Imagine riding a motorcycle high up within the mountains as ethereal clouds span your entire peripheral view. The panorama then gives way to lush green valleys below, ripe with fields of ancient grain. Can you picture that? If not, don't worry; I have a ton of photos and videos just for you. 😄
Backstory
The whole reason I got a motorcycle license back in April was to have my own bike for the 4-day ride. Another option was to use an Easy Rider; which involves being a passenger in a back saddle, as an experienced driver does everything else.
One of the benefits of an Easy Rider is being able to sit back and relax while observing the surrounding scenery. You don't have to worry much about navigating steep cliffs, which can easily put your mortality on full display.
In a world where everything is quickly becoming automated & automatic, I hold on dearly to the moments where I can still be hands on. This is one of the reasons I drive a manual car to this day.
- Similar to Thailand, traffic police set themselves up in a strategic location at a checkpoint, traversing easily between several different areas. They are here checking for valid international driver’s permits with motorcycle endorsement.
- Most tourists usually have either their permit with no endorsement, or nothing at all. The fine can range anywhere from 1000 baht and up; or about $30.
- In Ha Giang, the same fine is nearly 2,000,000 Dong, or roughly $80. As our group was made to stop at the checkpoint mentioned, I showed my documentation and was given a thumbs up.
- Unfortunately, some of the others were not as lucky, but they were prepared to pay the fine, and still enjoy the tour.
One of the many viewpoints scattered around the mountain sides of Ha Giang.
Day 1
The journey started early Friday morning in Hanoi, where the iconic grey tourist vans seen all over Southeast Asia, whisked us away during blue hour in heavy rain.
The van dropped everyone off at a bus terminal where the trek towards Ha Giang really began. Making several drop offs along the way, and at one rest stop for food; we arrived to the city around 1:30pm
After some time, we were transferred by van once more to the meeting place of the Ha Giang Adventure Tour. It happened to be a cozy guesthouse with a restaurant, and jungle themed bar.
There were three other passengers who signed up for the tour alongside myself. Introductions were quickly made with an American couple from San Francisco, and a solo traveler by way of Australia. The excitement was palpable, and shared equally amongst all parties present. These were good people to be spending the weekend with.
While getting prepped by Su, we signed liability forms, and checked all of our safety equipment; finishing up with a detailed look at the route
I spent my own time getting familiar with a semi-automatic motorcycle, taking a few laps around the road:
- I learned that the differences between it and a manual motorcycle were in the shifting mechanics. The bike I used while getting my license had just one shift pedal in the front near your left foot. Pressing down on it would shift you down; while lifting your foot up underneath the pedal would shift you to higher gears.
- There was no clutch on the semi-automatic bike. It had two shift pedals with one in the front, and another in the back. Stepping down on the front pedal shifted you upwards, while the back pedal shifted you down. The same, but different.
The stoic stare, reserved for long bus rides spent gazing at the countryside. Bus stop breakfast, and Su briefing us on our adventure.
Ahead On Our Way
The rain stopped by the time we got to Ha Giang, making the start of this journey rather pleasant.
Getting used to the bike didn't take long either. After downshifting up a hill, and upshifting on long stretches; things were beginning to feel more natural.
We passed through the city to stop by an ATM, and fill up on gas before heading to the mountains.
Not too far outside the city itself was the police checkpoint mentioned above.
After that exchange, we rode down through various valleys, and back up into the mountains. Every place we saw looked so scenic and surreal.
As Su told us back at the original homestay, we would be following the Eastern Loop all the way to Nam Dam Village, residing in the Quan Ba district of Ha Giang.
We reached Heavens Gate as the clouds crept back across the sky, just before 6pm. This overlook is located at an altitude of 1500m, with an amazing view of the surrounding landscape. We were able to see it just in time, before the fog came to blot most of it out.
The majority of the corners had no guard rails, so if you make a mistake here, you may end up tumbling off the side of a cliff. At first it was a bit daunting so I slowed down a lot in between gears, causing the motor to cry. Eventually I got comfortable cruising in 3rd gear, adjusting more smoothly through turns.
