Ha Giang, a majestic and mysterious land in the north of Vietnam, is always an attractive destination for those who love exploration and adventure. This place is not only marked by majestic rolling mountains, but also attracted by its diverse culture and rich history. Traveling to Ha Giang is a journey that opens the door to a new world, where each scene, each village carries a separate story, rich in culture and history.
Ha Giang is peaceful.
Summer has just arrived and it’s time for me and my friend to carry out a long-cherished plan, which is to return to visit Ha Giang. Having been here once before, we had some experience with transportation, routes, etc., but this time my friend said she wanted a more special trip, more interesting experiences. So we made an extremely bold decision to “travel” by motorbike from Hue to Ha Giang.
1. On the go
Usually, the first days of July in Ha Giang will be mornings with bright sun and sudden thunderstorms in the afternoon. Particularly on that day, Ha Giang was overcast, the sun was nowhere to be seen, instead there were waves of clouds pouring down the roads, making us feel like we were lost in a fairyland.
The rice fields are engulfed in clouds.
There are clouds everywhere.
Needless to say, we know how excited the two of us were. Continuously shouting along the way every time going down a mountain pass or crossing the freezing cold clouds on towering mountains. This is probably a lucky thing, because last time we experienced a sunny Ha Giang, so this time when we see this land wearing a different color, it feels both close and different. That’s strange and new.
Take advantage of harvesting rice before the rain gets heavier and heavier.
Immense rice fields stretched along the entire way we walked.
Being July, Ha Giang does not have typical flowers such as buckwheat flowers or peach blossoms or plum blossoms, so not many tourists come here, but for me, my companion and perhaps are many others, the most special and attractive feature of Ha Giang, the first answer to the question “What is beautiful about Ha Giang?” These are breathtakingly beautiful mountain passes.
The famous M-shaped road in Ha Giang.
2. Nine-circle pass
My friend is extremely adventurous and somewhat active, and the mountain passes here are so suitable for the somewhat different “taste” of a typical Hue girl. Constantly fighting for the right to drive so that you can conquer the roads that backpackers always wish to set foot on.
The road to the pass is nine curves.
Stopping at the most famous pass of Ha Giang, nine passes, we had to admire the truly majestic scene here. The winding, winding slopes create a somewhat dangerous but no less unique route. Looking out from here, you can see heaven and earth blending together, creating a scene that only those who come here and see it directly can feel this majesty.
At the top of the pass there are nine rings.
Clouds swoop down on the mountains.
3. Pho Bang
Pho Bang is a small town in Dong Van district, strangely simple and peaceful. The road to Pho Bang kept winding from one mountain range to another, the rain kept falling on the deep valleys without a single person until suddenly Pho Bang appeared. We went to Pho Bang on a rainy day, thinking it was an unfortunate event, but it turned out to be not, Pho Bang in the rain is extremely beautiful.
Road to Pho Bang.
The ancient houses submerged in the rain really captivated us.
The most peaceful street corner of Pho Bang town.
Front porch.
Red letters stand out in front of the house gate.
This town has almost no traces of tourism, this place made us waver with the houses with red walls that have faded over the years, the rows of red parallel sentences, or the firewood racks right in front of the alley. The streets were blurred because of the rain, occasionally we only saw a few wholesalers rushing by or children playing together in the rain. So peaceful!
The beauty comes out of the town’s paintings.
Ancient red-walled houses are hard to find anywhere else.
4. Dong Van Stone Plateau
Leaving Pho Bang, we continued our journey to explore the magical land of Ha Giang. Going through more than 100 km of pass with dizzying sharp turns between a deep abyss on one side and cat-eared rocky mountains on the other, the wild and majestic scenery of Dong Van Karst Plateau appears in the picture. The smoke and clouds made us truly dazed, even though this was the second time.
The car traveled thousands of kilometers with us to conquer Ha Giang.
The majesty of Dong Van stone plateau.
The first time we came here was on a sunny day, so right at the foot of the rocky plateau there was a small grill of ethnic women. A few people stopped to enjoy a grilled sweet potato or a skewer of warm meat. extremely.
