Hanoi (VNA) – Located in the north central province of Thanh Hoa, Pu Luong isrenowned as an ideal destination for trekkers and budget travellers because ofits seclusion and fantastic scenery of terraced rice fields and primaryforests.

About 130km northwest of the provincial capital city of Thanh Hoa and 190kmsouth of Hanoi, Pu Luong is close to several favoured tourist attractions inHoa Binh province’s Mai Chau, Tan Lac and Lac Son districts, providingexplorers with a full circle of exciting adventure.

It is the best to travel to Pu Luong at the end of May and early June since itis the occasion to start a new rice crop when terraced fields here wear a layerof green, looking all fresh and peaceful.

Mid-summer is also a good time to go to Pu Luong as it is situated in a lowland limestone area, with many tropical forests and few inhabitants, making itsclimate quite pleasant even during hot days.

Visitors can also travel to Pu Luong between September and October when itenters harvest season, with multi-layer terraced fields on the hillsidesturning yellowish, making it even more spectacular. During this time, Pu Luongis dubbed as “a paradise amidst the jungle,” attracting a lot of tourists toenjoy the scenery of ripening rice fields.

Residents in the hamlets surrounding Pu Luong, such as Son, Ba and Muoi in LungCao commune; Kho Muong in Thanh Son; Don in Thanh Lam; and Hieu in Co Lung, areThai and Muong ethnic minority people who lead lives steeped in tradition andcustoms. They remain largely uninfluenced by modern means.

Discovering the local cuisine and culture is a highlight of any trip to PuLuong. There is nothing more delightful than dishes made from ingredients grownright in the area. Pu Luong is home to an array of vegetables, such as babypumpkin leaf, green beans and bamboo shoots. For a real Pu Luong lunch ordinner, visitors should try the locally raised pork and grilled mountain snailsdipped in fish sauce.

In Lunar February, local people flock to the top of Pu Luong to harvest wildbitter-tasting bamboo shoots which are served in various local unique dishes,from simple to difficult. The simplest one, boiled bamboo shoots served withchili fish sauce, is also the most popular the locals use as a treat to welcometheir guests.

Far different from the hustle and bustle of city life, a day in Pu Luong startswith the sound of singing birds and babbling brooks meandering down through lowhills, and the picturesque view of mountains blanketed in a fluffy layer offog. It truly provides a great getaway for those who want to have some qualitytime without distractions of modern life.

There are many stilt houses in the villages where visitors can explore dailylife of the locals and spend the night. They can also stay in a wide range ofhotels and resorts inside Pu Luong Nature Reserve, for example, Puluong NaturaBangalow, Puluong Retreat, Puluong Eco-Garden, and Puluong OhayO, which offer acombination of local architecture and modern elements.

Pu Luong is a nature reserve established in 1999 with its area covering BaThuoc and Quan Hoa districts. It is considered as a valuable natural reservefor scientific research, socio-economic and ecotourism development./.