Mai Chau - Pu Luong Nature Reserve - Trekking through the Rice paddy fields Homestay, eatting with the local people.
The Pu Luong limestone landscape is an area of outstanding beauty, culture interest and high biodiversity value stretching from Mai Chau in the North to West to Cuc Phuong national park in the South East. It is blessed with rich forest, limestone panoramas, magnificent rice terraces and breathtaking scenery. Experience the everyday life and culture of Thai and Muong people and stay in scenic villages and in traditional homestay accommodation.
Pu Luong Nature Reserve offers opportunities for easy to moderate trekking, ranging from one to several days visits. Visit the bat cave at Kho Muong, raft on Ma river, journey to pleasant Thai villages or camp on the Pu luong mountain for stunning panorama
Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau ( L, D )
7:00 a.m you will be met up with Asia Pacific Travel team at your hotel in Hanoi and transferred to Mai Chau. Drive to Hoa Binh (about 2 hours). Short stop for break and coffee.
Leave Man Duc to Muong, Mai Chau with few stops on the way for taking pictures. Lunch in Maichau.
Go around the valley before having dinner at a stilt house of Thai minority village.
Overnight in the village. Clean and comfortable matress, blanket and pillow are rovided.
Day 2 : Trek Mai Chau onto Pu Luong Nature Reserve. (B, L, D )
Leaving the Poom Coom village, you travel along the Ma river on the Road 15c. Trek to Duom and Hang village for approximately 2.5 hrs through spectacular mountain scenery, rice paddies, water wheels, talk with lovely local people on the way. Arrive in the homestay in the afternoon. Check into a local house for dinner and overnight.
Day 3 : Hike to Eo Ken & Kho Muong villages (Continue hiking Pu Luong nature reserve) (B, L, D )
Get up early and take part in their morning activities. Today you will walk for about an hour 5-6 on a dirt road.The first challenging hike with some steep climbs and stream crossings further, the next is really beautiful with beautiful views of the valley, rice terraces, rich rainforest. Picnic lunch on the way at Eo Ken village. On arrival at the village on the afternoon, this village is perhaps the most beautiful in Vietnam nestled between steep karst mountains and terraces. Spend our second night in a house on stilts in typical Thai village of Kho Muong
Day 4 : Trek to Nua and Hin villages (Continue trekking Pu Luong national park) (B, L, D )
After breakfast, you will leave the homestay and continue trekking through the valley on unpaved road. There are some steep climbs and yet more stream crossings. Trek to an incredible cave, only recently discovered and now protected by the Forest rangers. The trekking becomes more remote yet one is never far from a villager tending fields, passing steep limestone mountain, rain forest inside the Pu Luong Nature Reserve to Nua village. Lunch will be provided en route. Relax from the heat of the day before continuing on to Hin – the village of Thai people in the afternoon. Have dinner and spend one more night at a local home.
Day 5 : Hin to Son village (Continue trekking Pu Luong ). (B, L, D )
Leave Hin village, you will trek uphill. You will get in deeper inside the Pu luong Nature Reserve with wild and rich tropical forest. Lunch will be provided en route. After lunch, continue trekking through Ba beautiful village to Son village. Take a break and stretch your legs on the house on stilt of Thai people or strolling round this village and to be in contact with hospitable friendly local people here. Dinner and overnight in Son village.
Day 6 : Trek to Pho Doan Market then drive back to Hanoi (B, L)
Today you will have a nice and easier trek, just a bit up and down through rice paddies, jungle fever. After 2.5 hours we get to PhoDoan Market. Car Pick up and transfer back to Hanoi.
