From Hanoi/Ninh Binh: 2-Day Pu Luong Easy Trek & Eco Retreat Stay

I honestly can't recommend this 2-day tour enough. It has been one of the absolute highlights of my trip through Vietnam. From the moment I arrived, I felt so welcome. The hotel was beautiful, the food was delicious, and everything was perfectly organized. Our guide was amazing. He shared so much knowledge about nature, local life, and the culture. One of my favorite moments was smelling different leaves he picked and learning which fruits they came from. We swam at a beautiful waterfall, hiked through the rice fields, planted rice, and visited a local family's home. That was my absolute favorite part. It felt so authentic and gave me a deeper appreciation for the people and their way of life. On the second day it was just me and the guide. We explored the small villages by scooter, taking tiny roads I would never have found on my own. It was such a peaceful and beautiful experience. Thank you for giving me memories I will never forget. If you're thinking about booking this tour, do it. You won't regret it. ❤️🌿

This was the highlight of our two weeks in Vietnam. We wanted to see the terraced rice fields but a 9-hour sleeper bus up to overcrowded Sapa wasn't quite right for our adventurous family of 3. I did some research and decided that an outdoorsy trek through Pu Luong would be the best way to see some rice terraces and sightsee responsibly (honestly, just google the over-tourism of Sapa and it's affect on the children there, and make your own decisions). This ended up being an INCREDIBLE two days. It felt untouched and our local guides showed us the most incredible sights. Both days were filled with astounding beauty, humble homes, friendly people, peaceful moments and an overwhelming feeling of appreciation for how beautiful it was. I cried when we left on day 2. As we were leaving, my husband shared that he was very grateful for our tour guides and the way that we explored Pu Luong. For once, I do *not* recommend exploring it yourself. Divi Travel is the way to go!!! When I tell you that you will miss 90% of what's special out there by doing it alone, I mean it. Our guide explained SO MUCH and introduced us to people in the villages, to old women in the fields, to children playing in the waters. We got candies from a man making furniture, spotted crabs in a stream coming down the mountain, and stopped at incredible lookout points for photos. We stopped to inspect someone's bubbling pots over a fire, made friends with the homeowner, and continued on our way. Our guide pointed out some of the worlds largest spiders to us, we went on a raft down the river to a small waterfall where we swam around. We clapped for the children jumping off high bridges into the water and we pet every friendly dog we saw. The amount of times I said, "Wow" at the views could not even be counted. It was other-worldly. Our small trekking group of 6 was often speechless. I'm home now and I just want to be back in Pu Luong. The homestay chosen for us was Happy Home Pu Luong and it was magical. Our room overlooked the rice fields, our pool was spring fed from the mountain, fresh and delicious and clean. The food was amazing and staff very friendly. Now let me offer advice and answer some questions that we ourselves had: our homestay was chosen for us on the day of and we had a private room. I had anxiety about this being out of my control but it was a GREAT stay. We left our suitcases at the homestay and were picked up by a bus to take us to the starting spot for the trek. We returned to our homestay that night to eat, shower, swim, and sleep. We were picked up after bearkfast the next day for day 2 trekking. The hike is not that long (4-6km each day?) and not dangerous. A hat and comfy sandals or sneakers is all you'll need. I took a small travel backpack with waters, cash, sunscreen and a power bank for our phones. We did not need bug spray, we did spend all of our cash on hand woven items and on tips for our guides and drivers. The weather was hot, gotta suck it up and power through. Wear comfortable clothes and pack your bathing suits for the rafting day, there will be a place to change! The food was fine for my picky 13 year old! Rice, chicken, even French fries, along with some more authentic Vietnamese food. I would not consider it a buggy trip. My 13 year old hates bugs and he dealt with the dragonflies just fine. Seeing an 8-inch spider way up in the trees was pretty shocking, but there were zero on the ground and there were no mosquitoes in April. Overall, not buggy, and no snakes. A regular hiker will not struggle with any aspect of this trek, unless you hate heat. I wouldn't hesitate to take younger children that can keep up with an adult walking pace! It'd be an easy hike on AllTrails if you use that app. The drive was fine! My boys get car sick easily and this bus ride didn't bother them at all. The bus had charging ports, comfy seats, and roomy storage. We stopped once for a bathroom / food break for 20 minutes. I'm going to add photos but I don't know if they'll do it justice. Pu Luong was amazing and a must-see for anyone going to Vietnam and staying in or near Hanoi. Go see it, and trust Divi Travel to plan whatever they plan, and enjoy the mystery and beauty!

Very well organised, family-friendly trip with Divi. Highlights were our guides, Nga and Lei, and especially the rice terrace hike. It was 6-7 km and at times quite challenging, but so so worth it for the spectacular views. Amigo hotel was picturesque, wish we could have stayed longer. Every transfer and connection was expertly planned and seamless. Highly recommend! Thank you Mia!

Pu Luong is a nice travel destination. It is rural and the people are friendly. Especially the tour guide Nga was superb. However, a few things hinder me from fully recommending the trip: The Central Springs Resort was not a good fit for international travelers. The front desk does not speak English and they let me wait two hours until I could finally get into my room. A big Vietnamese group had a loud concert in the hotel restaurant until after 9 pm and there was no isolation to the hotel rooms at all. When I complained about getting no rest, Nga also phoned the hotel, which I really appreciated. There were not many activities on the first day, just walking around the rice paddies. The second day of the tour was great, with walking around a village, having dinner on the raft, and swimming in the river afterwards. After a long bus ride back to Hanoi, the driver passed by my hotel but did not stop. A kilometer later, after trying to show him where my hotel is, he suggested that I should just leave the bus and walk back (with luggage). Overall, I expected more for 154€ for the two days.

Beautiful walks through the rice fields landscapes, encounters with authentic people from the villages of the Pu Luong region, discovering traditional Vietnamese local life turned towards nature. Thank you, Nga.

The tour was as Vietnam as it gets - great show around - seeing the houses and lives of the local people

Really lovely experience. Would definitely go again. The place we stayed was so nice and our guide, Nga, was fun and knowledgeable.

Great experience visiting a traditional village where we got a weaving demonstration from a very skilled local woman. We got relax on a bamboo raft and the lunch was delicious.

Super tour with excellent accompaniment (Nga). Rarely had so much fun cycling. The cooking in the family was excellently organized and was a lot of fun!

Amazing two-day experience in Pu Luong. The itinerary is rich and well designed, with hikes through rice terraces, village visits, local encounters and great meals. Everything felt smooth, authentic and immersive. The guide was attentive and passionate, which really made the experience special. Highly recommended.