Hello guys, how are you today?
I have just completed my solo 3-day backpacking trip in the beautiful land of Ha Giang, the northernmost province of Vietnam, so I would like to share with you my experience of this trip.
First, to explain why I chose Ha Giang for this trip, let me introduce it a little bit. Ha Giang is the northernmost province of Vietnam sharing the border with China. It is where the milestone Km0 is located, and it was also chosen to place the northernmost landmark of the country and Lung Cu Flag Tower to mark the country's territory. Besides, Ha Giang is also famous for its majestic beauty of mountains, valleys, terraced fields, Dong Van rock plateau, Ma Pi Leng pass, Nho Que river and poetic winding mountain passes. In addition, when I came here, I also learned a lot about the simple life, costumes, and interesting customs and cultures of the ethnic minorities here such as the H'mong, Lo Lo, Dao, etc. ...All of which inspired me to make this trip. And when I found out about this place, I was told about Ha Giang Loop, a beautiful road connecting famous attractions in Ha Giang. So I decided to do this trip alone so that I could explore my own abilities and also take the time to enjoy the beauty of this place to the fullest. And on a recommendation of a local here, I did this trip for 3 days. Okay, sit tight behind my motorbike and let's start the ride together.
DAY 1: Ha Giang City - Milestone Km0 - Quan Ba - Yen Minh - Lo Lo Chai Village
From Da Nang city, I flew to Noi Bai airport of Hanoi, then I took the Bang Phan sleeper bus to Ha Giang city. This bus runs at night, so it will arrive in Ha Giang city early in the morning. Tell the driver to drop you off at Giang Son homestay. There, I rented a motorbike to start my trip. Even though it was my first time doing this trip and I especially went alone, I felt quite confident because Ms. Giang, the owner of Giang Son homestay, was very enthusiastic in giving me some tips about the trip. Okay let's start the trip.
From Giang Son homestay, I went to check the milestone Km0 right in the center of Ha Giang city.
After that, I stopped at Pho Nga Cong restaurant to eat a full breakfast before the long journey ahead. I have eaten chicken pho in many places, but I must say that the chicken pho in Ha Giang has a very special taste.
After having a full breakfast, following Highway 4C, I rode the motorbike on beautiful and winding roads to come to Quan Ba where I stopped, rested and enjoyed the scenery at Quan Ba heaven gate.
Then I continued my journey to Yen Minh town. The road still leads continuously through poetic winding passes with small villages and rolling hills in the distance. After that, I stopped in Yen Minh town and had lunch at a restaurant named Dat Beo because it looked pretty crowded 😁.
After lunch and a short rest, I continued my journey on beautiful roads to reach the final destination of the first day, Lo Lo Chai Village. On that road, I stopped at many beautiful places to take pictures, such as Tham Ma slope, the famous house in the movie "Pao's Story", and the house of the H'mong King.
And the last destination of the first day was Lo Lo Chai Village where I stayed at Lo Lo Eco House. Lo Lo Chai village is a small village of the Lo Lo people, located right next to Lung Cu Flag Tower, and it is the northernmost village of Vietnam bordering China.
Although I was the only guest at Lo Lo Eco House at that time, I had a wonderful time there living with the locals and learned a lot of interesting things about their history, culture and customs.
DAY 2: Lo Lo Chai Village - The Northernmost Point - Lung Cu Flag Tower - Dong Van Town - Ma Pi Leng Pass - Nho Que River - Clay House Homestay
The second day was probably the hardest day of my 3 day trip because there were so many beautiful destinations to explore. After a wonderful night and delicious breakfast at Lo Lo Eco House, I took time to explore around Lo Lo Chai Village to learn about the people's lives there and drink coffee at Cuc Bac cafe which is opened by a Japanese couple.
After that, I went to check the northernmost landmark of the country where I could see with my own eyes the border between Vietnam and China.
After that, I continued to check Lung Cu Flag Tower where I felt very proud of my country upon arrival.
After that, I continued on the beautiful winding road to Dong Van town where I stopped to explore Dong Van old quarter and stopped for lunch at a restaurant named Hai Beo. Again, I stopped there because it looked popular 😁.
After lunch, I left Dong Van district to head towards Meo Vac district where the legendary Ma Pi Leng pass and Nho Que river are located. And just like what I have heard, these are beautiful destinations that you must not miss when coming to Ha Giang.
After I finished checking Ma Pi Leng pass and Nho Que river, it was already dark. Then I stopped and stayed at Clay House Homestay in the H'mong community cultural tourism village in Pa Vi commune, Meo Vac district where I had a comfortable stay and delicious meals.
DAY 3: Clay House Homestay - M-shaped slope - Yen Minh - Thuan Hoa Road - Ha Giang city
The third day was supposed to be the easiest day, but it turned out to be the hardest day for me. It started to rain when I left Clay House Homestay. You know I'm nearsighted, so it's very difficult for me to ride a motorbike in the rain, especially on winding mountain roads. And when I reached the top of the pass, I could barely see because of the thick fog. The only thing I could do was turn on my motorcycle lights, go slow, and stop often to clean my eyeglasses. But then I finally completed the hard road to the legendary M-shaped slope.
After stopping to rest and take pictures at the M-shaped slope, I continued my journey to return to Yen Minh town and had lunch again at Dat Beo restaurant. The owner of the restaurant was quite surprised when I returned and still served me a delicious lunch. After lunch I heard the locals talk about a new and more beautiful road called Thuan Hoa to return to Ha Giang city, so I decided to take that route. At the time I did this trip, this road was not yet visible on google map, so you should ask the locals about it. And just like what the locals say, this road is really beautiful and worth checking out.
I went back to Ha Giang city and 5pm after a wonderful 3 day solo trip. I was very satisfied with the trip because I discovered a lot of beautiful places and learned a lot of cool things. I also feel quite proud of myself for conquering this rather tough trip alone. I will definitely come back to this beautiful land in spring or summer to admire its beauty in cherry blossom season and ripe rice season. And I hope that you have had an enjoyable trip with me through the photos I have taken. If you guys want to take that trip and have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me.