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cated in the northwestern mountains of the country, Sapa is a modest town nestled within the Hoang Lien Son mountain range in Lao Cai Province. Sapa is an excellent destination to enjoy outdoor activities with stunning landscapes that attract both domestic and foreign tourists.

Travelling in Sapa, few tourists miss an opportunity to trek to mountain villages and majestic waterfalls.

Cat Cat Village sits atop unspoiled landscapes and is a desirable destination for trekkers seeking to spend full days walking in a world of natural charm and tranquility.

Terraced paddy field, Sapa, Vietnam

Visiting the village, tourists will discover various traditional trades of the local people such as weaving, jewellery manipulation, metal work and stone carvings.

The road from Sapa winds through hilly terrain, past terraced paddy fields. A sign reads “Welcome to Cat Cat Cultural Village”, greeting visitors as they arrive at the entrance of the village.

A leisurely walk within the old village provides visitors with a better understanding of the traditional customs and practices of the ethnic Mong people that live here.

While wandering around the village, I continually asked the locals about their crafts and houses. I was curious about everything and the locals were friendly and ready to help. They also politely asked me to buy some hand-made souvenirs.

Visitors in Cat Cat have an opportunity to admire and watch locals sit with looms and create colourful pieces of brocade. When these pieces of brocade are finished, they are dyed and embroidered with beautiful designs of flowers and birds. Interestingly, Mong women use plants and leaves to dye the fabrics. After dyeing the fabric, they then roll a round, smooth piece of wood, covered with wax, over the material in order to polish. By doing this it helps to make the colours more durable on the fabric.

In addition to their weaving craft, many residents in Cat Cat are good at making gold and silver jewellery. Their products are quite sophisticated, especially the women’s jewellery.

Further into the village are waterfalls along with a stream that weaves its way around boulders, hills and mountains. The pristine stream is spanned by a suspension bridge, which offers a good view of the waterfalls and mountains.

The path after the bridge passes through bamboo forests filled with wild flowers and past tranquil brooks.

Another must-see village is Ta Phin, a remote village located 12km from the centre of Sapa, which still retains traditional customs and lifestyles of the Dao, Tay and Mong ethnic groups.

It’s recommended for tourists to catch a local xe om (motorbike taxi) at price of VND180,000 (US$10) in order to get there. Another option is to rent a motorbike for VND100,000 ($5.50) a day, which provides a convenient and interesting way to discover the landscape and villages.

Despite the winding road to the village, tourists can see picturesque rolling hills and terraced fields on the way. Much of the Sapa valley has been cultivated into verdant rice paddy fields equipped with irrigation systems.

Ta Phin Village seeks to capitalise from tourism and thus causes local children and adults to constantly follow visitors, in an effort to persuade them to buy wallets, hats, bags or fabric. However, these sellers tend to be friendly and hospitable.

The villagers often invite tourists to visit their homes, where they show them how they live and what they have, and tell about their families. Their living standard is still low, but their lives have been improved by the expanding tourism industry.

“We women are so active – not only do we grow vegetables and raise pigs and get wood for the fire, we also try to learn English so we can talk to tourists,” said a 25-year-old Dao woman. “Before there were tourists we were very poor, but now we can make handicrafts, make money and meet people.”

Ta Phin Village is able to win tourists’ hearts thanks to the beautiful sights that surround it. Lavie Waterfall is a common destination for trekkers. After trekking through forests, maize fields and mountains, tourists often enjoy soaking in Lavie Stream and sunbathing on flat boulders.

After a long day of walking on the curvy roads and hills around Sapa, it was pleasant to soak my bones and muscles in a traditional Dao herbal bath at Ta Phin.

The price was reasonable, VND60,000 ($3.30) for a one-hour bath. Soaking in medicinal waters may make you feel a little tipsy. When you start feeling dizzy, it’s time to get out of the wooden bathtub. After the soak, I finally felt relaxed. The herbal bath was good for my health, mind and bones.

I was very happy to have a chance to travel to Sapa. I will never forget how it felt to stand in front of imposing, beautiful mountains. — VNS

Source: Minh Thu/ Vietnamnews

Recommendation in Sapa, Vietnam:

- Hotels in Sapa
- Trek Fansipan, Sapa tours
- Trekking Tours in Vietnam

NOTHING can disturb an urban traveller more than silence.

