When I see Trip Advisor reviews of places like this rating them "average," I wonder why the reviewer even leaves home. This was the most magical place I've yet visited in my nearly two years in Vietnam. The mountains juxtaposed with the terraced rice paddies make Pu Luong the picture postcard of what one would imagine rural Vietnam to be. If you don't speak Vietnamese, you'll want to either hire a local guide or you can simply use google maps to find places to explore. My Vietnamese is decent enough that we didn't bother to get a guide but ended up quasi-joining another group (at their invitation) for an hour or so of our trekking. The high season here is May/June when the rice paddies turn yellow and the harvest takes place. So, expect prices to be highest then. But even now, (February) when the fields are green and the planting is taking place, the area is absolutely breathtaking. I hate to say this but while the physical distance between Mai Chau and Pu Luong is not great, the roads require slower driving. I would recommend staying over in the vicinity of Pu Luong rather than commute from Mai Chau - or do them in sequence. But, there is a wide variety of lodging options in the area from quite nice to simple homestays. But, no matter what you do, if you approach the adventure with an open mind and a generous spirit, you'll absolutely love it here. I rarely want to return to a place I've been because there's just so much to see. But I have to return to Pu Luong.

We stayed at Mai Chau Ecolodge for two nights and took a day trip to Pu Luong. In hindsight we wished that we had stayed in Pu Luong instead because we thought the reserve was much more scenic, peaceful and less touristy than Mai Chai. Pu Luong is off the main tourist track right now. If you are debating between visiting Mai Chau or Pu Luong, we would recommend the latter over the former. It is a very lovely area!

Situated in the middle of a natural forest on a mountain, Pu Luong nature reserve has excellent spacious comfortable chalets and all have balconies with great views. The food is good: the Papaya salad great, the beef a little tough. Staff are friendly and willing but some don’t speak English well. Scenic walks and cycle rides are easily accessible.

Not trying to tout our guide, but he lived in the woods growing up, and knows them intimately--the legends, the plants and animals, and the history. (Toantourguide@hotmail.com) He kept us away from tourist-laden venues, or timed our visits best, suggested best local dishes, and discussed cultural issues we were interested in. All necessary to get the most out of the nature reserve, and we did! Thank you!

we decided to do a 3 day trekking in Pu Luong nature reserve and not to go to sapa because we had heard stories about trekking there that you are being followed by people trying to sell you stuff. During our 3 day trekking we didn`t meet any other tourists. It is still unspoiled and the people there are extremely friendly. Of course we had an excellent guide Toan Duong who knows all the small treks and paths.I really recommend to contact him if you are planning to go there toantourguide@hotmail.com

We've just returned from 2.5 days in Pu Luong reserve. We are a family with 3 girls aged 10, 8 and 3.5 who love nature and hiking ( but our kids are not tough or anything). The tour was one of the highlights of our 6 weeks visit to Vietnam. Finally off the touristic path! Authentic villages, no other tourists around and lovely hikes in beautiful nature and views. Our guide was Le from Ume Mai Chau eco homestay. She and her mother in law xuan are so kind and we felt lucky to hear so much from Le who is quite young on her childhood and the life of the thai minority. We spent 2 nights in the reserve. One in Ban hieu near beautiful waterfall and one in ku muong in a family homestay. You sleep on a mattress on the wooden floor. These are basic places but showers were really ok and you earn a really special experience and views are gorgeous. Highly reccomended. ( 3 years old was some times on carrier). Le's number is:+841698951714.she speaks good english. Xuan's no.: 0916555364 also cooks great food!

I ve been two times in Pu Luong Reserve Nature already and I will go back for sure. This place is unique , peaceful , not touristy and the friendliest people I ve met in Vietnam. As a nature lover and a trekking amateur , this was ideal for me. Along the trekking , you see some beautiful landscapes , the local farmer working in the rice fields and can trek into the jungle. As they have two harvest a year, it s always a good time to go there. I did the trek until Hieu village and it was awesome. I did two times the tour organized by Eco Travel Go Green and they are really specialist of the area. The guide was a local from the minority Black Thai so he could provide full of informations.

