Rice Fields in Vietnam

Shal & James
May 2
7 min read

Updated: May 24

About to join 4.5 million tourists in Sapa? Skip the crowds and head to Pu Luong, where you can experience the most untouched rice fields in Vietnam.

See rice fields in Vietnam_Gazing over endless rice fields of Pu Luong Nature Reserve — untouched, serene, and free of tourists — Gazing over endless **rice fields of Pu Luong Nature Reserve** — untouched, serene, and not a tourist in sight.

Stay at Avana Retreat

Villas & Views

Tucked deep in a tropical forest in the emerald mountains of northwest Vietnam, we found paradise—or at least, the closest thing to it. Avana Retreat (~£260 / $345 pn) is a 15-hectare hideaway wrapped in jungle mist, where nature sings and waterfalls whisper. The best part? This eco-luxury haven is full of local handicrafts and almost entirely staffed by Thai, Hmong and Muong people from surrounding villages, bringing authenticity to every detail.

We may have booked the “entry-level” Bauhinia Mountain Suite, but it was pure luxury. At 98 square meters with a 35 square meter balcony, it felt more like a private mountain hideaway than a hotel room. If gazing out at the views from your super king bed through floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors isn’t dreamy enough, the bed itself was pure cloud magic—none of that typical rock-hard mattress nonsense Asia is known for.

SWIM, SIP, REPEAT

There's only 36 villas so you barely see other guests outside meals unless you're hanging out at Avana’s cloud pool—a stunning heated infinity pool carved into the mountainside, mimicking the shape of the rice terraces across the mountain. Watching the sunset over the rice terraces with a passion fruit margarita in hand? Absolute bliss.

SERVICE SO GOOD, ITS BASICALLY TELEPATHY

Every detail at Avana felt personal — like, cue the rom-com montage personal. The staff knew our names, our quirks (Shal’s shellfish allergy, thank you very much), and somehow predicted our needs like hospitality psychics. For example, after becoming utterly obsessed with pomelos (think: giant, sweeter grapefruit), the Avana team started making us our own giant breakfast plates of peeled segments—total VIP treatment.

Call for a buggy to dinner? Before we even made it down the path, housekeeping had already swooped in like candle-lighting, water-refilling ninjas and reset the whole villa with a romantic vibe.

GETTING AROUND THE PROPERTY? THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT

Yep, Avana has its very own app — and it’s not just some digital brochure. You can summon an electric buggy to whisk you across the grounds (because hiking in spa slippers is not on our itinerary), or tap for housekeeping and turn-down service. Honestly, we’re convinced the staff are clairvoyant — we’d barely hit "send" before someone was already halfway up the hill with fresh towels and a knowing smile.

Avana Retreat_James about to tuck into beef in a bamboo tube at Green Chili Restaurant, but don't worry, there's Western fare too if that's more your speed. — James about to tuck into beef in a bamboo tube at **Green Chili Restaurant**, but don't worry, there's Western fare too if that's more your speed.

HUNGRY? AVANA'S GOT YOU

Breakfast at Green Chili Restaurant (6 AM – 10 AM) is a full-on feast, and spoiler alert: you’ll probably be back for dinner too (6 PM – 10 PM). When you're tucked away in the middle of nowhere, options are limited—but when the food’s this good, you won’t mind one bit. Unless you’re feeling fancy enough to splurge on a private candlelit dinner by Avana’s waterfall (at 12,705,000 VND / ~£365 / $485) for two, we... were not).

Lunch is available at Green Chili too, but we usually snagged ours poolside at the Cloud Bar, which wins bonus points for complimentary afternoon snacks (4 PM – 5:30 PM) and buy-one-get-one drinks during happy hour (3 PM – 6 PM). Yes please.

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Things to Do (Besides Gawking at the Views)

Avana Retreat doesn’t just serve views—it serves options. With more activities than a summer camp for grown-ups, we actually made ourselves a little spreadsheet (yeah, we're that couple) to figure out how to make the most of our four days. We still didn’t get to everything… but we sure tried.

Avana’s sprawling grounds are big enough to get lost in—good thing they hand you this handy map (or you can just summon a buggy like the VIP you are). — Avana’s sprawling grounds are big enough to get lost in—good thing they give you this handy map (or you can just summon a buggy like the VIP you are).

Avana Retreat chart of activities_Yes, we made a spreadsheet—because with this many options, how else do you prioritise between yoga, culture, and cocktail o’clock? — Yes, we made a spreadsheet—because with this many options, how else do you prioritise between yoga, culture, and cocktail o’clock? Keep in mind that Avana can change activities at any time, so if there's something you're really excited about, shoot them an email to double-check before you go all in. Better safe than sorry!

James and our guide walking through Co Cham, a tiny community we visited with one dirt road, 35 families, and a daily rhythm dictated by the sun, the seasons, and the occasional wandering cow. — James and our guide walking through **Co Cham**, a tiny community we visited with one dirt road, 35 families, and a daily rhythm dictated by the sun, the seasons, and the occasional wandering buffalo. Here, three generations often share a one-room stilt house, living harmoniously with their chickens, dogs and cows wandering freely.