Real silence. This is my early morning thought on the balcony of a stone cabin perched atop a peak in north Vietnam.

On a nearby mountain, hand-carved rice terraces spill down into the valley and farther away there are chiselled ranges that will change colour and texture as the sun moves across a giant sky. Then I hear the distant chatter of women passing the cabin on their way to breakfast, the first sounds I’ve heard since dinner last night. Television and telephones are forbidden around here. The manager tells me there’s no wild night life either, apart from frogs.

Topas Ecologdes

Most people come to Topas Ecolodge in a shuttle bus from nearby Sapa, but I hire a local motorbike taxi for a slow ride through intermittent heavy mist along 23km of a runnelled dirt road that is regularly washed by clear-water run-off from the mountains.

We pass through the Muong Hoa Valley, strewn with mysterious, ancient carved stones; the origin and meaning of their inscribed patterns of couples in sexual embrace, the sun and parallel lines still baffle scientists.

This region is home to about 30 Vietnamese minority groups, some of whom moved here from China during the past 200 years. A carved stone, metres long, is fenced off opposite the small local museum. Somewhere around here a French scientist is taking stone impressions the old-fashioned way, with carbon paper and ink, while assigning locations to each one via GPS.

The road snakes through the Hoang Lien Mountains, now recognised as one of the most biologically rich in Vietnam. There’s a race to preserve what is left: years ago, poor Vietnamese used to kill, stuff and sell birds and animals to tourists in the local markets. That seems to have stopped, but the Indochinese tiger has become a prized stock for pharmacies across the border in China and there are fewer than 2000 left here.

Every now and again a human form takes shape out of the mist and is swallowed again. Then the curtain rises and a series of fairytale valleys is revealed. I glance down on earthen terraces of rice stubble and turbid water. Once or twice we dismount the bike to ford a gushing stream: my taxi driver, Hahn, walks through and I jump across rocks.

I want to ride forever but we run out of road and into the Ecolodge. Brilliantly clothed Red Dzao women are sitting and sewing at the entrance. They look so much more relaxed than the Hmong and Red Dzao women in Sapa, trapped in their created cultural villages.

The lodge features 25 white granite and hardwood cabins clustered on one side of the mountain top, all with solar panels. The surprise centrepiece is a huge, reconstructed Tay (minority) meeting house that now houses the bar, upstairs restaurant and office. On the restaurant’s doorstep is a rice field and down the path is the lodge’s organic garden, which supplies ingredients for contemporary Vietnamese dishes: lime and chilli-splashed salads and spiced seasonal vegetables served with tender beef and chicken on silver platters.

The bar is fire-warmed and there is a menu of local rice wines, crystal clear or tinged pink, which slide delicately down the throat like the best malt whisky.

So much of life in rural Vietnam revolves around rice-growing and to every thing there is a season. In July the Red Dzao harvest the rice around the lodge; months later they will plant young rice shoots again. In just two days, the average stay here, you can slip easily into this seasonal rhythm. Or get active. A group of Danes straggle in from a morning walk to nearby villages: the difference between a walk and trek is that the latter, apart from being longer, comes with a swarm of porters drawn from local villages.

“When we have a rush of visitors, we can always call on our neighbours to help us out at short notice,” says manager Walter Ariesen. “That’s one of the many benefits of having built a strong relationship with people in our community.” That philosophy, and the sublime location, is what makes Topas Ecolodoge unique.

Checklist
Topas Ecolodge, near Sapa, north Vietnam. Phone +8420 872 404; www.topasecolodge.com. Tariff: Depends on the season and package inclusions. In December, for example, double or twin is $US115 ($145), including all food and transport.

Getting there: Topas Ecolodge will transfer guests by bus from Sapa.

Checking in: International guests, mostly Germans, Australians, Danes, French, Canadians, Japanese and Taiwanese.

Wheelchair access: All cabins are accessible from a footpath, but there’s a lot of uphill. Suggest an advance request for wheelchair assistance.

Bedtime reading: The Light of the Capital, three short Vietnamese classics from the 1930s (Oxford), translated by Australians Greg and Monique Lockhart.

Stepping out: Breathtaking treks, biking, kayaking, walks to nearby minority villages. Climb Vietnam’s highest peak, Fansipan (3143m).

