Where is Pu Luong Nature Reserve in Vietnam?

Situated around 160km (99 miles) southwest of Hanoi, Pu Luong Nature Reserve is a hidden gem offering serene landscapes, stunning trekking, and rich cultural values. This place is still a hidden gem to travel in Vietnam.

How to get to Pu Luong from Hanoi?

To travel to Pu Luong Nature Reserve from Hanoi, travelers can get a private car for the shortest drive, use a tourism bus, or drive a motorbike for adventure. It takes roughly 4.5 hours to travel from Hanoi to Pu Luong. The timing can be slightly different depending on the traffic. 

Besides, if you wish to visit Ninh Binh before or after the getaway in Pu Luong Nature Reserve can drive or take local buses to travel between the 2 destinations without returning to Hanoi.

The best time to visit Pu Luong Nature Reserve

With moderate weather, Pu Luong Nature Reserve is good to travel to all year round. Its peak seasons are the 2 rice crops of the year, when the landscape is covered with stunning terraced rice fields. If you plan to see the rice fields in Pu Luong, you can travel from March to May and from July to September. 

How long to stay in Pu Luong Vietnam

With its impressive scenery, delicious cuisine, Pu Luong has gradually become a weekend getaway for domestic travelers. To see the best of Pu Luong, it’s suggested to stay there 2 to 3 days. Meanwhile, some travelers make a half-day trek in Pu Luong when driving from Mai Chau to Ninh Binh. Only a 1.5-hour drive from Pu Luong Nature Reserve is Mai Chau Valley, an idyllic and peaceful valley for trekking and cycling to the local villages. You can combine these two destinations for a Mai Chau Pu Luong 3 days 2 nights tour from Hanoi. 

Things to do in Pu Luong Nature Reserve Vietnam

Trekking

The terrain in Pu Luong is suitable for trekking. There are different routes that a traveler can decide to go from a couple of km to 20km, depending on their level. There are local villages of some minority ethnic groups in Pu Luong for trekking, such as Don village, Hieu Village, Kho Muong Village, etc.

During your trek in Pu Luong Nature Reserve, you can explore the pristine jungle, pass by the cool streams, visit plunging Hieu waterfall, and visit local families to learn about their daily life. Pu Luong Peak, at 1700m high, is also a challenge for your conquer if you’re an adventurer at heart. The Pu Luong Summit hike is truly an off-the-beaten path in Vietnam.

River Rafting

While trekking in Pu Luong Nature Reserve Vietnam, you can make a stop for river rafting over the Cham River. A local person will take you along the river. For your safety, the rafting distance can be different depending on the water current on the day.

Observe the waterwheels in Pu Luong

Walking through the rice fields, you will find a system of waterwheels in Pu Luong and learn about the traditional way of pumping water in rice fields. 

Must-try local food when traveling to Pu Luong

Besides the landscape, travelers also have impressions of the local cuisine in Pu Luong. Here are some indigenous local dishes for your taste: 

Co Lung Grilled Duck 

Ducks are raised naturally in Co Lung village and marinated with forest herbs before being grilled over charcoal. The taste, therefore, is smoky, tender, and savoury.

Grilled Stream Fish

Visitors can enjoy freshwater fish caught from local streams in Pu Luong. The fish, sometimes wrapped in banana leaves to retain its freshness. 

Wild Boar Meat

Free-roaming boars from the mountains are yielding lean and with a flavorful taste. The meat can be grilled, stewed, or steamed with local herbs, which is a unique signature of the  Pu Luong region. 

Bamboo Shoots

Wild bamboo shoots are found in the jungles by the locals while on their way to the fields. The bamboo shoot is a typical and tasty dish that is favoured by both locals and travelers. The most common way to cook the bamboo shoots is to stir-fry or boil. 

Is China worth traveling to?

People from the West might wonder whether it’s worth seeing China. Abounding majestic historical constructions such as the Great Wall, the Imperial Citadel, the Terracotta Army, etc., colorful culture, fascinating culture, the answer is yes, China is worth traveling to, especially if you’re interested in history, culture, food, nature, or rapid modernization. 

Where is China?

China is located in East Asia, and it’s the third-largest country in the world by area (after Russia and Canada) and the most populous country. China borders a number of countries. Hence, after visiting China, you also can combine a trip to one of its neighbors, such a Vietnam travel trip.

East: Pacific Ocean (including the East China Sea and South China Sea)

North: Mongolia, Russia

West: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan

South: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Vietnam

Southeast: Close to Taiwan, the Philippines, and other parts of Southeast Asia

When is the best time to travel to China?

