Days 207-210, Ha Giang Loop, Vietnam

September 1st – 4th, 2019

The Ha Giang Loop.  WOW!  This was one of those life highlights for us.  We spent four days on a motorcycle going through some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen.  We got up and talked with the super helpful receptionist at Bong Hostel about the loop.  We rented the bike from Bong and they gave us a map and outlined the route for us with certain stops and recommended places to stay.  For under $11 a day we rented the motorbike with insurance. 

We planned to do the loop on our own but the night before we met a very sweet girl named Nika from Slovenia.  She was also starting the loop today and she had hired what’s called an “Easy Rider”.  This is a local guide who drives the motorcycle for you so you can just ride on the back and enjoy the scenery.  This is a fantastic option for those who would like to do the loop but do not feel comfortable driving the motorbike. We started off following Nika and her guide and were instructed to go with them through the first “police checkpoint”.  You are supposed to have an international driving permit here in Vietnam (as you are in many countries).  This is something you can easily get at home for like $20 at AAA.  I wish we would have known to do this so we would have had the peace of mind that we had everything we need if we get stopped.  Bong Hostel told us it would be okay if we just follow the guide through the first checkpoint and then after that there will not be anymore police on the loop. 

We started out following Nika and her guide Toh. I never actually saw where the first police checkpoint was as I think we purposefully left at a time where we would drive through it during their lunch break.  Once we got into the mountains I immediately wanted to stop for pictures as the scenery was already blowing my mind. I told Brendan he didn’t have to worry about keeping up with the guide because we have surely passed the checkpoint.  We stopped for a photo and then a little ways up, Nika and Toh were pulled over waiting for us.  At this point, realizing they were kind enough to wait we started the rest of the journey sticking together. 

We also met this girl Melina who was a total Rockstar.  She is 22 years old from Germany traveling solo and had never been on a motorcycle before.  Her first time on a bike she decided she is going to do the Ha Giang on her own!  As it turned out, we ended up meeting her during the first five minutes of the loop on the road when we were stopped for some construction while getting out of town.  I commented that I liked her shoes and we ended up traveling as a group (us, Melina, Nika and her Easy Rider Toh) for the next four days.  In the evenings when we would arrive at homestays, we met many other novice riders doing the loop.  They were easy to identify as they would be limping, bleeding, bruised, have broken fingers, or bandaged up from the challenging road.  Melina was a natural though and none of our group had any incident during the four days. 

We also never got rained on the entire time!  This is truly remarkable.  At one point we put the ponchos on thinking we were going into some rain but we never actually did.  We had two cloudy days and two sunny days and it was fantastic.  It was also a nice break from the heat as it was cooler up in the mountains.  We made the comment it was the first time Brendan wore a jacket since Machu Picchu!

It was a great group and made our journey even more memorable.  Following Nika’s Easy Rider made it a complete joy ride for me.  I didn’t have to worry about the map, navigation, finding the view points and extra activities etc.  He knew everything.  He took us to all the best stops, the best places to eat, booked all of our homestays for us, and showed us many hidden treasures along the way we would not known about being on our own.  It was so fun and exciting because every time we would stop, it would be a surprise to what we were doing since I didn’t have to bother looking anything up.  He knew only a little English that he taught himself on Duo Lingo but he would stop and say things like “ now we swim”, “now we go to cave”, “now we hike”.  Every stop was amazing and I feel so fortunate for the kindness he showed us as he guided us through the area he had grown up in. 

Four days for the loop was nice because it only meant about four hours a day of actual seat time (that’s all your butt wanted for sure).  It was still a full day from when we would start to finish (usually left around 9:30 and arrived at the next homestay by 4-5pm). We would stop all along the way for view points, activities, and food.  All throughout the loop each turn or corner seemed even better than the previous.  I kept thinking “well, we have seen all the highlights” as nothing could top what we had just seen, only to be more amazed at our next turn.  It really was spectacular.  I think the journey is better shown by pictures than words but even the pictures do not capture how big the mountains are, how deep the valleys go, how wide the rivers run, how brilliant the rice fields are, how winding, steep, curvy, fun, and challenging the roads are, and the absolute beauty of the rich culture of the local people along the way. 

This is an increasingly popular motorcycle route and it is not yet affected by mass tourism.  We enjoyed talking with other travelers at our homestays at night. But for the most part we were  just driving through rural countryside with people who live and work in the farming villages.  All the kids want to give you high 5’s or a hug if you are off your bike, instead of trying to sell you something like in other popular tourist areas.  It is harvest time for the rice right now so in some of the towns we drove through most of the entire street was covered with tarps of drying rice. 

The homestays were also an awesome experience. Every night we would have “family dinner” and the hosts would put out a huge spread.  There was always so much food and an endless supply of their homemade corn wine (referred to as happy water).  All the food is almost the same at each place but it was very good and the best we have had in Vietnam.  Each family always wanted us to drink the corn wine with them, and all used the same phrase of “just one more” as they would pour you another little shot (which tasted more like hard liquor than wine).

Everyone was very welcoming.  It also was inexpensive.  The average night in the homestay with the big dinner, all the corn wine you can drink and breakfast the next morning averaged between $6-8 per person.  The sleeping arrangement was very basic (just mats on the floor of an open loft) but the family, food, and atmosphere made up for it. 

Brendan and I always needed fuel for the bike before anyone else in our group.  Toh probably only weighed about 85lbs soaking wet and had no luggage.  He always seemed shocked when we told him we were out of gas.  He could not comprehend that we are two large Americans plus our one daypack was heavy on a small bike going up mega mountain passes in first gear.  We burned right through the fuel and a few times thought for sure we would run out.  We would be far below “E” for like 45 minutes on mountain passes.  Toh would always say we would be okay, and he was right every time. 

There are several local tribes around Ha Giang and it was so crazy to observe the extreme elderly and youngest of children working.  The old women could not stand up straight from carrying heavy loads on their back their whole life.  We saw several children that looked like they were just old enough to walk, fitted with little packs to carry sticks and plants along side of their Mom or older siblings.  The children also play on the side of cliffs.  Literally the side of cliffs.  Their playground is in places that makes my stomach drop looking over, and they are running, jumping, and rough housing right on the edge.  They would also run across high slippery rocks right on the edge of huge waterfalls.  It was so crazy.  It was like they were little mountain goats.  It was such an interesting peek into a completely different way of life.

At the end of our journey we felt bonded with the girls and Toh.  Since he basically served as our guide the whole time, we tried to give him money for everything he showed and helped us with.  We felt this was the least we could do since we hadn’t paid anything for a guide service.  He refused our tip though!  Brendan and I both tried to insist but he would not take it.  He just became our group leader out of the kindness of his heart not wanting anything in return.  The day after our journey ended, I got a text from him saying he would miss Brendan and I very much.  It was so sweet! 

These four days were so incredible and I would highly encourage anyone who feels they might want to do something like this, to do it sooner rather than later.  At least for the Ha Giang as every year it is becoming more popular and I think it will start to lose some of its authentic qualities.  We were both amazed at this adventure and it stands out as one of our top experiences!