Brickbats: A torch and umbrella should be standard additions for each room, given the distance from the restaurant. Menu could do with more variety.

Bouquets: Staff are friendly and relaxed and the lodge has a community feel. Vietnamese-grown Arabica coffee is brewed here and served with the Western breakfast. In 2004, the lodge joined Australia’s GreenGlobe21, a worldwide benchmarking and certification program facilitating sustainable tourism.

Article from:  The Australian

Suggested other Itineraries in Topas Ecolodge, Sapa, Vietnam:
Active itineraries: Sapa trekking tours & overnight Topas ecolodges
Excursions: Sapa tours - trekking and stay Topas Ecolodges

Sapa tags: Trek Fansipan & Sapa Travel, SaPa Hotels , Sapa Tours & daily excursions , Trek Mai Chau , Sapa trekking tours, sapa tours, sapa travel, trekking in sapa  

ATA and some owners of Adventure Tour Operators in Vietnam have meeting with NGO’s representative such as FFI and SNV with purpose to support and promote responsible travel products in Vietnam

Fauna & Flora International (FFI) was established in 1903, it was the world’s first international conservation organization and the pioneering work of its founders in Africa led to the creation of numerous protected areas, including Kruger and Serengeti National Parks

SNV is a Netherlands-based international development organization that provides advice to local organizations in developing countries. SNV have 30 field offices and 1200 staff working mostly in poor and marginalized communities in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America

With 3 days meeting in Vu Linh, leaders of tour operators and NGO’s representative have found the co-operated way to create responsible travel package, fund for reponsible and sustainable tourism projects and support the rural and ethnic community in travel industry such as house building, clean the rubbish on trails or in Halong bay.

Tour operators and NGOs have agreed to establish the club where is gathered by Tour Operators who supports responsible and sustainable travel and NGOs who support poor communities and preserve flora and fauna in National forest by funding responsible tourism projects in Vietnam.

ATA expresses a desire to promote Vietnam as Responsible and sustainable travel destination as well as become the leader of Tour Operators in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos to develop responsible travel products.

For reference, please review some tours as below:
- Trekking in Pu Luong Reserve: http://www.activetravelvietnam.com/tour.php?op=detail&tourId=30
- Biking in Pu Luong: http://www.activetravelvietnam.com/tour.php?op=detail&tourId=36
-Sapa trekking & Homestay http://www.activetravelvietnam.com/tour.php?op=detail&tourId=25

By Huyen Vu, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Sapa biking tours

PU DAO, LAI CHAU PROVINCE, Vietnam — I told a man in nearby Sin Ho Township that not long ago a British travel company (Gecko Travel) rated this place as one of the top five trekking destinations in Southeast Asia. He looked doubtful.

To many Vietnamese, Pu Dao, a collection of villages in the northwestern province of Lai Chau, offers no touristic lure. A community of only 900 H’mong people, it’s isolated by woods, mountains, ignorance and poverty.

But the rating piqued my interest, and I wanted to experience the trails for myself.

After a three-hour bumpy ride from Dien Bien Phu City — the only city in northwest Vietnam — I got off the bus at Lai Ha Bridge, which spans a tributary of Vietnam’s longest river: Song Da. From there I watched oblong boats, the common means of transportation in the Northwest, drift by.

On the other bank, there was Chan Nua, a typical village of Thai people with stilt houses hiding under coconut fronds. Through the roofs, smoke rose, threading through the foliage, dispersing into the misty air.

From Lai Ha Bridge, I began the 15-mile trek to Pu Dao. The trail spiraled up into the woods, where millions of bamboo sprouts shot upward and thick groves were interwoven as it had never been touched by humans. In H’mong language, Pu Dao means high mountains.

Hong Ngai, the first village I encountered, was a light patch adorning the interminable flora of the region. Four or five wooden houses of Vietnamese teachers clustered around the local government building. Several bamboo houses of H’mong people squatted on the hillside.

I visited Ngo Thi Thanh Nuong, a 35-year-old woman, and learned about part of a teacher’s life working in a school in the mountains.

For 15 years in Pu Dao, Mrs. Ngo had been struggling to teach the H’mong children the national Vietnamese language, known as tieng Kinh. She visited every family, begging the parents to let their children go to school. To keep the kids coming back, she would buy them candy.