China is a large country, and the weather is distinctly divided into 4 seasons. The best time to travel to China is generally in spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October). These months offer the most pleasant weather, fewer extremes, and beautiful scenery. Keep in mind that this is a super-populated country, and I highly suggest avoiding the public holiday when domestic travelers cause you to wait in a long queue for sightseeing. 

Here are five recommended places to visit for first-time travelers to China, offering a mix of history, culture, nature, and modern life:

5 recommended places for first-time travelers to China

Beijing (Historical and Cultural Hub)

It’s the capital and a perfect introduction to China’s imperial past and political present.

Unmissable spots to see in Beijing are the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, and Tiananmen Square.

Xi’an (Ancient Capital)

Xi’an is a lovely ancient capital city. It’s the starting point of the Silk Road and home to some of China’s oldest and most iconic relics.

Favourite places to explore in Xi’an include the Terracotta Army, the Ancient City Wall, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and the Muslim Quarter.

Shanghai

Shanghai, a modern Metropolis,  is an impressive city where traditional Chinese culture meets futuristic skyscrapers and international flair.

Highlighted places to check out in Shanghai are the Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Yu Garden, Nanjing Road, French Concession. Additionally, from Shanghai, travelers can catch express trains to visit Hangzhou. 

Zhangjiajie National Park

Zhangjiajie is one of China’s most stunning natural destinations and is worth visiting, especially if you’re drawn to dramatic landscapes and outdoor adventure. It’s located in Hunan Province and became world-famous as the inspiration for the floating “Hallelujah Mountains” in Avatar.

Hongkong

Traveling to Hong Kong is a fantastic experience, especially if you enjoy a fast-paced city with a mix of modern skyscrapers, vibrant street life, rich cultural heritage, and stunning natural scenery. It’s often described as “East meets West”, blending Chinese traditions with British colonial influences.

I’ve been to China twice, and indeed haven’t seen much of China. There are so many stunning places to travel to. The suggested 5 destinations are just based on my personal opinion. If you have any place of favour, leave it in comments. I might check it out on my next trip 🙂

Siem Reap is an incredible travel destination of Cambodia that attracting millions of visitors. To enjoy the best of Siem Reap, let’s catch up with our Siem Reap Travel Guidance to make a perfect plan trip.

I. Siem Reap introduction

Literally mean Sieamese defeated, the name of Siem Reap refers to the victory of the Khmer Empire in the war against Thai Empire in the 17^th century.

Located in the Northwest of Cambodia, Siem Reap is globally known as the main access to Angkor Wat, the majestic ruins from the Angkor kingdom. Hence, this is a must-visit destinations for tourists traveling to Cambodia.  Nevertheless, this is not the sole thing that charms visitors to Siem Reap. Other than Angkor Wat, travelers have lots of things to see and do in the town. For instance, thriving local businesses, with mixed Chinese and French architectural styles, which make it a modern but ancient city. Regarding the surroundings , there is an enormous Tonle Sap Lake and its floating villages.  Refer our Siem Reap Travel guidance to know well about this evoking city.

II. How to get there?

Since Siem Reap is the main and number one tourist destination in Cambodia, every trip to Cambodia should start from this city and the best means of transportation is, of course, by air. There are numerous airlines that operate flight to Siem Reap. If you are from far away country that do not have direct flight to Siem Reap, you can choose to flight to nearby destinations and then book another short flight to the city.

Cambodia National Airway is the national airline and offers the most international flight routes from Siem Reap to surrounding destinations and vice versa. Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways provide flights from Bangkok, while Vietnam Airlines offers more options with flights from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Phu Quoc to Siem Reap.  For budget travelers, you can choose between Air Asia with daily flights from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok to Siem Reap; Jetstar with flights from Singapore and Cebu Pacific from Manila (Philippines) are other great options. Direct flights from Pakse, Hongkong, Taipei and long-haul flights from Doha and Tokyo are also available. In case you are not starting your trip from Siem Reap but from Phnom Penh, it would take around 8 hours to travel from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap by bus, or by boat with longer travel time. As there are bunches of choices for getting to Siem Reap, you can combine visiting Siem Reap and nearby countries for Vietnam and Cambodia travel package or an Indochina travel plan adding Laos and Vietnam to your Siem Reap trip.