After about 15 minutes or so, we made it to the Mun homestay in Nam Dam Village. The space had a cozy bungalow vibe. Upon arrival, Su told us that dinner was at 7:30pm. Being back on my feet, I took the opportunity to capture some photos with the little amount of light we had left.
The food there was a hearty variety of delightful plant based dishes & savory meats, all served with 2 scoops of rice. I don’t remember the entire menu, but everything was delicious; especially with the secret sauce. Su would take chilis and mix them in fish sauce along with a few other ingredients to create a flavorful magic.
He then introduced us all to Happy Water; a corn based alcohol similar to Moonshine. The tradition before taking a drink was to chant MỘT – HAI – BA– DZÔ then repeat HAI – BA– DZÔ two more times. After that, bottoms up.
We had about 5 rounds or so before we were all dismissed from the table. Since I had an early morning and needed to rest, the happy water assisted me in getting some happy sleep.
Mountain viewpoints & Mun Homestay hospitality.
Day 2
The second day started off with an 8am Breakfast. The deliciously light pancakes had a crepe-like consistency, and were filled with honied bananas. Tea & coffee were served as well.
During this time, Su broke down the route we’d embark on today: Lung Tam Village, Yen Min City, The Opium King’s Palace, and lastly, The North Point; known mostly for its view of the border between Vietnam and China.
After parking our bikes, we walked into an alcove down the road where a group of women were busy making things with hemp. The production between everyone was so fast and efficient that you could tell they had mastered everything there was to be done with the crop.
Su explained to us how they use beeswax and indigo to make various dyes. The colors are then soaked into a piece of fabric, but appear in reverse; similar to the negative in film production. It’s cool to see that techniques from ancient times are still being practiced in the present.
After watching more demonstrations, the store caught my attention next. Wanting a new wallet, I decided to support the ladies by purchasing one made from hemp. We were then soon back on the road.
More Mountains & Valleys
The weather became unruly as we rode our bikes towards the border, threatening our journey with clouds and rain. We managed to reach an overlooking rest stop for the sake of some much needed shelter and refreshments.
After leaving the rest stop, we rode further down a path to a popular local viewpoint, sprawling with life from within the fog.
Children ran around laughing as other girls sold flowers while doing hair. The elders appeared to be taking the opportunity just to relax.
The views were amazing, even with heavy clouds to say otherwise. From here you could see the iconic Windy Snake Road if the weather permitted. A handful of other tourists stayed to enjoy the engaging community, but we were headed to see The Opium King’s Palace.
Morning Clouds
Palace of The Opium King
In the early 1900’s, a renowned king of the H’mong people at the time was also known for his lucrative opium business.
The palace from which he ran it sits inside the village, surrounded by many trees. There is a path to a small walkway that leads up a set of stairs to the front door.
The architecture of the building itself reminded me of all the temples I’ve seen in Kung-Fu movies; particularly, a film called Hero. It has a scene where Jet Li and Donnie Yen clash in a courtyard while the rain pours. In my mind, this could have been the place where they fought.
The palace featured luxury opium dens, each adorned with ornamented benches. One can only imagine the things people experienced in these rooms under the influence of the poppy seed. Many of them must have stumbled quietly into a corner, dozing off with blissful thoughts.
In proper fashion; a dungeon was also constructed for holding —treasure. There were sentry posts for guards to watch for intruders, and multiple living quarters for the King and his Wives.
Lunch in the village consisted of a delicious ginger fried chicken meal. It happened to be the most unique flavor I’ve tried here so far.
Opulence from Opium. Zen vibes from the overwatch.
Weathering The Storm
Up to this point, the rain had been on and off all day. Su took this opportunity to give the group a tour of his own home, which wasn't too far away. As we arrived, he made it known that a view of the North Point could be seen from here if the sky cleared up.
Realizing that the rain wasn't going to let up, we made our way back to the bikes. The last stop of the night was our homestay campsite, which required a bit of hiking.
We arrived to the homestay in a small village at the top of a road with several houses nearby. Boots and walking sticks awaited us on our 20 minute trek through the rain; surfaces slippery with mud.
