Located in the heart of Mai Chau valley, Pu Bin commune is a must-visit destination for travelers who want to experience the culture of the Thai ethnic in Vietnam.
With the population of only 1.794 people, Pu Bin is a highland commune in Mai Chau district. In Thai, “Pu Bin” means “flying clouds” and it is also the highest peak in Mai Chau. Pu Bin has a cool climate all year long like Sapa and possesses a stunning natural scenery that is unknown by most people. In this blog post, Asiatica Travel will provide all the basic information about Pu Bin.
1. Pu Bin location
Located more than 1000 meters above sea level with the fog-covered mountain ranges around it, Pu Bin commune is situated 30 kilometers from the center of Mai Chau district. From Trung Khe pass, instead of following the road to Mai Chau, you take a turn off and you will reach Pu Bin, a village where Thai ethnic people reside, along with Muong and Kinh people.
2. Differences between Pu Bin and Mai Chau
Pu Bin has to face with a lot of challenges of rice cultivation due to having high terrain and difficulties in irrigating. Therefore, they have decided to choose corn as their main crop. In addition, the locals here also cultivate peanuts, garlic and bamboo shoots. When you visit Pu Bin, you will notice fewer rice fields than in Mai Chau, but to make up for it this place has many corn fields and colorful flowers. The cool weather here is also an interesting aspect since it remains the same all year round.
3. Transportation
3.1. SUV
In Hanoi, there are many rides from Manh Kien, Huong Kien garage that take visitors from the Opera House to Mai Chau daily, you can hire the SUV car from all morning until afternoon. A reminder for you is to tell your driver your destination is Tuan Khanh gas station on Trung Khe pass because you will need to travel another 17 kilometers on a motorbike to reach Pu Bin from there. The price to expect for the rental SUV is 250.000VND/person/one-way.
3.2. Buses
There are many fixed-route buses from Yen Nghia, My Dinh bus station to Mai Chau. Once you reach Mai Chau, same with the Limousine, you will need to stop at the gas station to continue with the motorbike.
The price for the bus is around 120-180.000VND/person/one-way depending on the station you choose.
The price for the motorbike taxi from the gas station is 100.000VND/person/one-way.
4. Tourist destinations
Unlike other tourist destinations in Mai Chau, Pu Bin brings a whole new traveling experiences in a typical Thai agriculture space. With the cool weather in every season, Pu Bin is the place for you to experience the differences between culture, cuisine, landscape and climate.
4.1. A walk through the forest
The forest in Pu Bin is not a primeval forest but has a wide range of coverage. On the route we walk, we will pass through an area with moderate height, suitable for any person who can walk 4-5 kilometers regularly, this route also mainly consists of bamboo forests. It is not extremely difficult to travel here on foot but make sure to be careful of the leeches around.
4.2. Cooking class
Learning how to cook is one of the easiest ways to learn about any culture. On a night when you just finished your meal, there will be some Thai women who will teach you how to make the five-color-sticky rice, a dish that Thai people only make during special holidays. These five colors represent the five basic elements of the Earth. Gold, Green, Red, White, Black represents Land, Plant, Fire, Metal and Water respectively. In addition, Thai people are also known for their grilled pork, the pork is well seasoned with chilies, wild pepper and many other spices then will be put on the fire directly to cook.
4.3. Local people homestay
Pu Bin is the ideal destination for those who enjoy exploring local culture. In Pu Bin, visitors will always be welcomed by Thai hosts, they will have friendly conversations with you while having dinner together. If you spend time with the locals, you will get to see their daily lives, observe their customs and experience it as a part of their family. To end the day, you may have the chance to enjoy the traditional dance of Thai people there as well.
4.4. Visiting local schools
If your time of visit is during the school year, you can visit the Na Lut local school, hang out with the kids, maybe teach them some English, some drawing or just simply eat a snack with them.
4.5. Spa therapy
Pu Bin is famous for its soil that can grow medicine herbs such as mint, citronella, pomelo, lime, suitable for herbal foot bath sessions or herbal bath. It will help you relax after a long day of walking.
4.6. The farmer experiences
If you are interested in seeing the process of growing and harvesting corn, vegetables and rice on the field, then Pu Bin is the perfect place to participate in these agricultural activities. On the field, you can try to harvest rice, watering vegetables, plowing or digging soil, finding sweet potatoes, citronella, ginger and turmeric. Depending on which season you are in at the moment; you can choose your activity accordingly.
5. Schedule
5.1. Two days one night
Day 1: Hanoi - Pu Bin
Starting from Hanoi at 7.30AM to arrive at Mai Chau, our first stop is Da Trang valley, a common place for tourists to have a quick rest, this place is also a local market with all kinds of goods. Continuing our journey we will go from Thung Khe pass and head to Pu Bin. In the evening, we will have to walk for about two and a half hours from Pu Bin village to Xa Loong, pass through the forest and head to the valley of Love. We can stay here for the night and enjoy the local cuisine here such as the grilled pork, bamboo grilled fish, bamboo shoots, snails and seasonal fruits. We will end the night with a meet and greet with the locals to learn how to cook or watch traditional dances.
Day 2: Pu Bin - Hanoi
After your breakfast, we will have a walk through the forest to the Nang village (2.PM) to greet the locals, then return to Pu Bin to have lunch and get ready for our way back to Hanoi. Here is the end of our trip!
5.2. Three days two night
Day 1: Hanoi - Pu Bin
Starting from Hanoi at 7.30AM to arrive at Mai Chau, our first stop is Da Trang valley, a common place for tourists to have a quick rest, this place is also a local market with all kinds of goods. Continuing our journey we will go from Thung Khe pass and head to Pu Bin. In the evening, we will have to walk for about two and a half hours from Pu Bin village to Xa Loong, pass through the forest and head to the valley of Love. We can stay here for the night and enjoy the local cuisine here such as the grilled pork, bamboo grilled fish, bamboo shoots, snails and seasonal fruits. We will end the night with a meet and greet with the locals to learn how to cook or watch traditional dances.
Day 2: Pu Bin visit and trekking
Wake up on the next day and enjoy the peaceful yet energetic morning here, you will need to recharge for trekking day. On the 2nd day, we will visit some of the villages such as Pieng Dau, Cha Day, Noong Luon and last but not least, Xam Tang lake- the only place that provides water for the fields around here. Moving forward we will follow the path to the rice field under the alley then finish resting on the top of the hill, here is your chance to enjoy the entire Pu Bin commune with some lunch. In the evening it is relaxing time in your homestay and hotel.
Day 3: Pu Bin - Hanoi
After your breakfast, we will have a walk through the forest to the Nang village (2.PM) to greet the locals, then return to Pu Bin to have lunch and get ready for our way back to Hanoi. Here is the end of our trip!