III. Things to do in Siem Reap

1. Angkor Wat

We believe that any Siem Reap travel guidance will suggest Angkor Wat as a must see of Siem Reap. About 5.5 km to the north of Siem Reap center, the enormous Angkor complex stretching over 400 km², consist of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and numerous other temples dated from the ancient Khmer Kingdom. Among them, Angkor Wat is the largest and most famous, with a total area of 162.6 hectares. Angkor Wat, which was built in the early 12^th century, has been seen as one of the largest monument ever built and recogized as one of the seven wonder of the world by UNESCO. This temple is believed to have been constructed by King Suryavarman II. Its purpose was to serving as a temple to worship Vishnu as well as his own mausoleum. But it was not completed until King Jayavarman VII.  Built in the peak of Khmer Empire, the architecture of Angkor Wat is the typical Khmer architecture and symbolized the Meru Mountain – the origin of Hinduism Gods Vishnu. Indeed, it includes a central tower surrounded by 4 other smaller towers, representing Mount Meru and its peaks and the whole templer is covered by a large moat. 

History of Angkor Wat

Initially, Angkor Wat was built as a Hinduism temple, the main religion of Khmer Kingdom at that time. Nevertheless, the kings of Khmer have different preference of religions. Thus, eventually in late 12^th century, Angkor Wat became a Buddism temple until present. Angkor Wat was the capital and religious center of the Khmer Kingdom since it was built until being attacked by Champa. Later on, King Jayavarman VII revived the kingdom but then move the capital to the north, which is now popularly known as Angkor Thom, and built another temple called Bayon.

2. Angkor Thom

About 1.7 km to the north of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom was the last capital of Khmer Kingdom. King Jayavarman VII ordered its construction in the late 12^th century. Angkor Thom covering a total area of 9km² with Bayon temple located at the center. Bayon temple features plenty of massive stone faces on numerous towers jutting out from the upper terrace. This temple is “the most striking expression of the baroque style” of Khmer architecture, on the contrary to the Angkor Wat’s classical style. Each tower has four faces, and the faces are the face of the king, but some people believe that are the faces of Avalokitesvara

The most remarkable things in Angkor Thom is that all the constructions was built using laterite, from the four-faced tower, the walls, or even Naga statues.

3. Tonle Sap Lake

Situating around 15 km to the south of Siem Reap, Tonle Sap is the largest fresh water lake in Southeast Asia, circled by 5 provinces and connects with Mekong River. This is not only an important commercial resource of Cambodia, which provide 90 percent of fish consumed for the whole country, but also a great destination for travelers. With diverse ecosystem, distinctive local life at the edge of the lake and unque floating villages as well as water stilt houses, Tonle Sap is definitely an ideal place for those who want to immerse deeply in the local culture. The only way to explore the lake is by boat. Sitting on the boat, you will go through floating villages, towering stilt houses and other outstanding constructions in different styles, including Khmer, Vietnamese or even Muslim. All activities of local people take place on the lake, from the households, markets, fisheries to hospitals, schools or sports.

4. Apsara Dance

Apsara is the traditional dancing, which only performed to the Kings and Royal family in the past. According to the legend, Apsara is the dance performed by fairies for Hinduism Gods. Recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage, it would be a mistake if you skip this outstanding show. Visitors can easily find the places where offer Apsara Dancing around Siem Reap, furthermore, there are numerous restaurants performing Apsara during dinner.

5. Angkor National Museum

Opened in November 2007, Angkor National Museum is archeological museum. It preserves and presents thousands of Angkorian artifacts from 9^th to 14^th century. The museum is also ideal for visitors who seek to learn about art and culture of Khmer civilization. There is a bundle of information and collections. The museum consists of a Briefing Hall and  8 galleries, all connected by corridors, each of them displays different collection discovered mostly from the Angkor Complex and nearby:

1: 1,000 Buddha statues

2: Pre-Angkor Khmer Civilization

3: Religions and Beliefs

4: The Great Khmer Kings

5: Angkor Wat

6: Angkor Thom

7: Story from Stones

8: Ancient Costumes

6. Kbal Spean

 Kbal Spean is an ancient archeological site dated since Angkor era. The place is in the northeast of the Angkor Complex in Siem Reap. In fact, this is a small part of Stung Kbal Spean River, but what make this site special is actually hidden underneath the water. On the riverbed, there are thousands of neatly arranged sandstones with carvings of lingas on the surface. That is also the reason why this place is so-called “The River of Thousands Lingas”.

7. Banteay Srei Temple

The next thing that Siem Reap travel guidance wish to mention in Banteay Srei Temple. The begin of this temple was from the 10^th century. The purpose was to worship Shiva, a Hinduism God. The temple is renowned for its intricate carvings on hard red sandstones (known as quartz arenite) on its walls. The carvings represent kala, the god of time and death. Nevertheless, Banteay Srei is not the original name of the temple, as people believe that the recent name is due to the carvings on the walls made by devatas. Literally, Banteay Srei means the citadel of women, or the citadel of beauty, related to numerous women statues and carvings all around the temple. Being the only temple at Angkor was not build by a mornach, Banteay Srei is a “jewl in Khmer art” that visitor cannot miss.

