Pu Luong Vietnam is becoming one of the hottest destinations recently. Before the hustle and bustle of life, traveling to Pu Luong Vietnam is the perfect choice to immerse yourself in the fresh, cool nature and bring the most peaceful feeling. It’s the ideal choice for your "stress relief" trip. The sharing about Pu Luong travel experiences below will definitely get you a lot of useful information to make your discovery journey as complete as possible.
1. Introduction to Pu Luong
2. When is the best time to visit the Pu Luong tourist area?
3. How to get to Pu Luong Thanh Hoa?
4. Where to stay when coming to the Pu Luong eco-tourism area?
5. Where to go in the Pu Luong conservation area?
6. What are the delicious dishes to eat when traveling to Pu Luong?
7. Suggested attractive Pu Luong travel itinerary for your reference
1. Introduction to Pu Luong
Pu Luong is a nature reserve with an area of 17,600 hectares, located in the Northwest of Thanh Hoa Province in two districts of Ba Thuoc and Quan Hoa. This place is blessed with seasonal green tropical closed primeval forests and beautiful terraced fields.
At an altitude of 1,700m, Pu Luong has cool, fresh and extremely airy air. That's why, although it is more than 150 km from Hanoi, this place still attracts a large number of tourists every year.
Along with the extremely pleasant atmosphere, Pu Luong also brings you the simple, idyllic beauty of the friendly people of a traditional countryside. Coming here, you will immerse yourself in the pleasant Pu Luong weather, and cool nature, explore beautiful landscapes and enjoy countless attractive specialties.
2. When is the best time to visit the Pu Luong tourist area?
The most ideal time to travel to Pu Luong Thanh Hoa is around May to October. Depending on each person's free time and preferences, you can choose the time to go to Pu Luong:
Late May and early June is the time when Pu Luong puts on a new "gentle green" color as it enters the new rice crop. All over the terraced fields are the bright green color of young seedlings and new rice. Even though it is summer, coming to Pu Luong, you will feel the weather is quite cool and airy. There are green trees everywhere and the temperature is just under 30 degrees.
Around September and October is the most beautiful time, when Pu Luong turns into the "golden season" and this is the answer to the question "Which season is best to go to Pu Luong?" At this time, all the fields and terraced fields turn to a shiny golden color, mixed with the scent of ripe rice, giving you a feeling of peace, simplicity and familiarity.
In addition, you can also experience traveling to Pu Luong Vietnam in other months of the year. The atmosphere here is still extremely pleasant and has its own unique beauty.
3. How to get to Pu Luong Thanh Hoa?
Currently, the transportation system in Vietnam is extremely developed. Therefore, it is not difficult for you to find the most suitable means and route to Pu Luong. Sharing with you some ways to get to the Pu Luong Thanh Hoa tourist area as follows:
3.1. If far away
If your distance to Pu Luong is too far, you should choose a means of transport such as a plane or train to Hanoi and then book a private car or take a bus to Pu Luong:
- Airplane: Those who live as far away as Saigon or Da Nang can choose flights from Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air or Bamboo Airways to land at Noi Bai Airport. Then, coming from Giap Bat and My Dinh, the buses usually only go to the district center, from here it is about 20km further to Pu Luong, at which point you can catch a motorbike taxi to take you to the place. Or choose to fly straight to Thanh Hoa and rent a motorbike taxi from Tho Xuan Airport to Pu Luong.
- Train: similar to flying, you can take the train to Hanoi and then rent a motorbike or take a bus to Pu Luong. If it's more convenient, you can take the train directly to Thanh Hoa Station and then take a bus or rent a motorbike to Pu Luong.
3.2. If nearby
If the travel distance from your place to Pu Luong is quite close, then choose a personal vehicle or taxi for the most convenience.
- Motorbike: for those who want to travel to Pu Luong, motorbike is the most suitable choice. From your location, use Google Maps to check directions. Follow route 15C, go straight and you can reach Pu Luong. One convenient thing is that when you ride a motorbike, you can see the roads and surrounding scenery and can easily ask people nearby to help you give directions. One thing to note when riding a motorbike is that you need to choose and maintain the vehicle well before the trip. You need to be fully equipped with protection: helmet, arm & leg armor, sun gloves, etc. Please run at the most suitable speed to ensure your safety.
- Taxi: depending on the area you live in, you can call a roadside taxi or call directly from the taxi companies there. Traveling by taxi will be fast and convenient so you don't have to worry about getting lost.