At the village’s communal water tank, I saw a group of H’mong women and kids bathing. Their naked bodies sparkled under the sun.

I ran into Pa Thi Lau on her way to get water. With a brown complexion, high nose and large eyes, Lau had the face of an Indian beauty queen. The little girl had nearly finished her elementary education when her older brother had another baby and made her quit school to run domestic errands.

Lau had nine siblings. Her older sister got married the year before and became pregnant at the age of 15, but the baby died at birth. Lau carried the 2-gallon cans toward the thatched hut at the corner of the soil path; her torn skirt tangled her feet.

I dropped in at the nearest house, where a villager was grinding corn. Around and around, the stone grinder lagged at every push and pull of the little woman, sifting layers of powder, fine and pure like flakes of snow.

Then I met Vu A Ca, the secretary of the local Communist party, on his way home from the field. A hoe hung loosely on his shoulder, sweat dripping from his wrinkled face. Nearby, a girl and a boy, about 9 or 10 years old, were crawling up a slope. The baskets of bamboo shoots on their backs weighed them down.

Night came in Hong Ngai quietly as if someone lowered a curtain. There were no electric lights, no TVs, no motorbikes. The village slept under a chorus of insect shrieks.

I spent the night in a small room with Vu Thi Quynh Hoa. The 24-year-old woman came to Pu Dao from Nam Dinh, 370 miles away, to work as the only accountant for the local government.

“A thousand years from now, Pu Dao will still be behind the present development level of the lowland,” my hostess said as she blew out the oil lamp before going to sleep.

The next day, I set off for the second village, Nam Doong, though Ms. Vu warned, “You’ll die halfway.”

I followed the only rugged trail linking the two villages; dry leaves cracked under my steps. In one stretch of glades, I could peek between the many tree trunks and admire white clouds and see mountain after mountain. Another time, I passed lawns full of rose myrtles with quivering young flowers.

I crawled along a narrow track between what seemed like a bottomless abyss and a topless cliff. Bubbling explosions resonated. From behind a hill, smoke spewed out — people were burning down the rain forest to prepare the field for a new crop.

Despite the country’s reported growth rate of more than 6 percent even in the global economic recession of 2008, despite the The World Trade Organization membership it received in 2007, this region — 350 miles to the northwest of Hanoi –still relies on slash-and-burn agriculture.

I approached Nam Doong to a chorus of goat bleats and cock crows.

A H’mong man named Hang A Pao came out to the dung-covered yard and said, “Hello.” He asked, “Where is it?” when I told him I was from Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital and the nation’s largest city. Mr. Pao invited me into his home, offering me water from a soot-stained kettle. Then he went to the oil lamp at a corner, stuffing tobacco into the pipe-stopper. One moment later, smoke filled the hut, and the man indulged in delight. The sun receded behind the mountains. Dusk brought the village to its fullest animation. Following a buffalo, a boy carried a younger brother on his back and a parrot on his shoulder. A woman bent down under a bunch of firewood with a plastic can in one hand, a hoe in the other.

As I left Nam Doong, I had to climb over a communal bamboo gate. The last villager coming home from the field had knotted it too tightly.

The moon floated over the top of the trees.

I thought of the “wood ghost,” which for thousands of years was the utmost power in H’mong people’s spiritual life. A story about a gold miner dying of marsh fever, or about the many H’mong victims of cholera came to my mind. I visualized the corpses wrapped in mattresses, buried in the shallow holes right by the trail I was walking.

The fires on the field across the valleys flared up, flickering like will-o’-the-wisps.

The woods opened then closed. The moon poured mysterious moving patterns on the path. Hoots resonated from the abysses. Rattles rolled down from the hills.

I looked up at the Great Bear to keep my bearings. The starry sky was peaceful as ever.

There were no electric lights, no TVs, no motorbikes. The village slept under a chorus of insect shrieks.

Huyen Vu/Post-Gazette

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Introduction

Vietnam has done very well tourism-wise since reopening its doors to foreign tourists in the mid 1990’s. Combined with a good train system, affordable and frequent flights and a tourist-orientated minibus system, a bunch of very worthwhile destinations have developed into what has become a pretty well worn path running up and down the length of the country.

Most first time visitors try to get a taste of the north and the south of the country, but be warned, Vietnam is deceptively large and if you try to do too much in too short a time, you’ll wind up needing another holiday to get over your Vietnamese one.

