02/11/2026
Việt Nam
I spent the last four days and three nights exploring the beautiful Pù Luông Nature Reserve, approximately a four-and-a-half-hour drive south-west of Hà Nội.
Each day was spent hiking through the forests and visiting traditional villages, where life remains remarkably self-sufficient. Most households grow much of their own food and keep hens, ducks, fish and, of course, the essential water buffalo.
The landscape is quite spectacular, with striking rice terraces, mist-covered limestone karsts, dense tropical jungle and authentic ethnic minority villages, where traditional stilt houses are still very much part of everyday life.
One particularly fascinating cultural tradition is the practice of blackening teeth. Traditionally, black teeth have been considered a mark of beauty, maturity and high social status. The process involves applying a mixture associated with betel leaves, areca nut and slaked lime.
The enormous bamboo water wheels were another highlight. These remarkable examples of traditional engineering have changed little over the centuries, using the natural flow of streams to lift and transport water into irrigation channels, supplying the surrounding rice paddies.
The rice stacks, are iconic symbols of the harvest season. Locally known as đống rơm or đống lúa, these beautifully hand-built structures are made by the local White Thai (Thái Trắng) and Mường communities, and can be seen dotted across the terraced fields following the rice harvest.
They serve a practical purpose, allowing the harvested stalks to dry before threshing. If you look closely and you’ll notice that many are raised above the ground on ingenious little platforms made from bamboo, helping to keep the rice dry and ventilated.
The White Thai people have historical roots in southern China, from where Tai-speaking communities migrated southwards over many centuries into Southeast Asia on bamboo rafts.
While hiking through the hills can be quite tough going in the heat and humidity, Pù Luông proved to be an exceptionally peaceful and relaxing place to visit. It was a wonderful opportunity to step away from the usual tourist trail, experience a different way of life and gain a little insight into the fascinating traditions and everyday lives of the local communities.
Another first and a memorable experience in Việt Nam.
