Pu Luong, and Mai Chau next door

Pu Luong Nature Reserve covers 17,662 hectares of two former districts of Thanh Hoa province, Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc, across ten communes. The core is a strict protection zone of forested limestone ridges; the villages and fields sit in the valleys and on the lower slopes. Heights run from 60 metres on the river to 1,667 metres at the highest point. The name comes from the Thai language and means the highest peak in the area.

Tourism here is recent compared with Sa Pa. Lodges with pools have appeared on the ridges with the widest views, and Ban Hieu's waterfall fills with day visitors at weekends. Away from those spots, most villages are farming communities that take a few guests in their stilt houses.

Mai Chau, a short drive away across the provincial line, is a flat valley of rice fields and Thai villages that has hosted visitors for decades. It is not a trekking destination on its own, but it makes an easy first day before the hills.

Three to four nights. With a single night you spend most of the time driving and see Pu Luong only from a lodge terrace. With three nights you can walk across the reserve between villages, which is the point. Our four-day trek does one night in Mai Chau and two in Pu Luong.

There is no railway or airport close to Pu Luong; everyone arrives by road from Hanoi. Mai Chau is the nearer of the two. Drive times depend on the route and traffic; we treat about three and a half to four and a half hours to Mai Chau as a planning figure and confirm it when we quote. Our trek includes a private vehicle for the whole loop.

• If you want a hard physical challenge. The walking is moderate.
• On weekends if you want quiet at the well-known waterfalls and viewpoints.
• In July and August if slippery limestone and heavy afternoon rain would spoil it.
• If you have already walked Sa Pa and want somewhere wilder: try Hoang Su Phi or Nam Ha in Laos.