We first heard about the northern loop of Vietnam when chatting about off-the-beaten-path travel with other backpackers. It sounded fascinating and just what we were after; a multi-day adventure in the stunning surroundings of the mountains visiting different cultures along the way.
There was just one niggle – you did it on a motorbike, and at the point I heard about it, I’d never driven one!
DIY Vs Joining a Tour
We’d rented e-bikes in Bagan so had experience riding scooters albeit limited! We heard there are options for the fearful such as tours, or an ‘easy rider’ option whereby you jump on with a driver instead of riding it yourself. These are both great options, but they weren’t for us.
The main tours tend to stay in huge hostels as opposed to homestays, and we wanted to drive ourselves to help grapple back the sense of freedom we felt in our campervan in New Zealand. So, we braved it and went alone!
Money-saving TIP: if you did want to join a tour, many are expensive to book in advance($200). But, if you just turn up in Ha Giang, groups leave together from certain hostels. At the time of writing Bong’s hostel offers a free motorbike lesson at 10, and then a group leaves at 10:30. You can also book easy rider options whilst in Ha Giang. Contact hostels directly beforehand to check availability if you know your dates!
Tours/going in groups from hostels are a great option for solo travellers, or couples/groups sick of their travel pals and wanting to meet new people. Or, if you prefer more freedom of itinerary, or want to get to know your homestay hosts more personally, then opt for the DIY route.
How to prepare for a DIY trip
How to get to the Ha Giang loop
Usually, people go from Hanoi to Ha Giang. It’s a 6-hour bus ride from Hanoi and you can book at the bus station, or look online to see times or book your ticket.
Bike rental
We rented our bikes from Bongs Hostel. They seemed to have the newer (we read safer) bikes and they gave us brand new ones – bonus! We had a quick free lesson at the back of the hostel and they gave us an idea of what to expect on the route. They equipped us with a handy map with food, accommodation and petrol stops.
You’re actually meant to get a permit to drive the Ha Giang loop. We didn’t realise this until it was too late! Check with a hostel/ travel agent etc before you go or head to the Immigration Office yourself in Ha Giang (likely cheaper). They don’t cost much (only $10-20) and seem to be relatively easy to get. We got some advice about avoiding the checkpoint at the start of the loop between (very extended!) lunch hours, and off we went with a bribe of around 200,000 dong (in 2019) tucked away in our socks just in case. To avoid the stress of wondering if you’re going to get stopped mid-way around – I’d just get the permit!
Maps
Make sure you download an offline map before you go – the signal isn’t constant up there. We always swear by maps.me but you can also use Google Maps (just make sure you’ve downloaded the entire loop).
We made sure we’d downloaded offline Google translate to help us out in homestays and would have been lost without it.
Map – 1 is Ha Giang and 2,3 & 4 are where we stayed en route (more details below).
Time of year
Good news! You can technically do the Ha Giang loop all year round.
We did the loop in December and it was around 10 degrees Celsius; not too cold, and no ice on the roads (this likely differs year to year). Layers are a good idea and warm gloves for the bike are a must for colder months. At night, it was colder still but many homestays have extra blankets but thermals might be an idea too.
Road Safety
If you (like us) have very little experience on a bike but want to DIY, the best advice I can give is just go slower and expect the unexpected. The roads are filled with hairpin turns and you never know what’s around the corner.
We came across lorries on our side of the road, unexpected road works immediately after a bend, and pigs and goats in the road. All of this is manageable if you’re in control of your bike and you’re going at a speed where you can stop if you need to. If you’re bombing it down the road that’s a whole different story! We saw a couple of crashes and it always seemed to be a Westerner going waaaayy too fast and being too confident on the mountain roads.
Let beeping become your new best friend. Can’t see around a corner? BEEP. Locals use their horns differently to the UK. It no longer means ‘get out of my way’ or ‘Where did you get your driver’s licence a goody bag!?’, but it means ‘I’m here be aware’. If people go to overtake you, most of the time they will beep first. This is your cue to keep doing what you’re doing and remain predictable. They’ve seen you and are just letting you know they are coming around. It’s not your cue to get out of the way, just keep doing what you’re doing.
How long does the Ha Giang loop take?
We chose to do the loop over 4 days. Some people do it in 3, and some to 7 so it just depends on how much time you have! Any less than 3 and I’d say go back another time when you’ve got more time on your hands. The views are too good not to keep stopping at and you don’t want to rush the drive.
