Discover Ha Giang

Ha Giang – finally up in the mountains

After spending time in the larger cities of Vietnam, it was quite a special feeling to arrive in Ha Giang. Everything was immediately different here. The pace was slower, the air felt fresher and, above all, the landscape started to change. The large cities and heavy traffic were replaced by mountains, small villages and winding roads. I had seen pictures of the Ha Giang Loop before the trip, but it was only when I arrived that I truly understood how impressive the landscape was.

What I was most looking forward to was, of course, going out on the Ha Giang Loop. Riding through the mountains had been one of the things I really wanted to do during my trip to Vietnam. As soon as we left Ha Giang, the roads started climbing upwards and the landscape quickly became more dramatic. The roads wound their way between the mountains and sometimes it almost felt like we were driving straight into nowhere. It was a completely different experience from travelling around the cities.

The riding itself was a big part of the experience. Some sections were quite easy, while others were considerably more challenging. Narrow roads, steep mountainsides and curves that continued further than you could see meant that you really had to stay focused. At the same time, it was difficult not to stop constantly to look at the views. Almost every time I thought the landscape could not get any better, the next corner revealed something even more impressive.

One of the things I liked most was that the journey was not only about the mountains. Along the way, we passed small villages where people were living their everyday lives. Children sometimes stood along the road and waved as we drove past, and you could see people working out in the fields. It gave the journey a completely different feeling compared with simply travelling between different tourist attractions. I felt like I was really seeing a part of Vietnam that was far removed from everyday life in the big cities.

The weather also made the journey interesting. When you are high up in the mountains, the weather can change quickly and the temperature was considerably more comfortable than in the warmer parts of the country. At some elevations it could even feel quite cool, which was a welcome contrast after the heat I had experienced earlier. At the same time, fog and clouds could suddenly move over the mountains and completely change the view within just a few minutes.

It was those small stops along the way that I enjoyed the most. Sometimes we stopped at a viewpoint and sometimes at a small café or a simple restaurant. There was no need to rush on. You could have a coffee, eat something and simply sit there looking out over the mountains. After several days of travelling, it was nice to experience a place where the journey between two destinations almost felt more important than the destination itself.

The food was also very simple compared with many tourist areas, but that was part of its charm. We ate at smaller local restaurants and food places along the way, and the meals were often quite simple. Noodles, rice, soups and different local dishes were perfect after several hours on the motorcycle. It was not the food itself that made the experience special, but rather sitting at a simple place in the middle of the mountains and eating while watching people walk past.

Something that struck me during the journey was how much time you actually have to think when sitting on a motorcycle for several hours. When you do not have the sounds of the city around you and only have the road in front of you, it becomes almost meditative. I could simply focus on the road, the landscape and the next corner. At the same time, it was important to stop sometimes and really take in the views instead of simply continuing to ride.

One of the most impressive parts was the high mountain passes. The roads wound along the mountainsides and in some places you could see far down into the valleys. These were the kinds of views that sometimes made me simply stand still and look. Pictures really do not do the landscape justice. It is difficult to capture the feeling of the height and size of the mountains when you see them on a screen.

The evenings, however, were much quieter. After a long day on the road, it was quite nice to arrive at the accommodation, leave the bag and simply relax. There were not the same number of restaurants, cafés and activities as in Hanoi or Hoi An, but that did not really matter. After a day with so many impressions, it was almost nice that the evening could be peaceful.

Ha Giang also felt like a place where you really got closer to nature. It was difficult not to be affected by the surroundings when you constantly had huge mountains in front of you. I liked the contrast with the rest of the journey. After walking around among buildings, traffic and people in the cities, it was nice to get out into the countryside and experience a completely different perspective.

What I mainly take away from Ha Giang is the feeling of freedom. Sitting on the motorcycle and riding through the mountains, stopping whenever you wanted and not really knowing what was waiting around the next corner was one of the best parts of the entire trip. It was not a journey where everything had to be perfectly planned. On the contrary, some of the best moments were the ones that simply happened along the way.

After a few days in Ha Giang, it was time to leave the mountains and continue onwards. I had managed to see an incredible amount and, above all, experience a side of Vietnam that felt very different from Hanoi and Hoi An. Ha Giang therefore became one of the places during the trip that I will really remember for its landscape, roads and feeling of simply being out on an adventure.