If you're looking for adventure, specifically off-road adventure, then Pu Luong is the one for you. Known for its ridiculously twisting roads, the local residents have developed expert driving skills through time.

Pu Luong Nature Reserve in particular is one place adventurers in general must surely try. Situated in the Northern Province of Thanh Hoa, it is a perfect venue for trekkers to hone their physical strength and for drivers to perfect their skills.

When it rains hard, drivers have to carry their motorbikes, usually the Honda Win model, and walk through a deep stream while passengers have to follow carrying their own luggage. Kho Muong hamlet in Ba Thuoc District, Thanh Son Commune, Road 15C is especially perilous. The road is unpaved and just covered with gravel and small rocks. Motorcycle drivers have to battle the diffucult road with all their might. Pillion passengers in turn have to get off and walk ahead because it usually takes a while before the driver can get through the extremely rough road.

While even on a normal weather the road is already a challenge, it is even more so on a rainy day. Landslides are a frequent occurrence, reducing the road to sometimes only a 1.2-meter wide clearance for commuters to pass through. Speed has to be reduced to a critical low level and undivided attention on the road has to be observed.

But the long and risky three-hour trip is all worth it after reaching Kho Muong hamlet where visitors are greeted warmly by the Thai ethnic people. They can then enjoy a sumptuous lunch on a house with stilts. After that, guests can go on a 1.5-meter trek to Kho Muong Cave, enjoying the fresh provincial atmosphere the whole time. Kho Muong Cave is considered to be one of the most beautiful caves in Pu Luong Nature Reserve. It has blocks of limestones 250 million years old and at least four different kinds of bats. Insect-eating bats and fruit bats for some, are home to the reserve.

Hieu Hamlet is another place to visit at Pu Luong for its waterfall. But it's another off-road challenge as the slope leading to the site is a little steep. Drivers have to control their bikes carefully up the trail while passengers have to assist in pushing the vehicle upwards. Although difficult, it's not impossible. In fact, tourists can take pride in their journey once they see the beauty of the waterfall after. They can bathe in the fresh water and/ or take pictures, rewarding themselves for a job well done and deserved.

The next stop is Nua Hamlet, naturally beautiful with its traditional paddy fields, streams, sunset and mountains. Travellers can stay overnight at the place, but most do so as a stop-over for their next destination which is Kit Hamlet, located in the innermost part of the nature reserve. There are other more places in the reserve visitors can visit after which they make their way back to Ha Noi.

Local off-road trip leaders advice foreigners who wish to engage in the adventure to observe certain rules and regulations before doing so. Perhaps the most important of all is to check their motorbikes that it is travel safe and worthy in order to avoid any accident. Both drivers and passengers should equip themselves with proper and reliable protective gear like a helmet to keep them safe all throughout the ride. Passengers need to learn both the road and hand signs for off-road motorbike riding. Pillion passengers also need to cooperate with the bikers or drivers in order to guarantee a successful trip.

Off-road trip enthusiasts revel in the adventure because overcoming a dangerous road makes them feel accomplished not only with that journey itself but through life as well, gaining enough skills and confidence to go through the challenges in life with a smoother, more enjoyable ride. And with Pu Luong's breathtaking landscapes and hospitable people, the trip is certainly made easier and definitely worth all the trouble.