Ha Giang Adventure
"The connection to place, to the land, the wind, the sun, stars, the moon... it sounds romantic, but it's true - the visceral experience of motion, of moving through time on some amazing machine".
ROAD TRIP DETAILS:
- Route: Sapa to Ha Giang on back-roads [MAP]
- Duration: 7 days
- Total Distance: 911 km or 805 km (with off road shortcut)
- Terrain & Scenery: mountains, valleys, rivers, minority villages, borderlands
- Travel Style: - Cultural immersion and active adventure
- Road Conditions: paved rural back-roads, occasional gravel roads, highways. Optional off road sections if weather permits.
Background:
This ride is all about cruising the borders and back roads, meandering through a geological wonderland and discovering the real culture of traditional hill tribe ethnic minorities. The week long adventure involves much more than riding. We can also get stuck into caving and get well off the main roads into some of the colourful little villages that cling on to the mountainsides.
This ride is all about cruising the borders and back roads, meandering through a geological wonderland and discovering the real culture of traditional hill tribe ethnic minorities. The week long adventure involves much more than riding. We can also get stuck into caving and get well off the main roads into some of the colourful little villages that cling on to the mountainsides.
Culture and landscape:
Ha Giang is Vietnam’s northern-most province and one of the least accessible simply because of proximity. The mysterious landscape along the Vietnam Chinese border is a mythical combination of monumental limestone peaks and deep rocky valleys. The unique scenery is probably the most striking in the country. With mountain passes hanging onto cliff-faces high above roaring rivers, and back-roads threading through forests of limestone pinnacles, it’s ideal territory for a motorbike road trip. Roads plough through striking landscapes of dramatic peaks and troughs, formed over millions of years by tectonic activity and the slow erosion of the limestone by weathering. Limestone pinnacles rise and fall at regular intervals, creating a moonscape that almost appears like a stone forest. The shapes are so live and animated, it’s as if the landscape are from a Tolkienian novel.
Once considered the last frontier for adventurous travel in Vietnam, Ha Giang has gained an almost legendary status among adventurous travellers. Unfortunately, most people choose to ride illegally through the area on automatic scooters, wearing shorts and t-shirts. These tourists avoid travelling with a guide and therefore rarely interact with local people in a way that runs deeper than a passing photo. Ha Giang is so much more and mixing with the hill tribes takes and north East trip to another level. This is where ETHOS excel, having spent many years building up positive relationships with amazing people. As with all our experiences, we have a strong cultural emphasis. We aim to work with local ethnic minority owned homestays and will spend quality time with the Hmong, Dao and Nung hill tribes.
Ha Giang is Vietnam’s northern-most province and one of the least accessible simply because of proximity. The mysterious landscape along the Vietnam Chinese border is a mythical combination of monumental limestone peaks and deep rocky valleys. The unique scenery is probably the most striking in the country. With mountain passes hanging onto cliff-faces high above roaring rivers, and back-roads threading through forests of limestone pinnacles, it’s ideal territory for a motorbike road trip. Roads plough through striking landscapes of dramatic peaks and troughs, formed over millions of years by tectonic activity and the slow erosion of the limestone by weathering. Limestone pinnacles rise and fall at regular intervals, creating a moonscape that almost appears like a stone forest. The shapes are so live and animated, it’s as if the landscape are from a Tolkienian novel.
Once considered the last frontier for adventurous travel in Vietnam, Ha Giang has gained an almost legendary status among adventurous travellers. Unfortunately, most people choose to ride illegally through the area on automatic scooters, wearing shorts and t-shirts. These tourists avoid travelling with a guide and therefore rarely interact with local people in a way that runs deeper than a passing photo. Ha Giang is so much more and mixing with the hill tribes takes and north East trip to another level. This is where ETHOS excel, having spent many years building up positive relationships with amazing people. As with all our experiences, we have a strong cultural emphasis. We aim to work with local ethnic minority owned homestays and will spend quality time with the Hmong, Dao and Nung hill tribes.
About this route:
For experienced riders, well prepared for long days over mixed terrain. Connecting two of the most mountainous provinces in Vietnam (Lào Cai and Hà Giang) this motorbike route straddles the Chinese border, carving a meandering course over mountain ranges and along river valleys. Largely on small roads that have only recently been blasted out of the mountainsides, this road trip is a slow crawl through some of the remotest parts of the country. Dramatic scenery, fascinating border towns, ethnic minority markets and lush farmland abound. This is a route to be taken slowly – there’s hardly a kilometre without a hairpin bend.
Weather is best from March-May and September-October, when conditions are warm and clear, colours are bright, and rainfall is light. (It can get bitterly cold during the winter months.) Although most of the roads are now in pretty good condition, there are still some sections that are rough, under repairs, or suffer from landslides.
For experienced riders, well prepared for long days over mixed terrain. Connecting two of the most mountainous provinces in Vietnam (Lào Cai and Hà Giang) this motorbike route straddles the Chinese border, carving a meandering course over mountain ranges and along river valleys. Largely on small roads that have only recently been blasted out of the mountainsides, this road trip is a slow crawl through some of the remotest parts of the country. Dramatic scenery, fascinating border towns, ethnic minority markets and lush farmland abound. This is a route to be taken slowly – there’s hardly a kilometre without a hairpin bend.
Weather is best from March-May and September-October, when conditions are warm and clear, colours are bright, and rainfall is light. (It can get bitterly cold during the winter months.) Although most of the roads are now in pretty good condition, there are still some sections that are rough, under repairs, or suffer from landslides.
