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Eco-tourism in Pu Luong Pu Luong Nature Reserve is a largely unspoilt limestone area about 140km south of Hanoi, consisting of two parallel ridges bisected by a valley. It’s richly forested, with panoramic views, magnificent rice terracing and stunning scenery. It is also one of the few places in the world where a critically endangered species can be seen in the wild. The Reserve stretches from the White Thai ethnic minority village of Mai Chau southeast to join up with Cuc Phuong National Park. It’s an important centre for plant diversity, and many unique species inhabit the forest, including the endangered ‘clouded leopard’, ‘Owsten’s civet’ and the critically imperilled ‘Delacour’s langur’. Fauna in the area is threatened by hunting and collecting rare species for the illegal wildlife market. The forests are also at risk from illegal logging and fire. The hills and valleys of Pu Luong are home to several Thai and Muong ethnic minority communities. The Vietnam office of Flora and Fauna International (FFI) has been working with several villages to set up an extensive trekking route and local homestay facilities. Haivenu is collaborating with FFI in this venture. The people living in the area are very poor. By capitalising upon the potential income from carefully managed tourism and directing it towards the local people, we hope to diminish the threats to the environment by providing a sustainable and legal source of income. The village of Mai Chau is a rare example of communal initiative that began several years ago. The villagers set up their own homestay arrangement and the village has greatly prospered since. However, lacking guidance, the village has been the victim of its success and the once pristine village is now commercialised. The current project has focused upon careful development that conserves the environment and local culture. For tourists, it’s first-class. The trekking and cycling routes range from gentle to seriously strenuous. Those who prefer a gentler experience can travel most of the journey by vehicle. The nearby Ma River offers travel by raft or longboats. The homestay are well organised, and the local rice wine flows freely – after the first glass, it becomes increasingly delicious! At the far south of Pu Luong is La Ha Market, and beyond that, the remarkable fish stream near Cam Thuy. Large fish are permanently crammed into a pool fed by an outlet of a river running through a limestone peak. The local people believe they have magic properties and leave them alone. Oh, yes! The endangered species you can see
is a colony of Delacour’s langurs that have settled down on an isolated
peak with vertiginous sides. The only way to get near it is to travel
past on a gentle river in a small boat. From there, an average pair
of binoculars will usually provide you with a clear view of these
beautiful primates swinging languidly across the rock face, comfortable
in the knowledge that they’re safe in their lofty dwelling-place.
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