Running north to south, visitors commence with the capital Hanoi, with many doing side-trips to both Sapa and Ha Long Bay before heading south, generally stopping at Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang then either Da Lat or Mui Ne before running into Saigon. From there many do a trip into the Mekong Delta. For those with more time, the northwest mountains, the Central Highlands and deep into the Mekong Delta are all well worthwhile extras. How long a holiday?
While you could see the basics on a top to tail trip in as little as a week to ten days, we’d strongly suggest — at least — two to three weeks as being a more realistic timeline. If you can’t give that much time to Vietnam, then consider just seeing one part of the country and saving the rest for another trip.

Ways to see more in less
Fly, fly, fly Both Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airways have affordable domestic fares — a couple of one hour flights can save you 36 hours on a train or bus.

Suggested itineraries for Vietnam

	HIKING TOURS
•	Trekking Mai Chau (4D/3N)
•	Mai Chau easy trek & home stay (3D/2N)
•	Sapa Trekking & Home-stay (4D/4N)
•	Sapa trek & Topas Eco Lodge (5D/5N)
•	Sapa Long Trails (6D/6N)
•	Different Sapa - Different Trek (6D/6N)
•	Conquer Mount Fansipan - Cat Cat Route (6D/6N)
•	Conquer Mount Fansipan - Heaven Gate Route (4D/4N)
•	Conquer Mount Fansipan - Sinchai Route (5D/5N)
•	Conquer Mount Fansipan - Mt. Fansipan & Hoang Lien National Park & Ban Ho Valley (11D/11N)
•	Trekking in Pu Luong Nature Reserve (6D/5N)
•	Trekking Cuc Phuong National Park (2D/1N)
•	Bach Ma National Park Trek & Camping (2D/1N)
•	Trekking Nam Cat Tien National Park (2D/1N)
•	Jungle Fever - Trekking Dalat (2D/1N)
	MOTORCYCLING TOURS
•	Motorcycling the Ho Chi Minh Trail - Half Challenge (11D/10N)
•	Motorcycling the Ho Chi Minh Trail - Complete Challenge (18D/17N)
•	Motorcycling Northwestern Trails (7D/6N)
•	Taste of Ho Chi Minh Trail (3D/2N)
	KAYAKING TOURS
•	Kayaking Halong Bay 4days(4D/3N)
•	Kayaking Halong Bay 3days(3D/2N)
•	Kayaking Halong Bay & Trekking Cat Ba National Park (5D/4N)
•	Trekking Cat Ba National Park & Kayaking Lan Ha Bay - Halong Bay (4D/3N)
	BIKING TOURS
•	Mekong Explorer (4D/3N)
•	West to East Biking Exploration (11D/10N)
•	Biking Pu Luong Nature Reserve (4D/3N)
•	Biking Hidden Paths of Mai Chau & Ninh Binh (4D/3N)
•	A Taste of Mekong (2D/1N)
•	Biking Mai Chau (2D/1N)
•	Biking Dalat - Northwest Circuit (2D/1N)
•	Biking Adventures Mekong & Centre Highland (11D/10N)
	FAMILY TRAVEL
•	Family Adventures in Vietnam (12D/11N)
•	Northern Highlights (10D/9N)
•	The Mighty Mekong (3D/2N)
•	Discover Vietnam & her National parks (20D/19N)
	INDOCHINA ADVENTURE
•	Vietnam-Laos Adventures (17D/16N)
•	Mekong Delta & Angkor Wat (10D/9N)

Once in the north of Vietnam, we had to decide whether going to Sapa or to Halong Bay because our one month tourist visa was running out soon. Two factors determined our choice: on one hand, the bad weather conditions in the northwest region of Vietnam, on the other hand, a tropical storm which had flooded and incomunicated the northern region of Sapa, leaving hundreds of deads and homeless people behind. We could only go then for a boat trip in Halong Bay. As it is usual on our trip, we asked for advice in many different travel agencies and checked the internet to make our move independently with all the info available. This is how we found Indochina Sails(www.indochinasails.com), a tour operator based in Halong Bay, who offers tailor made boat trips for independent travellers.

