Tribal Villages in Pu Luong

2

Pu Luong nature reserve is located along two parallel Karst mountain ranges with small and narrow valleys in the middle. For centuries, this place has been the living place of different minority groups and a large agricultural land area. Most of big tribal villages are concentrated along side the valley as their life based on agriculture. There are 24 villages of Muong and Thai people living in the valleys or flat mountainsides. Ban Duom, Ban Hang, Ban Eo Ken, Ban Kho Muong, Ban Hieu are among a few of them on the hiking tour in Pu Luong.

DSC00992

Kho Muong is a village of about 65 families with over 300 White Thai people. In local dialect, “Kho” is Origin and “Muong” is Village so "Kho Muong" is understood as the place where people first settled in the whole area. The village was found about 300 years ago by some hunters who amazed by the flat valley with abundant water from streams and they moved all of their family, neighbors and settled down here. Regarding location, it lies deep in the core zone of the Reserve, isolated from other villages in the region. In order to reach this village with spectacular view of both mountain and valley, a trekking trip of 3 to 6 days is highly recommended. Joining the tour, it allows you to appreciate hosts’ hospitality and to discover this small corner of heaven. Once through the pristine forests of Pu Luong Nature Reserve, overcoming passes, steep challenges, the Kho Muong appears peacefully on graceful hills.

Kho Muong is located in on of the deepest valleys in Pu Luong. The best reach this village is via road 15A that connect Mai Chau and Pu Luong and start trekking from Ban Sai, where road 15A meets road 15C. The trek from Sai village to Kho Muong village offers the most stunning scenery with big cliffs and green forest on a side and rice terraces and village on one side. Visit Kho Muong, residing at any house, you will be treated to the very typical dishes like rice, mountain, forest banana flower salad, soup bitter, corn liquor, especially boiled duck meat.

cycle__photo_Fotor

Visiting Puluong, besides Kho Muong, other must see village is Ban Hieu. One of the best hiking route in Pu Luong is between these two villages. The hike is a little bit up and down and the scenery changes from mountains and jungle to rice terraces fieds. In Thai language, Hieu means protruding promontory. It is famous for Hieu streams which can turn trees into “stone” trees. Actullay, the stream contains large amounts of lime so it calcifies the tree roots beneath the stream bed. Where Hiêu stream pour water on the terraces, the water is quite peaceful, but as the first ascending the slope the greater source, creating strong currents. It is one of the best place for both relaxing and swimming.

Ban Hieu is a favorite place of both locals and visitors and it has been invested with more accommodation rather than homestay. The new three bugalow Les Bain De Hieu Ecolodge next to beautiful waterfall is now the best place to stay. It is very peaceful place with nice people, pristine scenery and you can absolutely feel like home when you come here. 

0 comment