I think by now, most travellers preparing for or currently in South East Asia, know what the Ha Giang Loop is. And why wouldn’t you? It is hands down, one of the most incredible, exhilarating, humbling and breathtaking experiences you could have.
WHAT IS THE HA GIANG LOOP?
The Ha Giang Loop is a scenic motorbike route in Northern Vietnam that winds through rural villages, spectacular mountains and rice fields. Beyond the unforgettable views and thrilling motorbike riding, it is an incredible way to discover authentic Vietnam beyond the tourist trail. You will visit multiple rural villages along the loop where you will meet locals, see a number of diverse ethnic cultures and witness their unique way of life, traditional clothing, and cultural practices. You will stay in beautiful Homestays overlooking incredible rice fields and eat authentic Vietnamese dishes cooked by local families.
When we first started researching into Vietnam, the Ha Giang Loop was one of the first things we learnt about and we immediately knew we needed to do this. It had Piki and I written all over it. We love a road trip and we love a thrill and to get to do it for 4 days straight!? We were locked in.
HOW DO YOU RIDE THE LOOP?
The route can be followed as apart of a group tour or if you are brave enough, you can ride it by yourself. For those who don’t know how to ride a motorbike or simply don’t want to, don’t worry, there is an option for you! Hop on with an Easy Rider! An Easy Rider is a local, experienced motorbike driver who will drive you on the journey while you simply sit back and enjoy the everlasting views.
We contemplated riding it on our own, crazy I know, this was before we even learnt how to ride a scooter! Can you believe that? What rookies. We were obviously naive and jumping the gun so as we learnt more about it and listened to other travellers experiences, we ultimately decided it was best to book an Easy Rider. The route consists of many windy, narrow, unmade roads and should not be driven unless you are an experienced motorbike driver. The loop is also travelled by many other motorbike tour groups and locals so you must always be vigilant when driving. The best way to enjoy the views is to be a passenger otherwise you can miss so much of it.
Many travellers decide to do the loop as apart of a tour. Tours involve riding with a larger group, include accomodation in local homestays and also include main meals. It is the perfect all-inclusive experience and a great way to meet and travel with other like-minded people. Tour groups also leave everyday, so it’s easy to accomodate only booking a few days in advance, particularly if you’re not on a strict timeline. Tours are easy to book through hotels, hostels and online as well.
HOW TO DECIDE ON A TOUR GROUP?
Deciding on a tour company was difficult and will really be based on the type of experience you want to have. Different tour companies cater to different experiences. When booking through hostels such as MaMa’s Homestay, Jasmines Homestay, Bong or Mad Monkeys, these companies are well known for having larger groups and a typical party vibe. Other company’s accomodate a more relaxed experience with smaller groups or even intimate groups of 3-4 persons.
Piki and I are always down for a good time but our good time is different to that of an 18 year old. We knew we wouldn’t enjoy booking with a popular hostel as the groups commonly consist of 18-21 year old backpackers. These just aren’t our people but we definitely wanted to have a social experience and of course, have some fun. We opted for another company named Ha Giang Motorventures which had many great reviews and was found to be catered more towards a chilled experience and smaller groups. That sounded more like us! We love to socialise but we prefer an intimate group and one who can actually carry stimulating conversation, rather than just yelling “SHOTS” and “Can I steal a ciggy?”
When booking, companies include transfer from Hanoi to Ha Giang via sleeper bus and will often include arrival night accomodation free. There are also premium or budget options when booking travel and accomodation. You can opt for a Luxury Sleeper bus which is much more comfortable and spacious or a standard, budget friendly option which is less comfortable but still accomodating. You can also choose between booking private rooms or shared dorms. For us, the cost of the premium experience with a private room wasn’t too much of a deal breaker and being that we are a married and in our late 20’s just seemed more suitable. It really comes down to your preference and what you are comfortable with.
HOW DO YOU GET TO HA GIANG?
Our booking included a pick up service from our hotel in Hanoi to the bus station where we boarded our sleeper bus to Ha Giang. Now the sleeper bus really was premium! It was a two berth bus, upper and lower bunks lining the right and left hand sides. The bus was spacious, comfortable, included A/C, phone charging ports and a pillow and blanket. You really cannot ask for much more!
The journey, however, is less comfortable I’m afraid. The drivers are ruthless and the roads are windy. You are more or less fighting to keep your self from flinging out of your bunk most of the way! But if you cushion yourself in and can fall asleep quickly, the journey is painless. The journey is about 5-6 hours and we arrived at our hostel approximately 1:30am, immediately checked in and got to sleep before we started the next day. The hostel accomodation isn’t too crash hot, it’s not our usual preference in terms of cleanliness and style but it was private and a place to sleep for a few hours.
You’re allowed to take a small backpack on the tour and your usual luggage is stored safely at the hostel until your return. We prepared our small backpacks early morning and by 8am we were downstairs to check in for our tour, paid in full and were sent off to get our first included breakfast by the hostel. By 9am we were assigned our easy drivers, our packs were strapped on the back of the bikes and were on the road.
Our group was split into two seperate groups, one consisting of the people staying in private rooms and the other group with those who were staying in dorms. Both groups travelled separately, with one group travelling about 30 minutes in front of the other. Both groups followed the same route, however sometimes stopped at different view points based on how busy they were.
IS IT DANGEROUS?
