Mai Chau – Pu Luong Trek 9 days

•    Duration: 9 days/8 nights
•    Group size: 1 – 8pax
•    Transport: car
•    Route: Hanoi – Mai Chau – Ninh Binh – Hanoi

Mai Chau is famous for its beautiful mountains; valleys of the Thai people, Pu Luong has also the same characters of Mai Chau but still unspoiled and outstanding because of the beauty with diverse biodiversity value, a globally important example of a lowland limestone forest ecosystem, covered by rich tropical forest.

Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau, light trek to Hang Kia village

We depart from your hotel at 8:00am to Mai Chau town – Hoa Binh province. This scenic drive takes about three hours. En routes, we pass fields of tapioca and sugar cane as well as rice paddies.

After lunch in a traditional stilt house of the Thai people in Poom Coom village, we drive for one hour to Xa Linh village to begin 3 hrs trek through beautiful villages, the gravel tracks and small paths used by the locals. Our destination for this evening is Hang Kia village, home of the H’mong minority people. Dinner and stay overnight as the guests of an H’mong family in a traditional house, situated in a picturesque valley of peach orchards.

Inclusion: transfer, guide, homestay, entrances fee, lunch, dinner,

Day 2: Trek to Van village (4 ~ 5 hrs trek)

Breakfast and then we get well and truly off the beaten track as we trek through tropical rain forest, using the local tracks and passing through corn fields as we descend in to Mai Chau Valley. The trek takes around 5 hours and is quite steep in places.

Lunch will be provided at the local stall at the foot of the valley. From here, we pass through several ethnic minority villages, long spread out fields decorated with water wheels to make our way to Van village by late afternoon, and then we have time to walk around this charming little white Thai village, enabling us to understand a little more about how the people live. Tonight we will be horned guests in one of their traditional stilt houses. Dinner will be served here and you are able to sample some of their homemade rice wine!

Inclusion: guide, homestay, all meals,

Day 3: Trek to Xam Khoe village (4 ~ 5 hrs trek)

Today we have whole day – easy and nice trek passing through several more Thai hamlets. We walk on the valley floor and are surrounded by rice paddies and beautiful scenery. Picnic lunch en route and arrival in Xam Khoe village in the afternoon. Cook, then enjoy the dinner with the host, slumber away after having nips of maize wine. Free time to walk around or chat with local people, then have a good night sleep.

Inclusion: guide, homestay, all meals,

Day 4: Trek back to Poom Coom village

Say farewell with the host after breakfast. Trek back to Mai Chau valley and Poom Coom village through beautiful rice terraces, inhale peaceful atmosphere here in the morning…Lunch will be served by Thai people, free time for you to stroll around the village in the afternoon. This village is near a small town. So this makes a good chance for you to refresh a bit and prepare for the next challenges of trekking on the following days. Dinner and overnight in Poom Coom village.

Inclusion: guide, homestay, all meals,

Day 5: Mai Chau trek onto Pu Luong

Leave from the Poom Coom village after breakfast. We ride on the road and passing through spectaculars on routes and Ma river around 22km to the Pu Luong Nature Reserve. Get off the bus to unbeaten 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. If we have more time, children here are very willing to bring you to visit Hang cave, then we spend the night with a local Thai family. Whilst enjoying their hospitality we will discover a little more about their lives and culture. Prepare picnic lunch for the next day.

Inclusion: transfer, guide, homestay, all meals,

Day 6: Hike to Eo Ken & Kho Muong villages

The daily life here starts early, it will be interesting for you to get up, take part in their activities in the morning, take an opportunity to stroll around Hang village before having breakfast served by Thai people. Start our trek at 8 a.m. Today we will be walking for an approximately 5 to 6 hrs. The first hiking is hard with some steep climbs and yet more stream crossings, the next is really glorious with beautiful views of valley, rice terraces, rich rain forest.

Picnic lunch on the way at Eo Ken village. Arrival in Hang- the setting of the village is perhaps the most beautiful in Vietnam nestled between steep karst mountains and nice terraces in the afternoon. Spend our second night in a typical Thai eco – stilt house in Kho Muong.

Inclusion: guide, homestay, all meals,

Day 7: Trek to Nua and Hin villages

Having breakfast, then start for a harder full day of hiking. Continue on through the valley. 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. After a rough trek, what is more than refreshing yourself with cool stream. This will surely bring you a new experience. Stream bathing! Then picnic lunch will be served here.

Relax from the heat of the day before continuing on to Hin – the village of Thai people in the afternoon. We will be welcomed as honoured guests. Have dinner with local people at their traditional house. Free time for you to talk and learn their traditional customs and culture. Prepare picnic lunch for the next day.

Inclusion: guide, homestay, all meals,

Day 8: Hike to Son village

Leave Hin village after having breakfast at Thai people, we will start for a full day trek to Son village. Climbing up hardly, we will get in deeper inside the Pu luong Nature Reserve with wild and rich tropical forest, having picnic lunch on the way. Continuing our trek passing through Ba beautiful village to Son village when the “sunset” – if it does not rain. 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.

Inclusion: guide, homestay, all meals,

Day 9: Trek to Ton village then van onto Hanoi

Breakfast is prepared by guide then we start our trek at 8:00 am to Ton village. Today we 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 Ton village. Driver will pick us up and transfer to Muong Khen town for lunch. Arrive and end in Hanoi in the afternoon.

Inclusion: transfer, guide, breakfast, lunch

Exclusion: Visa, insurance, drinks, personal expenses, others not mentioned in details, tips are welcome!

What to bring:

Passport, swimsuits, change of clothes, sun-glasses & hat, toiletries, sun-block, insect repel, flashlights, good shoes, sleeping bags, cable locks, first aid kit

Notes:

• Homestay condition is very basic.
• This tour itinerary and tour prices are subject to change without notice, please refer to our terms and condition before booking,
• Please travel responsibly, the small things you do will make a big difference!