VIETNAM · Living in a bamboo house on the rice fields
In 2019, I was travelling in Vietnam, and after feeling overwhelmed by mass tourism and pollution, I decided to change the ‘direction’ of my vacation. Instead of choosing the well-known locations where everyone goes, I picked a random village on google maps, with no pictures on the internet and no reviews. It ended up being the best experience I had in Vietnam, with the best views as well.
I arrived in Pu Luong — A farming village hidden in the mountains. I could describe this place as the secret ‘Sapa’ of Vietnam, but with no tourists, a warmer climate, and infinite rice fields.
What made the place even more special, was the guest house where I stayed:
Puluong Home is an eco-friendly bamboo house immersed in the Vietnamese nature, facing lush rice fields. Perfect for a weekend away from the hectic life, or for a break from the exhausting travels. Enjoy the infinity pool overlooking the rice paddies, or practice yoga with beautiful sunsets on the terrace. What I can guarantee you, is that you will never get tired of the scenic view!
Puluong Home, is located 4 h away from the hectic capital - Hanoi, and is very easy to access. The homestay offers a direct shuttle from the airport, for only 900000 VND - $40.
When booking your stay, you can choose between double rooms - quadruple rooms - family rooms, or a dormitory in a tree-house. From all the rooms, you can enjoy a stunning view overlooking the Vietnamese rice fields.
The homestay may look very simple from the outside, but once you enter, you are surrounded by details and comfort. I can’t forget the beautiful Japanese garden with koi fish, next to the entrance. Or, the toilets made with bamboo, banana leaves, and shiny rocks.
An eco-house, made with sustainable elements, with the intent to feel all one in nature.
Even thought it’s located next to the jungle, the homestay is ‘insect-proof’, you will NOT find any annoying bug that will wake you up in the morning.
After staying here, the only suggestion I had to write on the review, was to make a pool for tourists, so that people can refresh during warm days. 2 years later, I checked the website, and I found out that they built an infinity pool facing the rice fields. I couln’t be more happy, and I’m already thinking about my next visit to Puluong Home.
Food
Pu Luong, is a very humble village — you don’t find any restaurants or facilities nearby. The good news, is that the homestay offers everything you need. Breakfast is complimentary in the room price, and they also have a restaurant where you can have lunch and dinner.
For breakfast, they offer a buffet, where you can choose between continental, or Asian food. A ‘must’ to try, is the Vietnamese coffee — an intensely strong and sweet coffee, that’s sure to dissolve your morning daze and perk you up for the day. It is made with dark roasted coffee and condensed milk.
Lunch and dinner are served ‘a la carte’. The speciality is the local Vietnamese cuisine, made with fresh ingredients, like the bamboo soup, salads, homemade spring rolls, and beef meat. They also offer vegetarian options.
Relax on the terrace
Puluong Home is also a perfect place to relax, where to have a weekend away from the hectic life, or to take a break from the exhausting travels.
I used to enjoy my morning coffee on the terrace facing the rice fields, or doing yoga with beautiful sunsets. What I can guarantee you, is that you will never get tired of the scenic view!
Explore daily life in Pu Luong village
The best way to explore the village is by walk from the homestay, or you can rent a scooter directly from the guest house. Just double-check that the fuel meter works, so that you don't end up without gas (like me) in the middle of nowhere. Lucky the locals (even if they don't speak English), they are always happy to help you in case of need, so they filled my gas and they didn't even accept money back.
When you arrive in the village, you can see the daily life of the local farmers, which seems to be stuck back in time. Don’t hesitate to observe the rice farming process, you will notice how much time and dedication the farmers put every day, from early morning, until the sun sets. The rice grown in these parts needs to be submerged to thrive, and this requires a large volume of water. The locals use bamboo waterwheels, which come in handy during the dry season and periods of drought when the water level is low.
You don’t need to be surprised if you get stared at sometimes, tourism is still not developed in this area, so people are always curious when they see some foreigners around. During my 4 days-stay my friend and I were literally the only tourists around, and it was a nice change after being in the mass tourism areas of ‘Ninh Binh’ and ‘Hanoi’.
When it’s the best time to visit Pu Luong?
While this variety makes Vietnam a year-round destination, spring (March to April) is typically the best time to visit the country, If you want to experience the ‘green season’. The weather is pleasant, rainfall is light, there are far fewer tourists around, and best of all, the landscape transforms into a vivid green.
I’ve visited the North of Vietnam in December, and the temperatures were warm with sunny days, and the rice fields turned into shades of yellow and gold. You can be flexible with the period you want to see this country, no matter when you go, you are gonna be amazed by the lush nature and the incredible views!