8. Fish Massage

Traditional massage is a popular service when you visit any country in Southeast Asia. Howerver, when travel to Siem Reap, tourists will have a chance to experience another unique type of massage that cannot be seen nowhere else – fish pedicure massage. Walking around the Old Town, travelers may see lots of stores with fish tanks, but do not sell any fish at all. These small aquariums full of small fishes, attached by cozy chairs are the perfect treatment for your feet after a long day wandering around. Just immerse your feet in the water, the fishes will nibble away all dead skin from your feet and toes.

9. Take a tuk tuk ride

Tuk tuk is a most common transportation in Cambodia and has become the symbol of this country. Tuk tuk looks like a carriage, with a cabin pulling by a mortobike engine, each can carry 4 people. You can easily find a tuk tuk in every corner in Siem Reap. The tuktuk drivers are always ready to ride you to anywhere you want.  This is the most authentic way to experience around the city. And the price is much cheaper than taxis.

IV. Where to eat in Siem Reap?

a. Restaurant:

As the city of booming tourism, there is no lack of restaurants in Siem Reap. Siem Reap offers an outstanding variety of restaurants. If you are seeking for fine dining experience, Shinta Mani and Hotel Grand D’Angkor are the best choices. There are quite a few restaurants offer excellent cuisine in an elegant and refined atmosphere.

Options for moderately priced Cambodian and international restaurants are also various. Almost every restaurant serve Cambodian cuisine. If you would like to try some local experience, check out the Chinatown at the south end of Sivatha Boulevard or the local food stalls and cookshops next to the Old Market.

b. Apsara Dinner:

There are bunches of restaurants suggestions in Siem Reap travel guidance, of which can’t miss out the Apsara Dinner. Attending a traditional Apsara dance performance is a must when you are in Siem Rap. Several restaurants offer Apsara show during dinner, including Grand Hotel D’Angkor, Apsara Theater, Kulen II, Angkor Mondial, Chao Pra Ya, Tonle Mekong, and Tonle Sap. 

c. Bars, Pubs & After Dark:

Nightlife in Siem Reap is extremely colorful. The most popular place to enjoy the nightlife is Pub Street, the liveliest place in town for both locals, expats and tourists. Here you can find popular early evening pubs, bars and restaurants, where will get more and more crowded in the evening. Pub Street starts from the late afternoon and some places are available until late.

IV. Our advices:

1. Best time to visit Siem Reap

The best time to visit Siem Reap is in the dry season, from November to early April. The weather during this period is the most ideal. Indeed, tourists are most crowded in December and January. The fact that these are the coolest time of the year with the temperature only around 21^oC.

2. How to get around in Siem Reap

Traveling to Siem Reap, you will have numerous options to getting around, though the main attraction can be easily reached by foot. The most popular one is tuk tuk, also a must try experience in Siem Reap with negotiable price, from $2 for short trip. Taxi is another option, most suitable when the weather is hot. Normally, taxis in Siem Reap do not have meter so you need to bargain before get on the car, and of course the price is more expensive than tuk tuk. Otherwise, renting a bike for $5 a day is not a bad idea.

3. Safety and security in Siem Reap

Siem Reap is quite a safe place for tourists and there are rarely violent attacks. Despite though you still need to be aware of petty thefts, especially in the Old Market area. In additon, there are several types of scam here, including fake police, taxi overcharge or intended wrong turns, etc. If you suspect anything, just get away from these people and you will be fine. Nevertheless, in overall, locals here are really nice and helpful so don’t be worry too much. And the most important thing it that, do not forget to purchase travel insurace to protect youself from every trouble.

4. Dos and don’ts

The last but not least to mention in our Siem Reap travel guidance is things you should and should not do:

– Don’t touch the head of any person, even the children.

– Don’t put your feet on the opposite seat

– Be careful when pointing your toes to Buddha images

– Always take of your shoes before entering homes or temples

– Don’t use your left hand to give something to someone

– It is rude if you point with your index finger, instead use your right palm with the gestures.

– Do not say something bad about Cambodia, the locals may understand and they would not be comfortable with this.

Hope above Siem Reap travel guidance has been helpful to you before planning your trip to Cambodia. Feel free to reach out if you have any further concern about Siem Reap.