My absolute favorite activity and place I would recommend to anyone is the 4 day motorbike loop in Ha Giang, Vietnam.
It was 4 days of the most insane scenery I have ever laid my eyes on…no exaggeration here. Constant breathtaking mountainous landscapes that pictures never do justice. But I still tried to capture some of the beauty below.
I definitely recommend learning how to ride a motorbike and doing it yourself as it allows you more freedom and also is exponentially more fun! You need to drive a semi-automatic since you need more power to go up the hills. I had only ever ridden the smaller 130 CC bikes so I had to learn how to drive the semi-autos right before I left for the loop.
The hostel I stayed at, Jasmines, was super helpful about beginners. The staff let you test drive the bikes and even gave free lessons to make sure you are comfortable. They also give you an option to rent protective padding and bike insurance; if you are less confident on the bike I would opt for this. As my mother would say, I’m reckless and irresponsible, so I didn’t buy either. Nor did I have travel insurance. Hehe sorry mom.
My trusty blue steed n me
Luckily I had no falls so it was all nice and kosher. But there are some horror stories of terrible crashes or even just falls with bad road rash, so be careful and judge your own abilities accurately. The loop has some tough hills and tight turns so consider this all before you go. But if driving isn’t your thang then you can get an easy rider where you pay to ride on the back of the hostel staff’s bike. They ride bikes for a living so it’s a pretty safe bet. They are also super funny and sweet so it’s an experience in itself to ride with a driver. Nevertheless, find a way to do this loop!
If you are in Hanoi you can get a bus that drops you off in the town of Ha Giang and then start the loop the next morning. The bus ride is around 7 hours so I would recommend doing a sleeper bus where you arrive in the morning. If you are short on time then I would start the loop that morning but if not then take a chill day and start the loop the following day. This way you are fully rested and ready for a full day of motorbiking. You can choose to do the loop by yourself without a guide or with a group and guide. By booking the bikes with the hostel the guide actually came for free. I’m very thankful we had a guide as the loop can be confusing and there are a ton of amazing pit stops we wouldn’t have known about if the guide didn’t bring us there. Also our guide was such a character and honestly made the whole thing that much more memorable. Shoutout to Sexi!
Sexi in all his glory
The group you go with can vary by size; you end up going with whoever else is at the hostel that morning. Our group had 12 people and it was a great size since everyone really got to know each other and we could get places faster since we had less people to account for. I have heard of people who had groups of 45 which seems insane to have that many people in a single file line driving on a narrow road. But hey, ya get what ya get.
Everyday on the loop is different, my favorite is day 3 🙂 Best views by far. The loop is in the most northern point of Vietnam, so far north that on one of the days you go to the border of China. So I guess I have technically stepped foot in China! Other days you hike to viewpoints or jump in a waterfall. You eat in local little places along the route, a lot of fried rice and spring rolls if you are vegetarian like me.
The weather can also vary a lot depending on what season you are there for. I did the loop in October and we had sunny days and clear views the entire time. But I have heard other people go in the rainy season and it’s so foggy you can’t see the gorgeous outlooks, so make sure to plan ahead.
For the sleeping arrangements, the guide will take you to guest houses/hostels that only cater to those on the loop. Sometimes you meet other people who are doing the loop without a guide and other times it’s just your group. Expect lots of happy water (you will find out what that is when you get there) and karaoke. There is some solid down time after sunset since the guide tries to not have the group drive at night; so bring some cards and bond with the group. Some of the hostels are really nice and cozy and others are…sub par to say the least. Don’t come with 5 star hotel expectations.
Yeah…The first night we ended up having to drive past sunset and I was wearing my prescription sunglasses all day and my regular glasses were packed far away in my bag; so I could barely see. You pack an overnight bag that gets wrapped in plastic (in case it rains) and bungee cord tied to the back of the bike. So anything packed in there is quite difficult to get out, thus my blindness at night. On one of the days my bag rack completely broke off with my bag tied to it and I didn’t even notice. Someone in my group behind me grabbed my bag (which fell in mud) and tied it to their bag and then caught up with us. Thank the lord I wasn’t the last one in line! I was worried I was going to have to pay for the damages since I didn’t pay for bike insurance like the cheap gal I am; but luckily the hostel staff laughed it off and said it fell because the rack was rusty, no fault of mine.
Overall, this loop is the bees knees and it’s mine and pretty much everyone’s favorite memory who travels around Vietnam. You will hear about it constantly when you tell a fellow traveler you are going to Vietnam because it’s all anyone can talk about because it’s that amazing. So do yourself a favor and do the loop!
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