We went on a 3 day tour with motorbikes from Ninh Binh organized by Toan (in our case our leader was his nephew Phuong). The reserve is about 130 km north-west of Ninh Binh but it took us 4-5 hours to reach it by motorbikes. We were a group of 5, each having their own guide with a bike. The views on the way are so stunning, we passed many villages and saw the rural, more authentic Vietnam. Pu Luong is mainly tropical forests, with two ranges of mountains on both sides creating a lush green valley in the middle dotted with traditional villages. We trekked in the forest and along rice paddy fields, visited many beautiful small villages. The local Thai people living in the reserve are so friendly and sweet. They would invite you for a cup of tea into their home and show you how they live. Pu Luong is among a few "off the beaten path" places near Hanoi / Ninh Binh that receives recommendations from explorers recently. It was the absolute highlight of our trip. Toan and Phuong have been doing these tours for more than 10 years now but they still put all the effort into the organization, like for example they shop all the products you need to cook a dinner for you in the evenings. We stayed at 2 different homestays which both were lovely. We were prepared delicious dinners both evenings and offered home made rice wine. We all sat down on the floor and had dinner, drinks together and chatted about life. I would never forget these nights at Pu Luong. Phuong, himself, speaks excellent English. He is very well educated, funny and a very humble man. You would love his company. If you are looking for an unforgettable, authentic, local, off-the-beaten-track, rural, experience in Vietnam, then look no more. Pu Luong and Toan Tours are your thing! Thank you Phuong for the unique experience!

We spent a day here it was raining we did a short trek from the retreat thru the rice terraced to the village. The views were beautiful and the sticky rice was still green and some yellow normal rice still created nice colors. After Sapa i can tell that this place is less turistic and more authentic. The Tay people do not try to follow you with souvenirs they judt live there

Well, here is a fantastic tour definitely off-the-beaten-path, which I did recently ! You can start it either from Hanoi or from Ninh Binh/Tam Coc Day 1 : HANOI - HOA BINH - MUONG KHEN - BAN HIEU Departure direction south-west towards Mai Chau ; lunch in the small town of Muong Khen. Before arriving in Mai Chau, we take a small mountain road southwards climbing from pass to pass and then on an impressive hairpin descent down to the valley separating the 2 park massifs. You arrive in the small Thai village of Ban Hieu. A 3-km easy walk leads you to the stilted house of charming Thai hosts Tam and Tung. Day 2 or more: TREKKING BAN HIEU Beautiful trekkings of one or more days going from small valley to small valley and villages, with picnic lunches. Day 3 : BAN HIEU - CO LUONG - MAI CHAU (3 meals) You cross the Pu Luong from south to north, driving through the large valley separating the two massifs, until the small river village of Co Luong, known for its numerous bamboo chopsticks mini-factories ; visit one and continue to the Thai village of Ban Lac and its homestays (I like House No 6). Stroll or bicycle around. Day 4 : MAI CHAU - SON LA (3 meals) Beautiful road up to the town of Son La, the Capital of the Black Thaï (you recognize them easily, for the women have a big chignon on top of their head) ; visit the French Penitenciary, with its small Minority Museum and the ruins of the prison. Day 5 : SON LA - MUONG LA - CHIENG LAO - MU CAN CHAI A superb day ! Take the small mountain road direction Muong La. Between that village and the Photographers Road (Road 32), you drive for 50 km alongside a stunning road of small dam lakes on the Mu Na, River and limestone peaks, to arrive at the hmong village of Muong Kim. You end the day in the Thai village of Mu Can Chai. Stroll through the rice field to the hmong village Om Koum and stay at the Thai house of Mrs Chon, which overlooks the large rice field. Day 6 : MU CAN CHAI - LA PAN TAN – THULE - NGHIA LO Drive to the small village of Nga Ba Kim and turn left in the middle of the village, at the sign marked "La Pan Tan", into the deep valleys of terraced rice fields of La Pan Tan, classified National Heritage by the Vietnamese Government. Have lunch in Nga Ba Kim and drive again until the large valley of Nghia Lo (Thai homestay of M. Dau). Day 7 : NGHAI LO - DUONG LAM – HANOI All the way down into the delta of the Red River, until the ancient village of Duong Lam (Mong Phu) ; have lunch in one of the oldest houses (over 400 years). Then visit in Duong Lam the very old Mia Pagoda, which contains the largest collection of terra Cotta in Vietnam ; back to Hanoi, with visit on the way of the large complex of the the West Pagoda (Chua Tay),