What to pack, what to expect and some of my personal thoughts
Introduction
The Ha Giang Loop takes one through Vietnam’s northernmost province, as one can even see the border of China. The roads wind through Ha Giang’s mountains, alongside rivers and waterfalls, and passes through many villages.
Going on a motorbike tour through Ha Giang province was one of the most memorable highlights of my Vietnam trip this year! Throughout my 4D3N experience, I felt truly immersed in nature and was in awe of the loop’s beauty!
Having done the loop, I’ll share my experience and some useful tips with interested “loopers” too!
How I Did The Ha Giang Loop
I simply booked a tour with Road Kings Ha Giang and they took care of the motorbikes, drivers, accommodations and food. They also helped to arrange the sleeper buses to and fro Hanoi. I just needed to follow along and enjoy myself 😄
I was concerned with big groups so I tried my best to research (thanks Reddit!) for tour operators which kept groups small. When I went with Road Kings, it was a small cozy group of just 8 travellers (& 8 drivers)!
Here’s an overview of loop route that I went on: Ha Giang city → Yen Minh → Dong Van → Meo Vac → Du Gia → Quan Ba → Ha Giang city (4D3N)
Note that every tour group may take a slightly different route since there are so many road paths. But I believe the main viewpoints would be covered. Since we were in a small group, we occasionally rode on off-road paths too.
As I followed a tour group, I can’t give advice on how to DIY the loop.
Recommended Packing List
- Shirts
- Bottoms
- Jacket / Sweater
- Long pants
- Undergarments
- Socks
- Slippers / Sandals
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Swimwear
- Towel
- Toiletries
- Personal medication
- Charger and power bank
- Cash
- Hand sanitizer
- Tissue / wet wipes
- Torch light
Note on day wear:
You’ll be riding on the bike for the whole day so sun protection is key! I’ll strongly encourage you to cover up and reapply your sunscreen!
If you are going during the rainy season, please check beforehand if the tour operator provides rain gear.
Note on night wear:
At night, it would be very chilly up in the mountains, so don’t forget to pack at least a jacket or sweater and a pair of long pants. You can also bring your comfort sandals for walking around in the homestay.
Note on toiletries:
I think it’s sufficient to bring your own toothbrush and toothpaste. In fact, I noticed some private rooms also provided those. Regardless, I just brought my whole toiletries bag which also included face wash, soap, shampoo, comb etc.
Note on misc:
I think a torch light would not be on most people’s list. But I had one handy and did have to use it when the lights went out in one of the hostels. So, I guess it’s better to have one prepared, since you’ll be in the countryside and may face power shortage.
I also brought a few hangers along to hang my clothes at night. I think doing so helps to avoid worn clothing from stinking, versus if I just packed them into my bag straight away. And it made a big difference! When I was back at the hostel at the end of the loop, I could tell who also ended the loop from whether they stank 😅
Note on bag size:
Regarding bag size, go as small as you can. Your main bag will be strapped to the back of the bike, so the bigger your bag, the smaller your sitting space remaining. I used a folding travel bag with dimensions: 46 * 28.5 * 15cm and it was good enough!
What To Expect
First and foremost, great views! Beautiful scenery of mountains, villages, and people!
The ride passes through winding roads and a seemingly never-ending series of up-slopes and down-slopes. The off-road terrain is also occasionally bumpy & rocky. Bear in mind that the roads are “hugging” the mountains, so hold on tight!
For those who haven’t sat on a bike before, a tip to maintain balance is by using your core and legs. You can also grip onto “handlebars” at the back of the bike for additional stability. When turning, just lean along with bike’s “slant”, it would make the turn smoother.
You will get dirty, sandy, or muddy. You’re riding on the road, trekking through villages and visiting waterfalls for days after all. It’s part of the experience!
You will soon pick up that food on the tour is quite repetitive. Usually, restaurants serve dishes in family-style, consisting of stir-fried chicken, beef, vegetables, omelette, tofu, fried sweet potato balls and buns.
This is because up in the mountains, the restaurants have access to pretty much the same resources, so what’s cooked is what’s available. That said, the food were all very delicious!
Besides food, there will be “happy water” (aka rice wine) provided at dinner too. You’ll be encouraged to do cheers with the table.
Fret not, you won’t be pushed to drink if you don’t wish to. I didn’t drink at all as my stomach wasn’t well and I wasn’t keen on consuming any alcohol anyways. Surprisingly, the drivers didn’t experience any hungover despite the amount they drank, so no worries for easy riders there!
Lastly, toilets at most rest points charge 5.000 VND, so keep small change handy. On the other hand, toilets at lunch places usually don’t charge, since you’re already a customer.
Personal Thoughts
Pre-trip
I went to Ha Giang city from Hanoi via a VIP cabin bus and the ride was 7-8 hours long. I was so glad that I chose to take the bus in the day so that I could have a proper night’s rest in a hostel.
It wasn’t easy to sleep on the bus because the staff chattered a lot and there were 2 toilet stops, all of which disturbs one’s quality sleep. I’d advice you to use the bus ride as means of transport too, instead of replacement of one night’s stay. You’ll need energy for the loop!
Loop experience
It was my first time on a motorbike tour and the experience was amazing all the way!
Sitting on a bike made me feel more immersed with the surroundings as we rode through the mountains, which was really wonderful!
I’ll emphasize the importance of protecting ourselves well against the sun here again.
I’ve seen other “loopers” wear sleeveless tee and shorts and they were as red as lobsters ._. Covering up may feel warmer, reapplying sunscreen may feel troublesome, but I don’t think being burnt is a better outcome…
Anyways, while riding, you can feel a breeze, so it’s not that terrible!
Besides riding on the motorbike, I also got to trek through a few villages.
One notable encounter I had was when we went to a house that produced silver accessories like rings, and then right after we visited another house which had only the bare basic amenities.
The stark “rich-poor” difference stood out to me, even though we were in the same village area ._.
During the tour, the accommodations in the villages were mostly homestays.
The rooms we stayed were so well furnished and comfortable! However, I noticed that the living and sleeping area of the host family members were often more rundown and cluttered ☹️
So in a way, we weren’t staying in the same homes as the hosts, despite the term: “homestay”.
After visiting a number of villages, I had a revelation: life within villages is indeed simple, but also very limited in resources and opportunities. In turn, I appreciated what I have back at home even more 🙏
Choice of tours and DIY option
For group tours, I would advise choosing tour operators that keep to smaller groups.
The bigger the group, the more crowded sightseeing points will be. I had a first-hand experience where we stopped at a rest point at the same time as a big group. The place was so crowded that we chose to forgo queuing up for photos.
Personally, I don’t do well with crowds. So I doubt I can “survive” for days straight with the same big herd of people. Big groups also mean slower movement as you need to wait for everyone to be ready to set off.
Easy rider or self rider option?
Easy choice for me since I can’t ride a motorbike 😂
But even for riders, I would still encourage picking the easy rider option. Because the terrain can be challenging. At one downslope turn, I saw one self rider struggling to go up the slope. Even as a non-rider, I could tell he almost didn’t make it…
And not to forget, being the driver means you need to keep your eyes on the road and can’t enjoy the views fully. What a waste!
Fun fact: I learnt from my driver that there are 94 tour groups doing the Ha Giang Loop. I think the loop is becoming more popular as time passes and word spreads. So I’m sure there are many tour recommendations out there and it won’t be hard to find one that meet your needs 😀
Ending Note
Once again, the scenery along the loop was absolutely stunning and breathtaking! Hope my sharing helps and may you get to witness Ha Giang’s beauty for yourself one day!
Thank you for reading! Happy travels!