The food on this trip has progressively gotten better every day. The highlight of this particular meal were the delicious pieces of fried taro. Of course, more Happy Water went around the table. We made it up to 7 rounds that night.
Visuals of Day 1 & 2
It rained heavily throughout the night as we slept, keeping faith it would subside in the morning. I set an alarm for 5am the next day with the intention of waking up during blue hour. If the sky is clear, I'll pilot my drone within the vast valley below.
The view from here was stunning once the clouds dispersed. Flying the drone allowed me to see the area in a way I would not have been able to otherwise. With a birds eye view, I discovered beautiful patterns everywhere throughout the landscape. Terraces, winding roads, the way crops were planted; It all just looked like art to me.
Great views from the camp site, along with Egg Noodle Soup for Breakfast.
Day 3
This may have been my favorite day of the journey, solely based on the place we visited.
The majestic Ma Pi Leng Pass (aptly nicknamed The Sky Walk) was about 4 Kilometers away from our mountain top rest stop. The views from anywhere along this path were truly breathtaking.
The road itself was closed off only to allow local foot traffic and bikes. There was also even a taxi system in play which ferried people great distances up into the clouds above.
As the clouds opened up, everything else was in clear view; distant rivers, mountain passes, and moving objects you couldn’t quite make out. Maybe they were motorcycles or pedal bikes, but they all moved so smoothly along the ever-winding paths below.
There was a ledge high up this tight pathway that tourists were lined up to take insta-selfies. Our party mentioned how it looked dangerous and we even witnessed one of the ladies feet slipped on her way down--which could have ended up a LONG way down.
After being up here for the hour or so we spent in the clouds. I just might be a Mountain over the beach guy. At least if the weather is playing nice. The air and elevation just felt so fresh and uplifting for the soul.
You can see the activity taking place high in the sky. The colors the H'mong were are so vibrant and kind of mesh with my loud pattern and print style of attire.The monument is dedicated to the workers who died in an accident. while building the Sky Path. Photo Credit: Last two photos taken by my tour mates.
River, Boat Yellow Valley
The next stop was a boat tour along the Nho Quế river which required us to scale down the mountain through some treacherous rugged roads.
The winding path towards the river is called Tu San Abyss Alley I believe. Su just told us it will get muddy, bumpy and rough so drive safe haha.
Some of the challenges with mud on a bike is that you lose your wheels and end up slipping. From there it becomes a fight to stay stable. Going a consistent steady speed seems to work best with no sudden accelerations or decelerations. Getting used to unexpected traction loss takes some time, it's a frightening feeling just losing control on a regular road.
Gravel works similar it can disrupt your traction. Coupled with the roads still being wet from the rain. It's a triple threat on the road.
Now pair that all those obstacles with going downhill a mountain corner with few guard rails.
Su was a great guide though and everyone just followed his lead to traverse the obstacle course we encountered
Fun interactions that happened: Su and Ryan had a lifting challenge at the edge of the boat while Alexa captured the hilariousness. Photo Credit: Last 2 captured by Alexa
Getting Out the Abyss
The camera added intense pressure. This was the first time I lost control of the bike. As you can see the gravel can't be taken lightly.
So the descent down was challenging enough but now we had to ascend it back up which would be tougher.
The mountain God's decided to throw a couple more "fun" challenges in our way as well.
After about 10 minutes up the road we ran into a traffic jam. An excavator truck was digging up gravel and seemingly creating a new road for it and the truck behind it to pass on.
However, doing this caused no one to be able to pass from either side.
When we went down before it was our group and maybe the occasional local that passed by speedily. With this jam soon a one by one more bikes queued up on both sides and a couple big tour groups as well. So it turned to probably around 50+ bikes in both direction involved in a Mario kart like dash up the mountain.
I haven't really experienced anything as chaotic as that on a bike. Treating it like an RPG I had to raise my awareness significantly.
Not just watching the road for gravel, mud and slick areas but also the constant barrage of riders swerving every omnidirectional will certainly keep you on your toes.
The rain started to pick back up again as well. It was an arduous journey back up to the mountain but I did it by having a smooth pace in 2nd gear.