Ha Giang on rainy days is really hard, but in return the scenery is a thousand times more beautiful.
5. Vuong Family Mansion
Perhaps because we are Hue people, the ancient kings’ residences like this are not too strange to us, but this place still has its own ancient features with a unique construction style and left it to us. I have very strange feelings. Right in front of the mansion there are a few stalls selling specialties of the Northwest mountains. If you come in the morning, you can see a simple but extremely busy market.
Gate to King Meo’s palace.
A rare bit of sunshine on rainy days.
The tour guide told about the biography of King Meo and the formation of the Vuong family palace.
Small stalls selling mountain specialties right in front of the mansion’s entrance gate.
6. Lung Cu flagpole
People come to Lung Cu to enjoy the feeling of standing on the polar land of their beloved country and listen to stories about the flagpole here to bring pride in their warm, sunny hearts.
Lung Cu flagpole is only about 2 km from the northernmost point of the country, but this place has always been considered a symbol of national sovereignty, symbolizing the northernmost point of the country. The road to Lung Cu is also a bit difficult with winding roads and deep pools, especially on rainy days, a few spots have collapsed. But when we came here we were really proud, we never thought we would be able to set foot in a place this far away.
Lung Cu flagpole seen from afar.
Pride of the Fatherland.
Lung Cu – The northernmost point of the country.
7. Ma Pi Leng Pass
We continued our journey by conquering Ma Pi Leng Pass, known as the king of passes in Vietnam. Ma Pi Leng Pass is famous for being a winding, tricky pass, winding along the mountainside, with a steep cliff on one side and a deep abyss on the other. But that didn’t make us discouraged from driving, on the contrary, we were even more excited.
Stop the car on Ma Pi Leng pass.
The majestic scenery of the “king of the pass” in Vietnam is unmatched anywhere else.
It also needs to be said that the roads on this pass are really dangerous, the roads are slippery and steep so we always have to remind each other to only run at a maximum of 10 km/h. There were times when the clouds swooped down and completely blocked the view, making us only dare to move the car little by little, trembling as we walked, not daring to speak, not daring to breathe because we were afraid that just breathing would cause the car to tilt, really. . At times like these, we can only encourage each other to try harder, thinking of the beautiful, dreamlike scenes ahead.
Feeling really small in front of nature.
Easily encounter ethnic girls along the way.
And really, when the mist begins to fade, that’s when the dream world appears. Behind the mist is the legendary Happiness Road. True to its name, we are really happy with what is appearing before our eyes. Crossing the slopes, admiring the sharp, dangerous rocks with all sorts of strange shapes, we set foot on the top of Ma Pi Leng, which was also the time when we witnessed the vast and majestic space. grandeur of heaven and earth.
On top of Ma Pi Leng with the legendary Nho Que river.
Nothing can fully describe the mountain’s thousands of layers, the magical floating of clouds passing through the valleys, the deep abyss and the blue Nho Que river winding at the foot. All create the unique Ma Pi Leng pass.
8. Lo Lo Homestay
Lo Lo Homestay is brilliant at night.
The dormitory room is cozy and feels like home.
Just step out onto the balcony and you will see a vast sky of clouds and mountains.
I dedicate a small part to talk about the lovely homestay that we were lucky enough to stay in when we visited Meo Vac town. This is a homestay in the style of an ethnic stilt house. Because it is located on a high slope, from the Lo Lo balcony, you can enjoy watching the clouds, mountains, and the vast fields below. A small note is that Lo Lo only has dorm rooms, and the price is 115,000 VND/person.
Peace in a strange yet familiar land.
The girl with the lovely corner of the yard.
A peaceful corner of Lo Lo.
Lo Lo is truly a very cozy place, ideal to stop and reflect on the magical things experienced after a long journey in this magical land.
Places, culture, customs, traditions and cuisine, everything about Ha Giang is attractive and outstanding. It is this diversity and richness that makes this place rich. What about Ha Giang has become simpler for you after reading the above shares.Wishing you a wonderful trip to Ha Giang as expected!