Don’t stress about the traffic on the roads because our drivers were very careful. The drivers drove single file the whole time, ensuring a suitable distance was kept between bikes (the same applied to all other tour companies we saw travelling as well). If you travelled in a group or pair, your drivers kept you together (following one behind the other).
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE TOUR?
The most we travelled at a time was maybe 20-25 minutes. We stopped regularly at view points as they are situated all along the loop. Time given at stops was substantial, almost excessive (sometimes 30-40 minutes and we were kind of like, okay we’re done now, let’s get on with it!) The majority of stops had small cafes at them so you had ample time to get a beverage or a snack.
The drivers were very accomodating and consistently offered to take photos of their riders. You almost couldn’t get away without getting a photo, they were very persistent! But it was nice because the views were so worthwhile and you just didn’t want to miss getting a good photo!
IS IT WORTH IT?
The driving is absolutely the best part. Every member of our group was just itching to get back onto the bike and keep riding. The views of the mountains, rice fields and valleys were breathtaking. These are some of the best views in the world and I just couldn’t take my eyes off them. There were a few times we were lucky to get a clear break on the road with no steep turns or difficult roads and our drivers could really pick up speed. The feel of zipping through the wind, hands free with nothing to worry about except for when the next view is, is indescribable.
I’ll be honest, I had been having a rough few weeks prior to the loop. I was badly down in the dumps, extremely irritable and on the brink of a menty b. Not to say that it all just stopped when I started the loop because it didn’t, but it was a freeing experience that I needed. Almost like a form of meditation (except fun). When we were riding, I didn’t have to think. I didn’t have to speak. I didn’t have to care. I could just be in the moment and without trying to sound too Eat, Pray, Love….it calmed my soul, realigned my thoughts and helped me rediscover my joy of life.
After a day of riding, we were then taken to our Homestay and checked in. Our Homestays had spectacular views of the rice fields. I mean we just opened our door and it was right there. The private rooms were clean, comfortable and perfect for one night.
By 7pm, our groups were in the restaurant for dinner and a variety of dishes were served on our tables. The food was honestly incredible. All vietnamese dishes with plenty to choose from and more than enough to serve all of us. Just pure tastiness! Breakfast was also great, not much to choose from, we either had pancakes or eggs served with tea or coffee but it was plenty to get us energised. For lunch, we would stop at a different restaurant each day and like at dinner, a variety of dishes are served to share. Drinks aren’t provided so be sure to have water with you or some cash to buy a drink.
I honestly can’t complain about the services provided. Food was great, our drivers were brilliant. Everything was organised and well prepared. I loved the experience and would highly recommend.
WHAT WAS MY EXPERIENCE LIKE IN THE GROUP?
In terms of the social aspect, this is where I had more of a negative experience. Look, we were either unlucky or we were the problem. But I’m just gonna say we obviously weren’t the problem! Let me explain.
We had high hopes for the social experience. Every story we had read or heard from fellow travellers had raved about their experience meeting people on their tour. We had done several group tours when travelling and always managed to find like minded people and have a great time so we were optimistic. It had been a while since we had spent time with other people on our travels so we were even more keen for it.
Unfortunately, our experience was disappointing. We had a group of 8 and we just did not click with the others. From the get go, there were a few of our group members who immediately became joined at the hip. They followed each other everywhere and the rest of the group followed suit. And it was almost like they instantly decided WE weren’t apart of the group. We felt excluded from our group on multiple occasions, were often singled out and just overall rejected as a whole. Wherever we sat, they sat somewhere else. Wherever we walked, they walked a different direction. They would always gather themselves in to take a group photo together while we were left just standing off to the side. It wasn’t a case of “we didn’t join in”, we tried. Multiple times. But it was clear we werent being included and it was honestly an uncomfortable experience and one we aren’t used to.
Piki and I are personable people. We make an effort to get along with everyone, include others and BE included. Don’t get me wrong, we don’t always click with everyone and can mesh better with others, but we mingle with ALL. So it was genuinely hard to believe that we could be the issue. Maybe their perception was different. Perhaps they thought we were being anti-social? Perhaps because we were the only couple? I really don’t know. But it was ALMOST enough to ruin my whole experience.
I experience FOMO big time and to see everyone else getting along and being included was breaking my heart, it was embarrassing. It was triggering high school trauma!
But alas, I decided that after two days of trying and being disappointed, I wouldn’t let it get me down. We decidedly kept to ourselves at this point. We didn’t bother following to join in, we were on our own path and were making the most of it. And its as if, as soon as we dropped those expectations and withdrew, the rest our group slowly started to spread apart.
The last night, we enjoyed some drinks at our Homestay and spent time mingling with our drivers and the other group on our tour. We were thoroughly enjoying our night, chatting and getting to know others. And what do we see…our own group slowly tricking over to join in. Ugh. Bugger off.
Let’s just say it wasn’t what I expected and I hope that if anyone else had experienced the same, feel comfort in knowing we too have experienced similar. It’s a horrible feeling. But I would not have done anything differently nor do I regret going. It was one of the best and most memorable experiences of my life. It was MY experience and I will cherish it and grow from it.
To conclude my whinge session, The Ha Giang Loop is outstanding, from start to finish and if you are looking for something exhilarating, long-lasting and a heck of a lot of fun, this is it!
Who we booked through:
https://hagiangmotorventures.com
