Activities in Pu Luong Thanh Hoa

1. Kho Muong Village - Bat Cave (Kho Muong Cave)

On the road to Pu Luong Mountain Peak, there is a wild and simple valley called Kho Muong. It is one of the remote villages in Muong Son Commune, Ba Thuoc District which is also the poorest one in the area. However, it has great potential for commune tourism thanks to the natural conditions and cultural traditions of the local residents.

The road to the village is meandering because it is still under construction. One side is the cliffs, and the other is a deep end with yellow terraces and endless green forests. There are about 60 families living in the area, most of them Thai ethnic minorities. Traditionally, they earn their living by growing rice, and corn,... self-sufficiently. Thanks to the dominance of natural resources, they have trained themselves to turn the village into an attractive tourism destination.

An impressive spot that tourists should not miss here is Kho Muong Cave. To reach the cave, you have to go through a perched path stretching for 100 meters. However, the cave heart is very wide, about 2,5 kilometers, with many small spaces sinking deeply into the ground. Hundreds of blocks of limestone have contributed millions of millions of years to fulfilling the shape of the cave.

Kho Muong Cave has another name Bat Cave (Hang Doi). It is because it is the home of many kinds of bats, at least four of them have been found at different times of the year. Entering deep into the cave, tourists will be attracted by hundreds of stalactites and stone blocks in various strange shapes, and in different magic colors. All create a lively and mysterious atmosphere.

2. Hieu Village - Hieu Waterfall

Hieu Village and Hieu Waterfall are in Co Lung Commune, Ba Thuoc District, Thanh Hoa Province. Visiting Pu Luong Thanh Hoa when the rice ripes, you will certainly get surprised at the 25-kilometer roadway from Cang Nang town to Hieu village with endlessly yellow terraced on two roadsides, along two sides of the stream. Go through a wooden suspension bridge to enter the village.

There are more than 100 houses scattered along two sides of the river alternating with white rapids behind, creating a picture of watercolors painting catching your eyes immediately.  The village is only one kilometer long but has up to five waterfalls, each of which has its own charming features that are completely different from the others. Therefore, local people give them the general name "Hieu Waterfall", and the stream is also called "Hieu Flow" instead of "Hieu Stream" as usual.

Both the waterfall and the stream are derived from the rocky cave in the limestone mountain range Pu Luong - Cuc Phuong, therefore, the water is especially fresh and blue. The waterfall's length is about 800 meters. From the peak's view, the flow is separated into two smaller ones in the mountain body and then they gather at the end. According to the locals, the stream is never out of water. It is blue all over the year, cool in summer and warm in winter.

At the end of the waterfall is a small stream, the water level of which is one meter high. The bottom is covered with a sand layer, turning it into a natural lake for tourists to immerse in after a journey discovering the Hieu Waterfall peak.

3. Son - Ba - Muoi Village

Son - Ba - Muoi are three different mountainous villages in Lung Cao Commune. The place is 130 kilometers far from the city center and also known as a "mini Sapa" thanks to its moderate climate around the year. The average temperature is from 18 to 22°C. However, for its height, the weather is so cold in winter that sometimes snow falls when the temperature goes down to -1 or -2°C. In summer, it is cool in daylight but a little cold at night.

These three villages have another name Cao Son, belonging to the core area of Pu Luong Nature Reserve and located next to Ngoc Son - Ngo Luong Nature Reserve (Hoa Binh Province). They are called Cao Son, which means "a high mountain" in Vietnamese, because they are at the peak of Pha Le mountain range, at a height 1200 meters above sea level, paralleled with Pu Luong - Cuc Phuong range.

Not only the location but the challenging roadway to approach the place make the area almost isolated from others at the mountain foot. However, that also contributes to the naturally wild beauty of the area and makes it attractive to travelers who love challenges. Especially, there still maintain many traditional customs of the ancient Thai ethnic minority. Thai stilt house architecture is existing proof showing that it has not been affected by the outside so far.

4. Don Village (Thanh Lam Commune)

Don Village is the home of the Thai ethnic minority, including 76 homes (285 individuals), at an area of 125 hectares in Thanh Lam Commune, Ba Thuoc District. For the last two years, the number of tourists visiting the place is rising rapidly, among which the number of foreigners makes up 60%.

The attraction has a wild scenery, typical for terraces stretching endlessly and groups of houses located quietly along the hill foot. More impressively, tourists will have a chance to learn about the local traditional weaving, and taste some special flavors that you hardly find anywhere else: mountainous bamboo, field ducks, wild boars, mountainous chicken, and fish soup,... But what impresses you most may be the warm welcome and friendliness of the locals here.

From Don Village, you can have a walk or take a vehicle to visit other attractions in Ba Thuoc District such as Hieu Village, Kho Muong village...

5. Check-in on Pu Luong mountain peak

Also known as "the paradise among the mountains", the full-range scenery of Pu Luong is much more impressive with dew surrounding all the year. When you get up in the early morning, have a look through the window, and you will see clouds floating at the peak of the mountain, even in front of your eyes. Everything combines so well that you may get a feeling like in your dream, nothing moves, just the quietness of the landscape exists.

If you are a challenge lover, conquering the peak at 1700 meters high is the most exciting experience in Pu Luong Thanh Hoa. It takes about six to eight hours to reak the peak in nice weather conditions. However, it is worth it when you can admire the outstanding landscape of mountains and forests together with spotting stilts houses, and terraces in the valley on the mountain foot. Enjoy the feeling of fighting yourself to complete the challenging mission. Moreover, you can have a simple camping party and get overnight there before going down the next day.

6. Pho Doan market

If you visit the place on Thursday or Sunday, don't miss to join Pho Doan Market, which has been famous since the French period. It is located in Lung Niem Commune, Ba Thuoc District, Thanh Hoa Province. There take place trading activities, purchasing local products of Kinh, Muong, and Thai minorities from surrounding areas such as Tan Lac District, Lac Son District (Hoa Binh Province)...

Pho Doan is typical for mountainous markets with mostly self-sufficient products. They are quite simple but prevalent in kinds of products such as traditional silk costumes, tube wine, mountainous vegetables, and fresh fruits,...

Especially, the impression is that local residents do not use the money for trading but exchange equivalent products with each other. For example, you can exchange a cock for twenty eggs and a number of vegetables if both are satisfied. They hardly haggle.

7. Muon Waterfall

Located 100 kilometers far from Thanh Hoa city, following National Highway No. 217 toward the high land, tourists will see Muon Waterfall, also known as Mo Waterfall, which means "exciting and dreamy" in Vietnamese. It is 500 meters high above the water level, and originates from the mountain peak at a height of 300 meters.

The flow arrives at a large valley, from which goes down to the hillsides, creating many succeeding grades of water like the white terraces.

Going through these 43 grades at different sizes and heights with stone, water, and forest trees, the stream falls out to Dai Lan river, then contributes to Ma Giang river. Tourists can climb on these grades of the waterfall safely thanks to the typical stone features.

In addition to admiring the natural beauty of the landscape, tourists will listen to the story of love related to the attraction, meet the locals, and learn about the lifestyle and culture of the area. They are all warm-hearted and welcome tourists to come and have a nice experience here.