Ha Giang – Riding the passes and slopes in the northernmost part of Vietnam

Last week, I had a wonderful trip to Ha Giang, the northernmost part of Vietnam. It’s famous for its mountain passes and slopes, breathtaking mountains and forests, and unique local cuisine and experiences. Vietnam has really diverse terrain: high mountains in the north, highlands in the center, wide plains in the south, and a long coastline. I was born and have lived in the south, so every time I travel to the center or the north, I’m always impressed by the scenery.

This time, my friends and I had a 4-day trip. We spent almost two days just flying to Hanoi and then taking a bus to Ha Giang, so we only had two full days to explore. The schedule felt a bit rushed, and at some spots, we just checked in quickly without much time to enjoy them. Still, the trip was absolutely wonderful!

We rented two motorbikes and started our journey from the 0 km milestone in the center of Ha Giang City toward Dong Van Town. Many foreign visitors, or anyone not comfortable with long-distance riding, can choose the Ha Giang Loop tour instead. In that case, a local guide rides the motorbike for you, which is safer since they’re experienced with the passes and slopes.

Along the way, you’ll see lots of terraced rice fields, and you can stop by the roadside to admire them. Because there isn’t much flat land in the north, people carve the mountains into terraces to grow rice. You should check the season so that you can see golden and ripe or lush green fields. Otherwise, you might just see empty rice terraces.

One of the most famous stops is Tham Ma slope. Riding up was tough, even our motorbikes only had 125cc engines, and it felt like we were too heavy for them =]]. When we finally reached the top, we realized why: the slope is super steep and the road is long. You can clearly see it from above, but it’s hard to notice while you’re actually riding. At the top, there’s a rest stop with coffee, food, and especially H’mong children and elders in their traditional costumes. They often carry baskets of flowers and can braid your hair with them for free. However, it’s better to give them small gifts instead of money. The local government encourages this so that children don’t leave school to earn money from tourists.

We spent a night in Dong Van Town. The most famous dish here is black chicken hotpot, but we were too full to try it this time. On the bright side, our view from the Dong Van Golden homestay was breathtaking. You can see the mountains and forests right from your bed.

From Dong Van, we went to Lung Cu Flag Tower and Lo Lo Chai Village. Honestly, we just checked in with the Flag Tower from Lo Lo Chai since we didn’t have time to climb up there.

This road has some of the most stunning views. Ma Pi Leng Pass is one of the four greatest passes in northern Vietnam. Along the way to Nho Que, you’ll see towering mountains and deep valleys. When we rode through, the mountains and road were covered in thick fog, which made us feel like we were riding in the clouds. But it was also pretty dangerous. Visibility was only about 5 meters, so we had to honk around every corner.

We stopped at Tu San Coffee to have breakfast and view the Nho Que River - Tu San Alley from the top. We called it "million dollars" view.

Then we rode to the Tu San boat stop. We bought tickets and took a boat trip along the Nho Que River, which has this amazing emerald-green color. After that, we had lunch at Anh Quan Restaurant, where we could enjoy the full view of the river and Tu San Valley.

From the Nho Que River, we went to a H’mong village and took some pictures. It’s a pity we couldn’t stay longer to explore. On the way back, we took a different route. So instead of passing Tham Ma, we stopped at the M-shaped slope. It’s a long slope shaped like the letter “M” and it’s also a nice spot to take a break after a long ride.

We recommend trying Pho Chua. We also tried Banh Cuon, Lau Bo, Com Lam, and more.