The Ha Giang Loop

In Northern Vietnam there is a famous biking route called the Ha Giang Loop. It has fast replaced the over-commercialized Sapa as the quintessential spot for exploring the incredible scenery of Northern Vietnam which comprises dramatic limestone karst mountains and terraced rice paddy fields.  

Many travelers take 4 days or more to explore the loop and there are numerous detours off the main route.  I wasn't confident enough to rent a bike this time and do it solo, some areas are quite remote and you're definitely better off with a buddy or a group.  So I opted for the Easy Rider tour through Cheers Hostel in Hanoi - a three day, two night expedition on the back of a bike - which meant I could leave the sometimes challeging driving to an experienced local and simply enjoy the ride.  My driver was called Mike and after a couple of hours I had total confidence in him.  Great guy, he always made sure I had my protective gear on and he was very skilled in controlling the bike around tight twists and turns.

There were eight of us taking the tour, as has been the case for most of my journey I was the eldest, most of them were in their twenties.  There was Samira from Switzerland, Anton and Oliver from Sweden, Florian and Tamara from Germany and Australia, Susan and Raoul from the Netherlands, Nish from New York and KP from London.

Every half hour or so we would stop to take in the views and snap some photos, each new vista getting steadily more dramatic.  We were very close to the Chinese border in some parts only 2km away.

Towards the end of the day we visited the palace of a Hmong king that lived there 100 years ago. The palace was surrounded by high mountains which gave it natural defences.   

The king was a prolific opium trader, selling over 20 tons per year to the Chinese. Note these column supports in the shape of opium poppies.

He joined forces with the French when they colonized the area and there are numerous features in the palace that reflect this alliance including the ornate wrought iron railings.

That night we stayed in a motel and before dinner Samira and I hiked up to a nearby lookoff to catch the end of the sunset and watch the full moon rise.  

Day two the scenery was just asounding. In the morning we took the hair-raising Sky Path in Ma Pi Leng, a very narrow road with sheer drops that takes some skill to ride without dying; I was very glad I was not driving during that!  We were rewarded with incredible views at the top of the path.

Around midday it was baking hot and we went for a boat cruise down a bright green river between sheer cliff faces. 

Some of the younguns opted for kayaking which was madness in the heat; they all got sunburnt. Plus I had a chance to jump off the boat and swim in the refreshing cool water.

Towards the end of the second day we were in a remote area in the center of the loop when we hit a police roadblock.  

We were detained there for around an hour until nurses arrived to take our temperature with a thermal scanner. There was a quarantine center right there where we would have been imprisoned for 14 days if any of us had a fever. Given that we all had hot, sunburnt foreheads this was very nerve wracking and spooked me for a few days; made me think hard about the Coronavirus and whether I should continue travelling.

Thankfully our group all made it through without testing over.

That night when we reached our homestay we needed to de-stress so the happy water (rice whiskey) flowed heavily at dinner.  We took shot after shot, each toast getting louder..  Oh Oh Ho Chi Min! Oh Oh Ho Chi Min!, Mot Hai Ba Dzo, Hai Ba Dzo, Hai Ba Ouh!   

I had read that Vietnam has a robust drinking culture and I can report that this is alive and well. We took it in turns for the drivers to visit the riders table and cheers us and we returned the challenge to push them to drink more too.  At some point the regular clear happy water was replaced by a brownish brew that had been infused with local ginseng. "Good for man make woman happy" we were assured.

Before very long, all of us that were drinking were absolutely smashed!  Then followed a hilarious evening of karaeoke, us westerners taking over the controls and jamming out to hip hop, rock and pop anthems. The police called to shut us down at around 1.30am. One of the happiest nights of my trip so far.

The final day we travelled back to Ha Giang a little worse for wear - it took me until midday to sober up and again I was very glad not to be driving.  We stopped at a Hmong fabric co-op and saw some lovely pieces, I ended up buying some back in Hanoi and posting a parcel home.  I was very interested to see an eight pointed star used in the designs, as well as the colours chosen. This looks very close to M'ikM'aq designs from back home in Nova Scotia.

All in all this was the highlight of my trip to Vietnam, an unforgettable experience that I will cherish. It also really makes me want to buy a motorbike when I get home !