We booked a 3 days/2 nights trip and paid about 175 USD each. We arranged more or less the plan for everyday: sail in the morning to a nice spot, go on the kayak for a while to hidden lagoons and caves and have a swim, then eat and do the same in the afternoon in another spot. Overall we wanted to avoid tourist places and crowds. We wanted to go further away than the normal tours go. We wanted to be alone most of the time and sleep in a different secluded place every night. We wanted many things and almost all of them were accomplished. You can contact Mr Tony, the operator, through his website or under info@activetravelshop.com.

Halong Bay is spectacular and the weather conditions were great (sunny, cloudy and few big storms during the nights, which gave a feeling of adventure to the whole experience), as well as the arrangements of the organizer. Basically we had a wooden and bamboo sail boat for four people –we were travelling with two other spanish guys together- entirely at our service. We could decide where to go and where not to go, if we wanted to stay longer or not. We could stop the boat and take the kayaks or just jump off the boat for a refreshing swim in the middle of nowhere –with some restrictions, of course. The crew, Tim and Hum -at least this is how their names sounded to us- were great although we had kind of communication problems sometimes, when we had the feeling they had not understood what we were asking for. They cooked so well and so much that we are missing their food a lot now –we have to say that we ate the same lunch and dinner during the 3 days with slightly variations, but still great food!

If we sumarize the trip, it was awesom! Just some tips if you are planning to do a similar tour: fix the route and what you are interested in seeing –it is enough to have an approximate idea, you can change plans once in the boat-. Insist on it once onboard. Ask for a map to be able to locate yourself at anytime –we didn’t do it and missed it- and corroborate you are doing what you were promised to. Ask in advance any question you may have and above all, enjoy the experience!!!

Halong Bay guide

If you’re intersted in the wonderful cruise trip like this, you can visit Halong Bay cruises, Halong Bay junks; vietnam travel for more information

Every night in September is a Full Moon Night on Indochina Sails as we celebrate the Full Moon Festival with decorated lanterns, traditional Chinese mooncakes and “September Double Happy Hour”

( VALID FROM 30 AUGUST – 31ST SEPTEMBER 08)

Full moon on halong bay cruises by you.

1. Superior cabin: 180 USD/ Person (Twin shared) – 320 USD/ single Cabin - 02 days/01 night
Deluxe cabin: 200 USD/ Person (Twin shared) – 360 USD/ single Cabin - 02 days/01 night

2. Superior cabin: 295 USD/ Person (Twin shared) – 540 USD/ single Cabin - 03 days/02 nights
Deluxe cabin: 315 USD/ Person (Twin shared) – 580 USD/ single Cabin - 02 days/01 night

INCLUDED

• Welcome Drink
• Shuttle bus return Hanoi - Halong Bay – Hanoi
• Big choice of fresh local seafoods and others dishes
• Candlelight Dinner (Buffet dinner) (Special)
• Kayaking on Halong Bay. (Special Offer)
• Cruise Itinerary and Program
• Entrance and Sightseeing Fees
• In-house English-speaking Tour Guide
• Luxurious Cabins and Suites with A/C and en-suite Bathrooms
• Deluxe Vietnamese and International Lunch and Dinner
• Vietnamese and International Breakfast
• Conference Equipment (Charter only)
• Insurance, Taxes and Service Charges

EXCLUDED

• Airfares, Car Transfers and Hotels
• Visa Arrangements
• Massage Services (please see massage menu in cabin)
• Kayaking (Ten dollars U.S. per person, when not pre-booked)
• Beverages, Tips and Personal Expenses
• All other services not clearly mentioned above

- Full moon tinerary for 02 days/01 nights
- Full moon tinerary for 03 days/02 nights

Contact us at info@indochinasails.com

Alternative site name(s)
Phu Luong
Province(s)
Thanh Hoa
Area
17,662 ha
Coordinates
20o21′ – 20o34′N, 105o02′ – 105o20′E
Distance(s)
From Hanoi: 180 km
Eco-tours
Trekking, Mountain Biking … more information

Topography and hydrology

Pu Luong proposed nature reserve is located in Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc districts, in north-western Thanh Hoa province. To the north-east, the nature reserve is bordered by Mai Chau, Tan Lac and Lac Son districts, Hoa Binh province. The proposed nature reserve lies along two parallel mountain ridges, that run from north-west to south-east, and are bisected by a central valley. This valley contains several human settlements and a large area of agricultural land, and, hence, is not included within the proposed nature reserve.

