Two Day Sapa Loop
On a bike, no one ever asks, "Are we there yet?"
ROAD TRIP DETAILS:
- Total Distance: 220 km (over two days)
- Duration: 2 day
- Route: a mountainous figure of eight loop in to Lai Chau Province
- Road Conditions: paved back-roads, some extended bad sections, light traffic
- Travel Style: Cultural immersion and active adventure
- Scenery: mountains, rivers, rice terraces, minority villages, remote borderlands
Background:
Around Sapa, the dramatic mountainous landscape gives way to vast plains and tea tree plantations in the lowlands of Lai Chau area. One epic mountain pass and several small roads penetrate deep into steep, terraced valleys and climb high above ferocious rivers, swollen with cold mountain water, to remote minority villages. Creating a scenic figure of eight loop, starting and ending in Sapa via Tam Duong and Ta Giang Phin, this two day road trip is a great way to explore the north western highlands. Either bathed in a warm, sharp highland light, shimmering over the ripe rice terraces like a halo, or covered in a cold, haunting fog, so thick it induces feelings of claustrophobia, this loop is a rewarding way to spend two days riding.
Weather is always difficult to predict in this region, but spring (March-May) and autumn (September-October) are probably the best months for warmth, light, and colour.
Culture and Landscape:
Day one (112km) involves driving up past the Silver Waterfall, through the forest of the Hoang Lien Son National park to Heaven's Gate and Tram Ton Pass (the highest road in Vietnam). As we drop down into Lai Chau Province, we travel through a numbers of villages home to the Black Hmong and Tay ethnic minority groups. These areas have beautiful rice terraces and spectacular mountain scenery.
Day two takes you through the Red Dao Village of Ban Khoang and the Hmong village of Ta Giang Phin. Hilltops are lined with elfin forest, steep sided karst outcrops and mountains.
The second (108km) day also includes the incredible opportunity to share lunch with the Hà Nhì People. The Hà Nhì are one of Vietnam's official 54 ethnic groups. Their origins are not precisely known, though their ancestors are believed to have migrated southward from the Tibetan plateau. Their culture is still very strong with most Hà Nhì living in thick walled mud houses, often with rice stalk thatched roofs.
There are a number of subgroups with the Black Hà Nhì living in Bát Xát District. Traditional clothing is made with dark blue cotton fabric dyed with indigo. Small details are embroidered into the neckline and the jackets are often adorned with simple, yet stylish features. More recently, machine made Chinese fabrics have become commonplace with women finishing pieces with fastenings and embroidered details. With a population of 22,000, the Ha Nhi are focused in both Lao Cai and Lai Chao provinces and are one of Vietnam's smaller minority groups.
About this route:
For experienced riders, the loop can be completed in one day. If you’re lucky and the weather is good, then the scenery is fabulous. The grandeur and scale of the mountains and valleys of the northwest is unmatched anywhere in Vietnam. The rice terraces are higher, steeper, more dramatic, and less busy than other areas of Vietnam. However, such is the weather in this region, that you may find it difficult to see more than a few metres in front of you. But, even in the mist, cold and rain, there’s still a sublime bleakness and majesty up on the high passes.
Around Sapa, the dramatic mountainous landscape gives way to vast plains and tea tree plantations in the lowlands of Lai Chau area. One epic mountain pass and several small roads penetrate deep into steep, terraced valleys and climb high above ferocious rivers, swollen with cold mountain water, to remote minority villages. Creating a scenic figure of eight loop, starting and ending in Sapa via Tam Duong and Ta Giang Phin, this two day road trip is a great way to explore the north western highlands. Either bathed in a warm, sharp highland light, shimmering over the ripe rice terraces like a halo, or covered in a cold, haunting fog, so thick it induces feelings of claustrophobia, this loop is a rewarding way to spend two days riding.
Weather is always difficult to predict in this region, but spring (March-May) and autumn (September-October) are probably the best months for warmth, light, and colour.
Culture and Landscape:
Day one (112km) involves driving up past the Silver Waterfall, through the forest of the Hoang Lien Son National park to Heaven's Gate and Tram Ton Pass (the highest road in Vietnam). As we drop down into Lai Chau Province, we travel through a numbers of villages home to the Black Hmong and Tay ethnic minority groups. These areas have beautiful rice terraces and spectacular mountain scenery.
Day two takes you through the Red Dao Village of Ban Khoang and the Hmong village of Ta Giang Phin. Hilltops are lined with elfin forest, steep sided karst outcrops and mountains.
The second (108km) day also includes the incredible opportunity to share lunch with the Hà Nhì People. The Hà Nhì are one of Vietnam's official 54 ethnic groups. Their origins are not precisely known, though their ancestors are believed to have migrated southward from the Tibetan plateau. Their culture is still very strong with most Hà Nhì living in thick walled mud houses, often with rice stalk thatched roofs.
There are a number of subgroups with the Black Hà Nhì living in Bát Xát District. Traditional clothing is made with dark blue cotton fabric dyed with indigo. Small details are embroidered into the neckline and the jackets are often adorned with simple, yet stylish features. More recently, machine made Chinese fabrics have become commonplace with women finishing pieces with fastenings and embroidered details. With a population of 22,000, the Ha Nhi are focused in both Lao Cai and Lai Chao provinces and are one of Vietnam's smaller minority groups.
About this route:
For experienced riders, the loop can be completed in one day. If you’re lucky and the weather is good, then the scenery is fabulous. The grandeur and scale of the mountains and valleys of the northwest is unmatched anywhere in Vietnam. The rice terraces are higher, steeper, more dramatic, and less busy than other areas of Vietnam. However, such is the weather in this region, that you may find it difficult to see more than a few metres in front of you. But, even in the mist, cold and rain, there’s still a sublime bleakness and majesty up on the high passes.
