2-day Pu Luong Natural Reserve from Hanoi

I worked with BC Family tours to plan out a 2 day, 1 night trip to Pu Luong. A shuttle bus picked me up from my hostel in Hanoi around 8 am then it was a 3-4 hour drive to Pu Luong. We stopped 3 times - once for a bathroom/snack break, once to see ‘local cooking’ on the side of a road that did have a nice view, and once to drop off other passengers in Mai Chao (another tour option). They usually book roundtrip from Hanoi, but I requested to be dropped off in Ninh Binh, which they accommodated for just a few dollars extra. My lodging was Pu Luong Eco Garden. While I’d requested and paid for a mixed dormitory, expecting some bunk beds in a shared space, I was pleased to see that I had been upgraded to a private room with a queen-sized bed. The resort had a nice infinity pool and all meals (not beverages) were included in the package. There was more than enough to eat in the set meals and the food was pretty good. There were 3-5 hours of activities each day while the rest was spent eating, free time (read: sitting at the pool), or traveling. My guide's English wasn't extensive, but we were able to communicate through Google translate on his phone which worked out alright. He was super knowledgable and pointed out all sorts of plants and cultural facts as we trekked. I was the only person on the excursions without having requested a private tour. This worked out well for me, but if you’d rather be around people or aren’t okay with quiet, then I’d check with the booking agent ahead of time. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience - staff with the booking company and tour itself were helpful and friendly throughout. If I was more familiar with Pu Luong before booking, I probably would have stayed for longer.