Construction junction
Return of the Rain
We rested at a rest stop–H'mong Cafe in Mau Due, for a few minutes to take a breather. Su told us the ride to the homestay will be long so relax and rest.
Some sweet milk coffee was deserved for our accomplishment.
Su was a popular figure at every place we ventured to. He was always in the mix: mingling and joking with everyone from young to old.
It was beautiful to see that sense of community coming from a place where that thing is rare to see, let alone experience.
I think that's one of the beautiful aspects of traveling, seeing how others are living and take the good back with you if you can.
We left H'mong cafe and headed to our homestay which was is in Du Gia a far distance away. Going down the valley and entering into a nearby village we ran into a surprise.
Everything was all good at the checkpoint. The rain picked up again rather intensely for the rest of the ride to the homestay.
I'm not certain the distance we covered but we on our bikes for about an hour or longer. Looking up the directions now from H'mong Coffee to Du Gia is around 51km.
Descents downhill monstrous mountains with slick roads of gravel can seem dangerous. However, with Su leading the way, it just a game of follower the leader. The weather got progressively worst with nightfall incoming. It was a grueling ride which seemed like an endless slope with never-ending corners.
This day we did the most riding out of the whole trip so far. Once we made it into the Du Gia village and was off the mountain a sense of relief rushed over me.
From there it was an easy ride to the homestay. Getting out of my cold drenched clothes was the first thing on my mind, second was taking a warm shower.
Dinner was right on time at 7:30pm and in keeping tradition the meal was better as well. Or maybe that's cause I was exhausted from riding.
The happy water poured happily into my cup that night.
Final Day
The last day was upon us and I think everyone shared the same sentiment that the past 4 days went by so fast. Except for probably Su, he was telling us he averages around 5 tours a month.
I got up early to take advantage of the coveted blue and golden hour, our homestay was a good place to fly a drone around.
Morning walk, if you followed the road behind me you would reach the Main Street of the village.
I had company as well, the dogs and a cat were keeping an eye on me incase I got into any trouble. There was another cat but it was shy and hid behind the bar all morning.
This morning was different than previous ones because before breakfast we had a destination to reach--Thâm Luông Waterfall.
Flying over the river.
It was about a 10 minute ride to the parking spot and from there another 10 minutes to the water fall. The plan was to get there early and beat the crowds.
Su was right on the money, because right when we were wrapping up we crossed paths with the larger tours at the parking spot.
Breakfast this morning was pancakes and eggs. The animals nestled around everyone trying to charm some food off our table.
Our plan today was to head back to Ha Giang which altogether around 81km. We would stop at a few overlooks to take in the landscape one last time then wrap up this amazing adventure.
All good things must come to an end.
We bid farewell to the guest and our animal friends and headed to the city for gas and begin our trek back.
So many smiles and waves from children on the road back. We traversed through some incredible places. I wish I was able to capture everything we breezed through.
Since you can never have enough drone flight time the next overlook we reached I seized the opportunity to bring out my drone out and got some final aerial views of Ha Giang.
Peace and Green
Eventually we ended up passing familiar roads we traveled through Friday and made our way into the city of Ha Giang. We stopped at a restaurant to mark our our final meal together.
Journey's End
The last trek was to the Ha Giang adventure hostel and wait for the shuttle to return to Hanoi. Su debriefed us on our entire journey, where we went, what we saw and the path took.
The bus was a bit late but it arrived eventually. Our group got on, along with some other travelers who happened to be waiting.
The bus ride back to Hanoi was about 6 hours, we boarded around 4:30 and arrived back in the City about 10. The only seats avaialble on the bus were the four in the back.
The ride wasn't bad it was nice to just be still and go through everything I recorded and shot for a bit.
Back in the old quarter each person was ferried to their accommodations for the night. Farewells were held and photo/video exchange promises were made. Ryan took it upon himself to create a google drive and WhatsApp group so shout outs to him. A handful of the photos I included were shot by either Ryan, Alexa or Mark.
The Ha Giang loop lived up to all expectations. If you plan to book it I would highly recommend Ha Giang adventure and see if you can request Su. He was the highlight of the trip. for me.
Hope you enjoy the photos and ramblings of a quiescent busy bee until next time take care!
