Rough riders

The lush green landscape surrounding the Thai minority village
Adventure seekers answer the call of the wild at a little- known nature reserve.

Steering a mud-sprayed vehicle along the flood-stricken path leading to Pu Luong Nature Reserve, the father turns to ask his son: “Do you think our car will get stuck here?” His four-year-old son excitedly replies, “Nope, our car will win!”

This marks the second time Le Hai’s Suzuki Tracker has joined the Otofun offroad journey together with dozens of other vehicles traversing through Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc districts in northwestern Thanh Hoa Province, some 180 kilometers from Hanoi.

Only four wheel drives can get through this thick mud

Drivers push a vehicle stuck in the mud on the off-road journey

A foreign visitor and her tour guide enjoys a homestay meal in a Thai ethnic minority village

Thai minority women perform a cultural dance

Along a 50-kilometer stretch of Road 15C, there are no gas stations, food cafeterias or motels. Nevertheless, the road has become a favorite spot for adventure-seekers who love the challenge of driving up the rough tracks.

When asked why he dared to bring along his wife and son on such a dangerous trip, Hai laughed and replied: “It’s terrible to be inside an office day after day. My family wants to enjoy the wild nature for a few days and it’s a good experience for my son to see the rural life. Witnessing ethnic minorities living in stilt houses, sowing rice in the fields, and learning how hard life is in the harsh climate is a valuable lesson for any child or adult.

“In the event our car has a problem, the other companions on the trip would offer a helping hand. We share food, conversation and life lessons together and learn about solidarity, love, and relationships from the difficult journey.”

An offroad car trip is one of the ecotours available to Pu Luong, which lies along two parallel mountain ridges bordering a central valley containing several settlements. The traditional villages of the Thai and Muong minorities offer homestay to thousands of visitors, most of whom are foreigners.

“Pu Luong has become our top choice since the landscape is quite exotic during the rice harvesting months of May and October,” Giang, the administrator of the Otofun website which recruits participants for seasonal offroad trips, said.

The nature reserve is a location of outstanding beauty, blessed with rich forests, limestone panoramas, magnificent rice terraces and romantic villages. Brave travelers to this remote area enjoy discovering vast caves and the unique creatures native to them.

Besides enjoying traditional dishes of Thai and Muong minority groups, travelers often show their interest in the local dances and alcohol.

“With an accommodation fee of around US$3 per night and attractions such as learning about ethnic minority customs and cultures, more and more travelers are coming,” a village homestay organizer said, adding that his stilt house serves some 20 tourists on a typical day.

An Australian tourist named Edward said: “I am very impressed by the wildlife here. The locals are extremely welcoming and the villages are much less commercial than other places I have been to in Vietnam.”

Treasured greens

The 17,662-hectare Pu Luong Nature Reserve was established in 1999, after it became known that this unique limestone area is home to rare animals like the delacour langur, clouded leopard, muntiac, temmincki cat, Asian black bear and serow.

The primary forest at Pu Luong Nature Reserve is classified as a closed evergreen tropical seasonal forest, with at least 1,109 plant species discovered onsite. Additionally, a total of 84 mammal species (including 24 bat species), 162 bird species, 55 fish species, 28 reptile species and 13 amphibian species have been recorded at the reserve to date.

Recent surveys conducted found the presence of at least 158 species of butterfly and 96 species of land snail, including 12 snail species possibly endemic to the site.

The nature reserve also hosts one of the endangered primates in the world, the Delacour's Leaf Monkey, whose population numbers around 40-45 in the area.

Since its establishment, the Forest Protection Department has implemented different strategies to improve protection of the reserve area. One such method has been to promote community-based ecotourism, which provides direct income to local people in the vicinity.

Annually, thousands of local and international visitors arrive in Pu Luong via trekking and biking tours to explore the rough paths and trails as well as enjoy homestays in Thai and Muong stilt houses.

Offroad car trips offer a steep challenge to the hardy of souls who want to conquer the slippery terrain during the rainy seasons.

So when you come to visit Pu Luong, don’t expect high standard accommodation. But you will be sure to enjoy the great hospitality of the Thai and Muong people along with the breathtaking nature.

The best trekking times are October/November and February/March. You can arrange a full package tour with travel agencies in Hanoi, or take an adventure and find your own way to Pu Luong with the aid of local rangers

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