Pu Luong in Thai language is the highest peak. Pu Luong Nature Reserve belongs to Ba Thuoc and Quan Hoa districts and Thanh Hoa. It has an area of more than 17,600 ha and rich flora and fauna. With the untouched beauty of the rain forest.
This place is one of the North West tourist attractions that attracts many visitors.
How Pu Luong Nature Reserve is special?
In the past, Pu Luong was only attractive to a small group of people in the dust tourism community. Because it was a difficult place to travel, and in the past few years Pu Luong is more famous because of the pictures of the area. Pu Luong Retreat resort is shared more online. To make it easier for you to explore Pu Luong, Together with Origin Vietnam team share some necessary information for your reference.
Pu Luong Nature Reserve is 25 km from Cuc Phuong National Park. It’s connected to the tail of Cuc Phuong National Park with two rows of gray limestone mountains running parallel. In the middle are rice valleys. North and northeast of Pu Luong reserve is adjacent to Mai Chau , Tan Lac and Lac Son of Hoa Binh province. Stretching from the west to the south of the reserve is the Ma River. It’s begin from the border point of Quan Hoa district to Mai Chau district ( Hoa Binh province). ) through Quan Hoa town down near Canh Nang town (Ba Thuoc ).
Primary forest in Pu Luong nature reserve is a seasonal evergreen tropical closed forest. The five main forest subtypes exist as a result of elevation diversity and substrate levels: lowland broadleaf forest on limestone mountains (60–700 m); lowland broadleaf forest on schist, sandstone and clay (60-1,000 m); broad leaf forest of limestone mountain foot (700–950 m); Coniferous forest of limestone mountain (700–850 m) and broad leaf leaf forest of Bazan mountain (1,000 – 1,650 m). The reserve also has secondary forest cover. Such as bamboo forest, shrubs and agricultural land.
Located not far from Cuc Phuong National Park. Pu Luong has a high similarity to flora and fauna compared to Cuc Phuong.
The two potential sites for exploitation into the resort are Son Ba Muoi (Lung Cao commune) and Pu Luong peak with 1,700 m height in Thanh Son commune area.
When is the best time to travel to Pu Luong Nature reserve?
As a highland area surrounded by primeval forests, the climate in Pu Luong is quite pleasant even among hot summer days. For a comfortable tours to Pu Luong Nature reserve. You can consider and arrange for Pu Luong to explore at times like.
- At the end of May and early June. It is the occasion to start a new crop of rice, fields and terraced fields that will wear a layer of green, extremely beautiful.
- In September and October, these two months are the time when Pu Luong enters the season of ripe rice. That the time all the terraced fields on the hillside will turn yellow, making Pu Luong more beautiful.
- Mid-summer is also a good time to go to Pu Luong (although bad luck is likely to be encountered in the Northern rainy and stormy season). Because Pu Luong is in lowland limestone area, with many tropical forests and few inhabitants. The atmosphere and weather here between summer days is still quite cool.
How to go to Pu Luong Nature reserve?
There are no direct bus routes to Pu Luong. So if you want to use public transport to get here. It is quite hard, if you want to ride a bus, you will have to use a combination of different types of vehicles. . Most convenient, you can use private Vietnam tour services transfer (motorcycles, cars) coming from Hanoi. Another option for those who love to move is cycling from Mai Chau (maybe renting a bicycle in Mai Chau) to explore Pu Luong and stay here for 1 night.
Accommodation in Pu Luong Nature reserve
Pu Luong is quite large area for discovery. It’s depending on the journey of your group. That you can choose one of the villages to stay. The most popular type of accommodation is the homestay provided by local people. (Thai & Muong ecthnic minority). You will experience the life of the local people, eat and enjoy the specialties prepared by the people here.
Sightseeing in Pu Luong nature reserve
1. Kho Muong village
On the journey to the majestic Pu Luong peak. There is a very pristine and rustic valley called Kho Muong. This is one of the most difficult and highland villages of Thanh Son commune, Ba Thuoc district. But it’s great potential for natural conditions and cultural traditions to develop community tourism.
Kho Muong is a valley located deep in the core zone of Pu Luong nature reserve. It’s less affected by human impact, so it retains its inherent wild and poetic features. This is home to 60 Thai households, with 230 people. Kho Muong village is separated from other villages in the region, about 2km from Thanh Son Commune People’s Committee. But the road to the village is not easy. The bumpy road is a challenge for many people who like to explore here.