We booked our accommodation in advance as we wanted to stay in smaller homestays. Some of them although named ‘homestays’ are more like huge hotels. If you’re driving slower (like us), you’ll likely arrive at dusk, so consider booking ahead so you’re not wandering around trying to find somewhere to stay. We were surprised to find so many homestays on booking.com! Previous ones we have stayed at don’t have electricity never mind WiFi! We are used to staying on bamboo mats in bamboo houses with dinner by candlelight. This time we had a shower and even a hairdryer (I haven’t seen one of these even in cities!).
Search for homestays along the loop here (or keep reading for our recommendations).
Day 1 – Ha Giang to Yen Minh
First day we had our free breakfast at our guesthouse in Ha Giang (Ngan Ha Guesthouse) and headed out to rent our bikes and had our free motorbike lesson. Our destination for day one was Yen Minh. We’d booked Homestay Phuc Anh.
We arrived with a warm welcome from the family and their dog wearing a dinosaur onesie. They greeted us with hot tea and a heater after the cold drive. We opted to join them for a home-cooked dinner and it was DELICIOUS! If you ask, they will even let you cook with them to learn how to prepare local food.
We sat with the host, her husband, and their two kids, and chatted over dinner. Their 14-year-old son was learning English so he translated, and where he couldn’t we all used Google translator. We never could have imagined having to translate ‘Excuse me your dog has pood in his onesie!’. Turns out this is funny in every language.
To book the same homestay, just click here.
Day 2 – Yen Minh to Meo Vac
Day two we set out for Meo Vac. Along the way day two brought us even more stupendous views. When we drove past local kids they’d often wave, or if you stopped to take a picture of the mountains, run to catch up with you to practise their English! We passed through many villages belonging to different ethnic groups. Each village was rich in its own culture with different dress, and house styles to the last village.
Important:- if you’d like to take a picture and any of the locals are in the shot, you must ask (at least by gesturing) before you take the picture. Many believe their spirit may be captured in the camera, and this can be distressing and disrespectful.
It’s possible to take a detour up to the northern border with China, but we were short on time. Instead, we veered off the main road to visit some more villages. We saw traditional Hmong houses built from compacted earth that stood the test of time. We passed one village at the school bell and saw the children pile out of the classroom laughing hysterically with one another (even if they were laughing that they had found a dead mouse off the street and flung it at their mates!).
Along the way, we saw a memorial so pulled over. It was to commemorate the locals from lots of different ethnic groups who built the very road we were driving on. During the construction, 14 people lost their lives. They call it the Happiness Road as it provides electricity, schools, and health care to the people living in the villages in the mountains.
Before we finished up for the day in Meo Vac we were treated to the view of Ma Pi Leng Pass. The view of it just kept getting better and better – it was stunning! We sat at the edge of the road for a while looking down into the canyon, stomachs flipping every time we thought about how deep it was and how close to the edge we were driving!
Day 3 – Meo Vac to Nam Dam
After another delicious family-cooked meal (and ANOTHER hairdryer!) we were fresh for day 3. We were meant to be heading to Du Gia but changed plans mid-way! Confidence had been gained on the bikes and we’d ended up making time up. So, we decided to make headway with part of day 4 to try to make the 3:30 pm bus back to Hanoi the following day.
We ended up staying in a smaller village (Nam Dam) at Hong Thu homestay. We were so glad we unexpectedly ended up here the hosts were amazing! The family were from the Black Dao ethnic group and welcomed us into their home. It wasn’t just us who were welcomed, half the village rocked up for a birthday celebration (well, it was actually his birthday the day before and this party was thrown to say thank you to the village for coming to the birthday party)!
We had a traditional hot pot meal. I winced as I watched them plop the liver and other bits of a duck into the boiling water. I fished for the potatoes avoiding the organs, and the next thing I know Joe fished out the beak! The actual beak!
To wash all of this down the locals gave us their favourite drink – home-brewed corn wine, or ‘happy water’ as they like to call it! Each member of the gathering came over to do a shot with us and taught us a Vietnamese way of saying ‘cheers’. Many shots in we protested, and they promised ‘last one!’ Or ‘just a little bit!’ until the water bottles they stored it in was emptied.
Click here to book, if you think you can keep up with the locals!
Day 4 – Nam Dam – Ha Giang
A little bit worse for wear, we set off to see what day 4 had in stall for us. We backtracked 10km and visited another village, Lùng Tam. There was a weaving workshop and shop there, and for those of you who’ve read my other blogs – I love a good local business and handicrafts!
The ladies showed us how they made traditional Hmong garments by weaving hemp. They dye this using different techniques such as batik (using beeswax), or using other plants or barks to naturally dye the fabric. They were so friendly and talented.
We joined the 4C again and retraced some of our steps from the first day to get back to Ha Giang for the bus!