The two mountain ridges in the proposed nature reserve have starkly contrasting landforms, based on their different substrates. The smaller, south-western ridge is made up of mostly igneous and metamorphic rocks, and consists of rounded forested hills and wide, shallow valleys. The larger, north-eastern ridge is composed of heavily dissected limestone karst, and is a continuation of the limestone range that runs from Cuc Phuong National Park to Son La province. Elevations in the proposed nature reserve range from 60 to 1,667 m.

The hydrology of the limestone ridge is complex, and there is little or no permanent surface water. On the south-western ridge, surface water is more common and streams are much less seasonal. However, the main drainage features of the proposed nature reserve are located in the central valley. This valley is not continuous but has a saddle at its mid-point, which forms the watershed between two small rivers. One of these rivers flows north-west along the valley, and joins the Ma river, which runs to the west and south of the proposed nature reserve. The other river flows south-east along the valley, and joins the Ma river further downstream.

Biodiversity values

The primary forest at Pu Luong nature reserve is classified as closed evergreen tropical seasonal forest. Five major subtypes occur as a result of local variations in underlying substrate and elevation: lowland broadleaved forest on limestone (60 to 700 m); lowland broadleaved forest on schist/shale and clayey sandstone (60 to 1,000 m); broadleaved submontane forest on limestone (700 to 950 m); coniferous submontane forest on limestone (700 to 850 m); and broadleaved submontane forest on basalt (1,000 to 1,650 m). The nature reserve also supports a range of secondary vegetation types, including secondary forests, bamboo, scrub and agricultural land.
The results of recent botanical work at Pu Luong indicate that the nature reserve supports a diverse flora, with at least 1,109 vascular plant species documented at the site. From a conservation perspective, three primary forest subtypes found at the site may be considered particularly significant. The first, primary lowland forest on limestone and schist/shale, occurs near the eastern border of the site, in the Co Lung area. Primary forest in the area extends from 60 to 1,000 m, and, at the lowest elevations, supports very high plant species diversity.

The second significant primary forest subtype, primary coniferous submontane forest on limestone, is restricted to a few peaks within the uplands of the Co Luong area and supports outstanding plant diversity, particularly with respect to lithophytes and epiphytes. The globally threatened conifer Pinus kwangtungensis forms a conspicuous element of the flora within this forest subtype.

The third significant primary forest subtype is primary submontane forest on basalt, which occurs on the upper slopes of the south-western mountain ridge within the proposed nature reserve. The primary forest on these upper slopes is characterised by very high plant species diversity, including several nationally threatened conifers.
With regard to the vertebrate fauna of Pu Luong, a total of 84 mammal species (including 24 bat species), 162 bird species, 55 fish species, 28 reptile species and 13 amphibian species have been recorded at the nature reserve to date. Pu Luong nature reserve is an important site for the conservation of the globally critically endangered, endemic primate, Delacour’s Leaf Monkey. The population at Pu Luong has been estimated to number 40 to 45 individuals, making it one of the largest known populations in Vietnam.

Knowledge of the invertebrate fauna of the proposed nature reserve remains rudimentary. However, recent surveys conducted at the site indicate that its insect fauna includes at least 158 species of butterfly and 96 species of land snail, including 12 snail species possibly endemic to the site. Most promising perhaps, the botanical uniqueness and natural isolation of certain forest formations at the site suggests that the proposed nature reserve has strong potential to support high levels of invertebrate endemism and, quite possibly, new taxa to science.

It is likely that Pu Luong has strong faunal and floral affinities with Cuc Phuong National Park, which is situated to 25 km to the south-east, along the same limestone range. However, the higher elevations at Pu Luong and the presence of more extensive areas of evergreen forest means that Pu Luong can be expected to support a number of species that do not occur at Cuc Phuong. Indeed, the results of recent survey work conducted at Pu Luong nature reserve indicate that this is in fact the case.

Other documented values

Forest in the proposed nature reserve has a role in protecting the watershed of the Ma river, the largest river in Thanh Hoa province. Just as importantly, the forest has an important role in protecting the water resources of local communities. Already, water is scarce during the dry season, because of the limestone geology of much of the area. Therefore, forest loss would be expected to increase periods of drought, leading to reduced agricultural productivity.