A Comprehensive Guide of traveling in Ha Giang by Motorbike

(content by HappyZip)

Are you planning to travel to Ha Giang, but still wondering which means of transportation to use? Then, why don’t you choose a motorcycle? Going by bike will make your trip more exciting. And it will be even more enjoyable with the following guide of traveling in Ha Giang by motorbike.

Ha Giang is a province located in the top of the Fatherland. It is famous for Dong Van rock plateau, majestic mountain scenery, and beautiful terraced fields. In the past, traveling to Ha Giang was very difficult. Today this route becomes quite easy, thanks to the development investment in transport infrastructure as well as the services of the government.

Every year, there are tens of thousands of tourists visiting Ha Giang, especially in the buckwheat season. With the developed road system, you can go to Ha Giang by car, bus or motorbike. However, if you are a rider, Let’s take the bike to explore your own way.

In the case that you are a beginner without any tourism experience of Ha Giang, don’t worry. This article will share with you the critical information about traveling in this landscape by motorbike.

What should you prepare for this trip?

How to get a motorbike

To get the bike you have 2 options:

You can take a bus to Ha Giang and rent a bike there to explore your own way or if you’re a beginner on ride, you should take a guided tour for adventures in Ha Giang loop, there are some bike companies offering good bikes like QT motorbikes Ha Giang.

Or you can rent the bike in Hanoi and explore the North from Ha Giang to the waterfall and down to Ba Be lake, in Hanoi city, there are plenty of bike shops like Happy Zip Motorbikes that offer a wide range of motorbikes rental in Hanoi. Before renting, you need to check the quality of the bike, such as brakes, tires, engines, etc. in advance to avoid unfortunate circumstances.

Identification documents

The next thing you need to prepare for the trip to Ha Giang is the essential identification documents such as your passport, international driver’s license, identity card, and so on

Personal belongings

Ha Giang is a highland province so facilities there are somehow inadequate. Before departing on a trip, you should wear comfortable clothes which are unlikely to be dirty. Also, wearing several layers of covers will help you to fight against the erratically changes of the weather in Ha Giang. In the evening, it can be bloody cold so that you need to prepare jackets, raincoats, gloves, scarves, and all other kinds of protective gears when riding a motorbike.

Other items

Some other items you should prepare are sports shoes, melaleuca oil and some essential medicines to deal with widespread diseases such as stomach ache, flu, etc. Ha Giang is always an excellent land for majestic and winding mountain passes, many curves, one side is cliffs.

There are two different roads to Ha Giang for you to choose:

1. The first option: Start from Hanoi, follow Son Tay road – go through Trung Ha bridge. When reaching Phu Tho town – Doan Hung, turning to Tuyen Quang. Then heading to Ha Giang on highway
2. Second option: Also start from Hanoi but run towards Thang Long bridge. Turn to Vinh Phuc, go through Viet Tri city – pass by Tuyen Quang and go to Ha Giang. Both roads are quite winding, so you need to drive firmly. Another important thing is that you should remember always to obey the traffic law and do not exceed the allowable speed.

When should you visit Ha Giang?

Provided that Ha Giang is beautiful and poetic in all seasons, you can travel to this land at any time if you are free. Here are some of the ideal duration for a trip to this land.

• Before and after the Lunar New Year: Arriving in Ha Giang at this time, you will be immersed in a joyful atmosphere and can contemplate the flowers blooming.
• June to August: During this period, the weather and climate in Ha Giang are very cool, pleasant, warm and sunny. This is an ideal choice for you to discover interesting things in the majestic Dong Van rock plateau.
• September: At this time, the rice fields in Ha Giang begin to ripen. Ha Giang will be covered in gold with the enthusiastic working atmosphere of ethnic people.
• October to November: At this time, tourists will flock to Ha Giang the most since it is the buckwheat season. The time of the most beautiful flowers will often fall between the third week of October and the first week of November.

• December: If you want to feel once the severe cold of highland, go to Ha Giang in December. In the middle of the chill, nothing more pleasing than being seated with the warm pink fire stove, sipping a cup of corn wine and a bowl of hot porridge, right?

The most beautiful places to visit in Ha Giang

Ha Giang has a lot of incredible roads and many curves that you enjoy all their beauty only by motorbike. I will list some specific locations as follow.

1. Ma Pi Leng Pass:

Ma Pi Leng Pass goes through three communes of Pai Lung, Pa Vi and Xin Cai (Meo Vac) in Ha Giang province. It is a rugged mountain pass road of about 20 km over Ma Pi Leng peak. Ma Pi Leng Peak has a height of about 1,200m belonging to Dong Van Plateau, located on Hanh Phuc Street (Happy Street) connecting Ha Giang, Dong Van, and Meo Vac towns.

This pass is one of the “four great peaks” in the Northwest and also one of the most beautiful pass roads in Vietnam – the dream to conquer for any genuine traveler. The landscape of this area has a jagged stone erection. Of which an abyss of Nho Que river seems to split two parts, one is Ma Pi Leng peak, and another is Sam Pun slope. Such slope is where the border markers and a border gate from Xin Cai to Dien Bong, China located.

2. Dong Van rock plateau:

Dong Van rock plateau (or Dong Van primitive plateau) is a rock plateau spread across four districts – Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac of Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. On October 3rd, 2010, “Dong Van Rock Plateau Geopark” has been officially recognized by the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) as a Global Geopark. This is currently the only title in Vietnam and the second in Southeast Asia.

3. Vuong’s Palate:

The mansion of Meo King (H’Mong King) with the name used in the documents of the Vuong’s Palate, also known as Vuong’s House, is located in a valley in Xa Phin commune, Dong Van district, Ha Giang. The whole of the Meo King’s Palate has an area of nearly 3,000 m2, started construction in 1919 and completed in 9 years later – 1928. The building process cost 150,000 Indochina white silver pieces, equivalent to VND 150 billion today.

4. Lung Cu flagpole:

Lung Cu flagpole is a national flagpole located at Lung Cu peak, also known as Dragon mountain (Long Son) with a height of about 1,470 m above sea level. This tourist destination is in Lung Cu commune, Dong Van district, Ha Giang province and considered the northernmost point of Vietnam. From the top of the flagpole looking down to the ground, there are two ponds located on both sides of the mountain. They are never dried up, called dragon eyes, which are the source of water for two different groups of ethnic people.

Lung Cu flagpole is not actually the North Pole of Vietnam. This real one is located under the Nho Que River, where it takes all day along with the guidance of knowledgeable people to come. Currently, about 3km away from Lung Cu flagpole has another iconic north pole built-in Xeo Lung village.

5. Pao’s House:

Pao’s House is located in Lung Cam village, Sung La commune, Dong Van district, Ha Giang. This is the house of Mr. Mua Sua Pao, a Mong person. The 2-story house in “The Story of Pao” is like a mansion in the middle of a rocky plateau.

The house “four generations coexist” was chosen by director Ngo Quang Hai as the setting for the filming of “The Story of Pao,” adapted from the work named “The sound of the lip behind the stone fence” by writer Do Bich Thuy. The house is built in the way of “wall display,” dating back to 100 years. The ethnicity here is predominantly H’Mong people, accounting for 85%. Pao’s residence has the wall made of soil, an ancient tile roof, the wall foot and pillar made of stone. Pao’s House has now become an essential tourist destination when coming to Dong Van (Ha Giang). Inside the premises of the house, there are many goods and souvenirs made by the people in the sale.

Hopefully, with the above guide of traveling to Ha Giang by motorbike, you will have a memorable trip with unforgettable experiences.