Pu Luong Retreat Homestay Experience
TOUR INFORMATION
Stretching from Mai Chau in the north west to Cuc Phuong National Park in the south east. The Pu Luong Nature Reserve is blessed with rich forest, limestone panoramic views, magnificent rice terraces and breathtaking scenery. On this trip you can experience the everyday life and culture of Thai and Muong ethnic minorities and spend nights with friendly locals.
What’s Included
- Meals as mentioned (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
- English speaking guide (for other languages supplements apply)
- Tours and transfers as mentioned by private air conditioned vehicle
- Entrance fees for mentioned visits
- Boat trips as mentioned in the itinerary
What’s Not Included
- Other meals than mentioned
- Other services than mentioned
- International and domestic Flights
- Laundry, telephone calls and expenditure of a personal nature
- Tips, Travel insurance
Support: +84 903 464 383
Email: info@detouredasia.com
TOUR MAP
ITINERARY BY DAY
DAY 1: HANOI – PU LUONG (-/L/D)
07:30 am departure from your hotel to Pu Luong. On the way, stop for visiting the Holy Fish stream, a fascinating destination in Cam Thuy district, Thanh Hoa province. The place is well known with a unique and particular type of fish that often swims densely in the stream. It is called the Holy Fish due to many mystical stories on these special creatures.
You enter Pu Luong Nature Reserve by road via a breathtaking mountain pass giving you a panoramic view of the whole valley. You arrive at your accommodation in time for a delicious lunch, followed by free time to explore the beautiful retreat, with its captivating panoramic views and tranquil setting.
You will be transfered to a suspension bridge over the Cham River, where you begin your walk in search of stunning water wheels. Get up close to each wheel and discover how water is moved from river to handmade bamboo aqueducts via simple constructions of all sizes. Transfer back to Pu Luong Retreat for dinner and overnight.
Optional: you can enjoy rafting or kayaking on Cham river (with supplement)
DAY 2: PU LUONG – HANOI (B/L/-)
Breakfast. Start early to descend into the beautiful valley facing the Retreat where you walk around tumbling rice terraces. Trek through small paths shrouded in vegetation to slowly reveal a picturesque village sitting at the base of a towering mountain. Your camera will not be able to sit still!
Continuing to the base of the valley, you weave between roads and farmland, villages and wild fields, ponds and rivers, mountains and open land. Savour the ever-changing scenery as you trek to a beautiful spot. Then you will be transfered back to Puluong Retreat for lunch. In the afternoon, transfer back to Hanoi.
TOUR NOTES
Note: we only run private and customizable tours
Support: +84 903 464 383
Email: info@detouredasia.com
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TOUR REVIEWS
Customer reviews
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Scenic location off the beaten path
We stayed in a private room at Puluong Retreat in late December and had a wonderful time. The view of the Nature Reserve and terraced rice fields from the balcony was possibly the best we’ve ever had in a hotel room. Sunrise each morning was particularly gorgeous. The room was clean and comfortable (though the bed rather hard), the staff were attentive and kind, and the food was delicious with generous portions.
Unlike the other guests at the Retreat on organized package tours, we were independent travelers without a guide to plan our activities, so we had to be a bit resourceful. The hotel offers standard tours (kayaking, bat cave, biking, etc) but if you want to hike for more than an hour or two, they don’t have a well-developed offering of day hikes yet. They set us up with a local guide who took us on a beautiful 3-hour hike (mostly downhill) starting at Ban Dong Dien, through the Tai village Ban Kuo Muong, through the terraced rice fields of multiple villages along the valley, and ending at Ban Du village (Pho Doan Market). It was great and we wish we could’ve hiked for longer. The visit to the water wheels was also worthwhile and we really enjoyed the walk from the Retreat down into the valley below.
Overall, we highly recommend Puluong Retreat for a relaxing, affordable getaway in a scenic, off-the-beaten track location. If you’re coming as an independent traveler, make sure to bring snacks for when the kitchen is closed, as well as games or a deck of cards to entertain yourself in the evenings (they offer darts and foosball). It also gets quite cold in the evenings (around 50F) and the dining area is completely outside, so make sure to pack warm clothes if you are coming in the winter season. Enjoy!
Classy place in rural area, something different, great food
Sadly we only stayed a single night here on our tour of Vietnam. After a leisurely 5 hour car transfer from Hanoi through fascinating countryside, we arrived at the retreat for lunch, which was a really high-quality tasty range of dishes – very unexpected from a place in a remote location. It has fantastic views over the mountains and valleys. Staff were super helpful and very well-trained and keen to please. We ordered Margarita cocktails that were as good as in any top-notch city place. Our bungalow was massive, with beautiful furnishings, and both an indoor and outdoor shower. Very unusual, but really well done.
Staying here was a unique and memorable enjoyable experience. Had a great walk in the valley and local people were very friendly. Any downsides? Well, it’s rural but not quiet, with noises of village life in the evening, and cockerels crowing well before dawn, so bring earplugs if you’re a light sleeper! But can’t fault the facilities and the staff.