4. Where to stay when coming to the Pu Luong eco-tourism area?
For more convenience, you can choose some homestays or motels right in Pu Luong. Refer to the list below:
Pu Luong Eco Garden: located in Lang Bang, Ba Thuoc, Thanh Hoa, Pu Luong Eco Garden is one of the "hottest" Pu Luong resorts. The most prominent feature of this resort is the space and swimming pool with beautiful views. Therefore, this destination is extremely suitable for couples, groups of young people...
Pu Luong Retreat: located in Thanh Lam, Ba Thuoc, Thanh Hoa, this place is very suitable for those who want to mingle with nature and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. You will be able to live close to nature and temporarily separate modern equipment such as refrigerators, televisions, entertainment devices...
Hoanh Thang Homestay: located in Don village, Ba Thuoc, Thanh Hoa, Hoanh Thang Homestay is one of the cheap homestays, suitable for young people traveling on their own to experience or go backpacking. The prices here range from 300,000 VND/night.
Pu Luong Lake View Homestay: located in Long Village, Ba Thuoc, Thanh Hoa, Pu Luong Lake View Homestay is very popular with young people because it is surrounded by extremely beautiful lakes. You will experience sleeping in an immensely romantic room on the lake. This is one of the interesting suggestions for your trip to Pu Luong, Thanh Hoa.
Pu Luong Green Field Homestay: located in Thanh Lam, Ba Thuoc, Thanh Hoa, Pu Luong Green Field Homestay has affordable prices but the rooms are quite good and suitable for young people who like to experience new things.
5. Where to go in the Pu Luong conservation area?
Pu Luong Thanh Hoa is large with countless places to visit, such as:
5.1. Kho Muong Village
From Canh Nang Town of Ba Thuoc district, go Northwest around the foot of the mountain to Kho Muong Village, Thanh Son Commune, approximately 30 kilometers. The village is located deep in the core area of Pu Luong National Nature Reserve, isolated from other villages in the region, and less affected by human impact, so it still retains its inherent poetic beauty.
5.2. Pho Doan market
Pho Doan Market, also known as Pho Don Market, is a market dating back to the French colonial period, located in Lung Niem Commune, Ba Thuoc District, Thanh Hoa Province. The market is about 150km Northwest of Thanh Hoa City center, known as a unique highland market that attracts tourists when coming to Thanh Hoa.
The market opens on exactly 2 mornings on Thursday and Sunday every week, selling all kinds of goods from traditional to modern such as wild vegetables, brocade, oranges, wine, crabs, snails, and wild mice.
5.3. Pu Luong Mountain peak
In Thai, Pu Luong means the highest mountain peak in the region. In fact, the peak is 1700m high. Standing at the entrance to Ban Don (Thanh Lam Commune), it is easy to see the towering Pu Luong Peak, covered in lush green color.
5.4. Hieu Waterfall
Hieu Waterfall is known as the most beautiful waterfall in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam. This place makes the hearts of nature lovers excited. With wild scenery, old forests, and green flower fields at the foot of the hill. When you travel to Pu Luong, you should not miss this Hieu Waterfall location.
5.5. Ban Don
As a village located in the center of Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Don Village is one of the few villages that retains its national cultural identity and unique stilt house architecture. If you come to Pu Luong between mid-May and early June or between September and October during the ripe rice season, you will admire the beauty of the terraced rice fields here.
6. What are the delicious dishes to eat when traveling to Pu Luong?
Not only does it have its own unique identity, Pu Luong is also loved for its food and cuisine, which are also very diverse and unique.
6.1. Grilled stream fish
Grilled stream fish here has a strong flavor of the high mountains. The fish is marinated with ingredients available in the mountains and forests: Mac Khen, wild herbs, chili, and lemongrass... mixed with salt. Enjoying fragrant grilled stream fish over charcoal is an interesting experience that visitors should not miss when coming to Pu Luong.
6.2. Pu Luong Chicken
Chicken is an extremely popular dish that is available everywhere. No one traveling wants to eat chicken, right? However, if you travel to Pu Luong and miss dishes from the chicken here, you will regret it. Because their meat is tastier than regular chicken meat and is only available in a few regions, including Pu Luong.
6.3. Co Lung Duck
Co Lung Duck has been famous since ancient times, its meat is both soft and sweet, and is a famous specialty of Thai people. Coming to Pu Luong and not having eaten Co Lung Duck meat means you have not been to this place. This is a duck with a small neck and short legs and is raised by people here in the fields.
