Upon arrival to Vietnam, the first thing we did was travel to the northern province of Ha Giang to embark on a 4-day motorcycle tour through what’s known as the Ha Giang Loop. 10/10, would highly recommend to anybody – this experience was one of the highlights of our travels so far.
This region of Vietnam is lesser-known than some others internationally; however the “secret” is getting out and it is increasingly popular with foreign tourists. There are many businesses operating motorbike tours in the region – we went with Ha Giang Amazing Tours and had an incredibly good experience.
On arrival in the city of Ha Giang, you’re outfitted with a motorcycle and a driver/local guide – ours were Tran and Danh, both born and raised in nearby villages. For adventurous/experienced motorcycle drivers you can opt for your own bike, but most people ride with a driver – much easier to just relax and enjoy the scenery.
Outside of the city, the scenery changes quickly and dramatically. You ride up into a region full of steep mountains and cloud forests with plenty of beautiful lookout points, stopping for many different side-adventures along the way. On our first day we stopped for a hike to Lùng Khúy Cave, but during the trip we also visited the ruins of a Hmong king’s palace, rode to a waterfall in the mountains, climbed up a flagpole/viewpoint at the Chinese border, and much more. We even got to hang out on a mountain ledge – below is the view and the fear getting there:
Our guide Tran was much more comfortable on the ledge:
All along the way, we got to see and experience a truly authentic side of Northern Vietnamese culture. There are 22 different ethnic groups inhabiting Ha Giang’s mountains and valleys; on this tour you see much of the variety. Days are spent adventuring on motorbike, and nights are spent at either traditional local homestays or (one night) hotels, eating family-style traditional foods and drinking “happy water” – locally produced rice alcohol.
All food and drinks are arranged and paid for via your booking – once you arrive there’s nothing more to worry about, literally just hop on with your guide and experience the ride.
Again, this was one of the highlights of our trip so far and we would absolutely recommend it to anybody visiting Vietnam. Pictures and video can do some justice, but the overall experience is really one that can’t be captured unless you see for yourself. So get there!
Thank you again to Ha Giang Amazing Tours and our local guides/drivers Tran and Danh for an incredible time – four days we will both remember forever!
