After one night spent in Hanoi, we booked a bus for the next night to Ha Giang in order to start the Northern Loop. The bus connection took about 6 hours from Hanoi and it was one of the most comfortable night busses I have ever experienced, with full-body-beds. For the loop we planned 5-6 days with start and end in Ha Giang, where we rented a motorbike for 200.000 VND (7 EUR) per day.
Ha Giang is a brand new destination that has been only recently open to non-Vietnamese tourists and can give you the most authentic experience of what northern Vietnam is all about. The first day we rode with a French couple and were able to accomplish half of the track until Dong Van. The whole region is famous for its forested limestone and granite mountains, but you'll also see several rice fields and rain forests.
Viewpoints and winding mountain passes, like the Heaven's Gate and the Dong Van Plateau, are easy to reach, but the highlight of day was the crazy ride to Lung Cu, also known for the Vietnamese Flag Pole in the Chinese border. The arrival to this point was quite an adventure, since the roads are partly still in construction and the traffic was already too much. Just to have an idea, the 14km-detour took us about 1 hour to complete.
The next day, after a good night's rest, we made our way to Meo Vac, from where we started detouring in direction east. Not far from Dong Van, the Commemorative Youth Memorial is a monument that offers panoramic views over the QL4C road and the mountains in background. The Ma Pi Leng Pass comes right after and is a geo-site and stopover station for all travellers who wish to enjoy the beautiful landscape and river below.
Note: on one of our stops, a super friendly Vietnamese family celebrating the Cold Food Festival invited us to join them. This festival takes place on the 3rd day of the third lunar month in the year and is an occasion for family gathering and remember their ancestors. Usually the gathering takes place in the family grave and food and drinks will be served. Fireworks also take part in the celebrations.
Next Stop: Cao Bang, Vietnam
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