6.4. Com Lam - sticky rice cooked in bamboo
Pu Luong’s sticky rice cooked in bamboo is a dish that cannot be missed when exploring Pu Luong cuisine. This dish is made from new rice, both fragrant and flexible, cooked in wild bamboo tubes. Enjoying Pu Luong Com Lam, you not only feel the fragrant taste of fresh rice, the sweetness of forest water, and the cool aroma of forest bamboo, all of which create a very unique flavor for Com Lam here.
6.5. Bitter bamboo shoots
Bitter bamboo shoots have a bitter taste, and people who are not used to eating them will find it very difficult to eat. However, this very strange taste is loved by many people because of the wildness and naturalness of this dish. Bitter bamboo shoots are grown in many places in the mountainous and highland regions of the Northwest. People here can pick bitter bamboo shoots everywhere.
7. Suggested attractive Pu Luong travel itinerary for your reference
7.1. Travel to Pu Luong Nature Reserve for 1 day
If you only have one full day in Pu Luong Thanh Hoa, you can refer to the following tour itinerary: Canh Nang Town - Lung Niem Brocade Weaving Village - Ban Kit - Ban Nua. This itinerary is suitable for those who love to explore local culture, like to communicate with people and make traditional items with their own hands.
Morning: after breakfast, you depart for Cang Nang Town, visit and take photos, and then move to Lung Niem Brocade Weaving Village. In Lung Niem Brocade Village, you can observe how people weave brocade, and learn how to make and buy souvenir items.
Noon: you can rest and eat right at the weaving village and rest for a bit.
Afternoon: you continue to move to Ban Kit - Ban Nua. Here you will be immersed in cool nature and have many beautiful “Instagrammable” spots. If you're lucky, you can catch smoke and clouds creeping under the extremely beautiful sunset.
7.2. Travel to Pu Luong 2 days 1 night
The distance from Pu Luong is quite far and the road is a bit "torn" so you should have a 2-day 1-night experience to be able to explore all the highlights here.
Day 1: Ban Don, Bat Cave
Ban Don and Bat Cave are two favorite destinations of tourists when traveling to Pu Luong, Thanh Hoa. To experience the most fun, you can start your trip in the afternoon.
Ban Don is probably the busiest place in Pu Luong because this is the center of Pu Luong and there are also many resorts, motels, and homestays located here. Ban Don is mainly inhabited by Thai ethnic people, so it is extremely simple. Surrounding Ban Don is fresh air, mountain forests and a beautiful terraced rice ecosystem.
After visiting Ban Don, you move to Bat Cave in Kho Muong Village, which takes about 30 minutes by car. This is a limestone cave system formed about 250 years ago. Bat Cave has not been affected by humans so it still retains its wild and idyllic beauty. You can check in and listen to the guards here tell more about this cave.
After visiting Bat Cave, you return to Ban Don, rest and end the first day exploring Pu Luong.
Day 2: Pho Doan market, Ban Hieu, Hieu Waterfall, Cham Stream
On the second day of your trip to explore Pu Luong, you must wake up early so you don't miss the "clouds playing with mountains" scene in this village. Early in the morning, when the dew has not yet dissipated, white clouds float among the green hills and mountains, creating an extremely impressive natural scene.
After breakfast, you move to Pho Doan Market, about 15 minutes from Ban Don. Explore the market with many trading and entertainment activities of indigenous people. At the market, household goods will be sold along with the specialties of Pu Luong.
Go about 6km further and you will reach Ban Hieu and Hieu Waterfall. This place is inhabited by Thai ethnic people with unique houses and simple beauty. Don't forget to bring your bathing suit because, at Hieu Waterfall, you can experience a very cool and refreshing bath in the stream.
Visit and experience Hieu Waterfall and move immediately to the Cham Stream tourist area. You will have to travel another 11km to explore giant water piles and experience rafting on the river. The rafting fee is 50,000 VND/person and lasts 1 hour.
After having an interesting rafting experience on the river, it's time for lunch, you move back to Ban Don, eat, rest and maybe walk a little more and end your journey to explore Pu Luong.
Conclusion
Pu Luong Vietnam is one of the extremely reasonable places to visit and relax on the weekend at a low cost. Please refer to the shared experiences of going to Pu Luong to best prepare for your trip.
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