Pu Luong

Pu Luong is a secluded rural getaway, around 160km from Hanoi. The landscape of terraced hills is occasionally interrupted by swathes of forests, or the traditional stilt houses. Here you can really get a feel for what life is like in rural Vietnam by going for a long walk or cycle through the stunning hills.

One of the defining sights of Pu Luong are the spindly waterwheels that supply water to the rice paddies. These five-metre bamboo wheels scoop up water from the river and feed it into long bamboo aqueducts. In 1999 the area was designated a nature reserve, in recognition of its pristine forests and biodiversity.