Not for everyone
Who this does not suit
Pu Luong does not replace Ha Giang or Sapa for anyone after big mountains and high passes; it is a place of terraces and valleys, and the best of it is small. It is also no place for nightlife or shopping — there is essentially nothing to do after dark. Travellers who need hotel-standard rooms should know that even the good lodges here are rustic, with insects and the occasional power cut. If that sounds like a holiday, it probably is one for you.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Is Pu Luong good for families?
Yes. Short walks, the stream, bicycles and lodges that welcome children. The four-hour drive is the hardest part.
Pu Luong or Sapa?
Sapa for bigger scenery and longer treks, Pu Luong for an easier, quieter version closer to Hanoi. In July and August Pu Luong is less often lost in cloud.
Can we combine it with Ninh Binh?
Yes, and we recommend it. The road from Pu Luong to Ninh Binh is about two and a half hours.
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