Avana also offers a handful of tours with local guides, so we signed up for the 4-hour nature trek. The jungle walk was super easy—more of a leafy stroll—but the viewpoint was honestly a letdown compared to the sweeping rice fields right at Avana or the jaw-droppers in Pu Luong. What saved it from being a total wash? A visit to a stilt house, where we sipped tea, nibbled fresh fruit, and chatted with a local before wandering through a 35-family village of stilt homes. At 1,285,000 VND (~£37 / $49) per person, we wouldn’t say it’s a must-do, but getting a peek into village life was undeniably fascinating.

And last, but not least, we got a 60-minute full-body couples massage at Orchid Spa and, honestly, it was divine. Picture this: you’re led down a lush jungle path to your own private treatment hut nestled beside a babbling brook. Before the massage even begins, your feet get the VIP treatment with a soak and a view. It was hands-down the best massage we had in Vietnam — and yes, we’re counting the two others at fancy 5-star hotels. Orchid Spa? Totally unmatched.

Our massage ended at dusk, and by the time we hopped in the 5-minute buggy ride back to our room, Shal’s ankles were getting devoured by mosquitoes like it was an all-you-can-eat buffet. Seriously, pro tip: always wear mosquito repellent, even if you're just stepping outside for a minute. We even slept with the stuff on because, well... it’s the jungle.

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Getting Here

Okay, here’s the deal — getting to Avana Retreat isn’t exactly a breeze. But it’s intentionally tucked an hour outside Mai Chau to be as special and remote as possible. Plus, it’s the only luxurious place near Pu Luong Nature Reserve, which is totally worth the extra effort to see. Unlike the overrun rice terraces elsewhere in Vietnam, this one’s practically untouched.

If you're following our 3-week Vietnam itinerary, you'll need to fly 1.5 hours from Da Nang (DAD) to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) and then catch a 2-hour flight to Thọ Xuân Airport (THD). From there, it's a 3-hour private car ride to Avana. We booked through Avana, and while it was the priciest ride of our trip (4,795,000 VND / ~£140 / $186), the driver wasn’t great — but Avana made it right, so we’re confident it won’t happen again.

Coming from Hanoi? It’s a 4-hour drive, and you’ll probably have more driver options. We used Hanoi VIP Transfer for our ride from Avana Retreat to Ninh Binh and had a fantastic experience, so you could check with them to see if they’ll take you to Avana. Also, Hanoi VIP Transfer was literally half the cost of Avana's private transfer to Ninh Binh for the same type of vehicle.

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Day Trip to Pu Luong Nature Reserve

This is what you came to Avana Retreat for—untouched rice fields in Vietnam. While 4.5 million tourists are headed to Sapa this year, you'll be hard pressed to see another tourist in Pu Luong.

Endless rice fields ripple through Pu Luong, framed by moody mountains and not a single tourist in sight—just you, the view, and a soundtrack of distant rooster gossip. — Endless rice terraces ripple through **Pu Luong**, framed by moody mountains and not a single tourist in sight—just you, the view, and a soundtrack of distant rooster gossip.

Getting Here

Pu Luong Nature Reserve is about a 2-hour drive from Avana Retreat. When we were researching, we could only find one private day tour to go on that looked remotely legit (all the others were part of multi-day lower budget excursions). Fortunately, this day trip was fantastic and we highly recommend you repeat what we booked.

For the perfect day trip to Pu Luong, book a private tour through David at Hanoi Eco Tour via WhatsApp (+84 97 431 31 04). You’ll get a local guide (ours was the fabulous Xuan—she was amazing) who speaks basic English, and a driver who knows Pu Luong like the back of his hand. Seriously, no GPS needed.

No deposit needed—just show up ready for adventure. We paid $99 per person ($198 total) in Vietnamese dong (cash), handed directly to the guide based on that day’s exchange rate. The price covers your driver, guide, water and lunch. If you fancy a fresh coconut at the dreamy viewpoint café—and its likely you will—it’s an extra 30,000 VND (less than £1… go wild).

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Top Sights: Rice Terraces & Water Wheels

Our day tour was 12 hours, with roughly 4 hours spent on the road, but it’s fully customisable—so you can make the experience exactly what you want.

Here’s how we spent our day:

7:30 AM pick-up from Avana
Bamboo factory visit
2-hour trek from Bam Village (Shorter or longer, you do you!)
Don Village (This is what you came for)
Lunch at KM Pu Luong in Bản Đôn (Farm-to-table, tasty, and your guide will order/help navigate food allergies)
Kho Mường Village
Suoi Cham (Bamboo rafting and water wheels—if you’re lucky you’ll see farmers with their water buffalos)

Here’s the kicker: Aside from lunch, we saw exactly TWO other tourists all day. Not a bus in sight, just pure, untouched beauty and rice farmers.

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What to Tip?

We read in various corners of the internet that it's customary to tip private drivers 50,000 - 100,000 VND and tour guides 100,000 - 200,000 VND for full day tours.

We tipped 150,000 VND (~£4 / $5) to our legend of a driver and 400,000 VND (~£12 / $16) to Xuan, our guide—because she made the day feel like adventuring with a friend who just magically knew where every jaw-dropping view was hiding. That tip plastered a grin on Xuan's face.

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