Looking down from above, Kho Muong appeared with a beautiful beauty. Epecially the houses on stilts are located close to the foot of the mountain in the fields of rice, corn and cassava. Surrounding the village is a vast green color of mountains and forests.
Thanks to what nature has favored, people know how to invest in building spacious houses to welcome tourists to visit. Coming to Kho Muong, visitors can admire the natural scenery, experience, learn the culture and customs of the Thai ethnic people, immerse in the rustic life, enjoy the traditional dishes of mountains and forests. Such as Com lam, banana flower mannequin, bitter soup, corn wine…
2. Kho Muong cave
Kho Muong Cave is one of the caves with attractive beauty in the population of caves discovered in Pu Luong Nature Reserve. The limestone stalactites formed about 250 million years ago. The cave has a connection with the underground river system with a length of about 2.5 km. The river and stream system that flows in the cave is a common feature of the Kart rocky areas, which creates a connection between the valley by the flow of the streams.
Kho Muong Cave is also home to many bats. There are 4 species of bats reside in this cave at different times of the year. Going deeper into the cave, visitors will be able to see and admire stone blocks and stalactites with strange shapes. Such as human figures, trees, beast… full of different colors, blurry, all appear very vivid and unique.
Entering a deep corner in the cave also has a very wide open field that looks like a natural volleyball court. This is one of the most highlights of the bat cave.
3. Don Village
Don Village, the home of Thai ethnic people with population of 285 people (80 households). About 2 years ago, domestic and foreign tourists came to Don village more and more. Ban Don has peaceful space, beautiful natural landscape. But also enjoy the specialties of indigenous people. Such as: bamboo shoots, grass ducks, wild pigs, hill chickens,… especially the scenery and hospitality of the local people.
4. Son Ba Muoi village
Son Ba Muoi is 3 upland villages of Lung Cao commune. It is about 130 km northwest of the city center and is considered a miniature Sa Pa due to the year-round temperate climate, the average temperature in the year is from 18 – 22 degrees Celsius, sometimes the winter has snow, Summer night temperatures si also very low.
Son Ba Muoi is also known as Cao Son. It’s located on the top of Pha He, Pha Chien mountain ranges, running parallel to the majestic Pu Luong – Cuc Phuong mountain circuit. Cao Son belongs to the core zone of Pu Luong Nature Reserve and is adjacent to Ngoc Son – Ngo Luong Nature Reserve of Hoa Binh.
In particular, Son Ba Muoi is quite isolated from the outside, so far. There are many traditions of ancient Thai people, the stilt houses still retain the traditional mark, clearly showing the peculiarities not affected by those. Modern architecture from outside doped.
5. Hieu Village
Ban Hieu is a Thai village located on the bank of the Hieu stream. It’s originating from the Pu Luong peak. The village consists of more than a hundred rooftops scattered along both sides of the stream. Every time there is a beautiful waterfall, the floor roofs are thicker, creating a waterfall scene – a beautiful house on stilts.
Both streams from the beginning of the village to the end of the village are only about kilometers. But there are 5 waterfalls, every waterfall is beautiful. Therefore, the people in the village called all the waterfalls as the Hiêu waterfall and loved to call that stream with the name “Hiêu stream”.
6. Doan Town let Market
Doan street is the name of the market from the French colonial period in Lung Niep commune, Ba Thuoc district, Thanh Hoa province. This is the place to trade goods and meet the people of Kinh, Muong and Thai ethnic groups in the communes around the region with people in Tan Lac and Lac Son districts … Hoa Binh province.
What makes the attraction for tourists when visit the market is the culture of buying and selling goods with equal value. Sometimes, they do not trade in money, for example a chicken can exchange for two dozen eggs with a bunch of vegetables that both sides feel comfortable and happy. Just “a belly” is buying right away, rarely seeing the price, demanding.
What to eat in Pu Luong?
Eating at Pu Luong is quite simple, most of the delicious food in Pu Luong will be enjoyed immediately at your homestay. People will prepare all these dishes according to the number of your groups, the fish meat is presented on the tray of leaves (leaf leaves), can be eaten with rice or sticky rice. Pu Luong cuisine will bring the distinct characteristics of Thai cuisine with grilled dishes, items, and spices with many mountains flavors.
Hope the information above you can find the useful information before travel Pu Luong. If you have any enquiry about this area let give us a mail to sales@originvietnam.com.
Images Source: Internet
