Finally, the day I would start the Ha Giang Loop was here. I was looking forward to it since the start of this trip. I found out about Ha Giang Loop some time when I was still in New Zealand, but I didn't do a thorough research on it so I didn't really realize how big of a deal it is and how spectacular it would be. I had seen a couple pictures and thought that it looked cool so I should probably do it. "Looked cool" turned out to be a huge understatement.
I found out much more about Ha Giang region when I started planning my motorcycle trip while I was still in Saigon. That's when I became really excited about it. Most travellers don't know about it and never end up visiting. To be fair, I myself didn't know much about it until 3 months ago. Also due to a lack of good infrastructure in the area it is not a thing most tourists can. The roads are narrow and often in bad condition. In addition to that it would be challenging for big tourist buses to drive on them because they are incredibly windy with constant altitude changes. It's really for anyone who's on two wheels and I hope it stays that way. I would hate to see area such as this get ruined by massive tourists crowds and bunch of hotels.
That Time Was Here
It was time to start the loop. In the morning I joined the group in my hostel to get through the police checkpoints at the start of the loop. It some time for everyone to get their stuff together, but eventually we set off. That's one of the reasons I tend to avoid group travel.
On this motorcycle trip I have been through so much, driven thousands of kilometers on some crazy roads and my motorcycle finally snapped. It was nearly the end of my journey and it breaks. I couldn't believe it. For the most part I couldn't believe that it lasted this long without breaking, but also that it was almost the end and it just couldn't finish the trip. Fortunately, it broke down near a mechanic shop and they were able to fix it in 15 min. It cost me barely 10 usd.
With this scare I was back on the road and soon passing the group from my hostel. At the same time I caught up with the guys I was racing with the day before on the way to Ha Giang. Me, those guys and a couple of other Honda Win warriors formed our own little motorcycle gang and rode together for the first day.
Stunning
Soon the views started to become ridiculous. We would reach a viewpoint and look back on the crazy road we had ridden. This area is very underdeveloped and not touristy so it felt like a motorcycle version of the 12-day trek I had done in Nepal in the Himalayas.
This ride kept becoming more and more spectacular by the minute. At one point we diverged from the main road onto this really tiny road leading into a valley to see some cave. Riding these smaller roads was even more amazing as they led to some more remote villages. There are no words to describe these landscapes. Check out my instagram @ainars_travels to see some pictures I have taken during this road trip.
The first checkpoint I had in mind wasn't too far ahead and despite riding just 1/3 of the average distance, I would cover in a day on this journey, it took all day to reach it. We took many detours and just kept stopping a lot. Also it was impossible to ride any faster than 30km/h on these mountain roads.
None of us had booked any accommodation prior starting this loop so we just looked for it on the go. I found a brand new homestay called Ha Anh in a little town we passed so we decided to stay there. The hosts showed us incredibly hospitality and offered us an amazing meal with some Saigon Beer.
Even More Stunning
The next day I continued on my own because the others couldn't get it together and I was eager to go. I had another beautiful day ahead. The goal for the day was to get to this little town bordering China where I would stay overnight. This was the most spectacular riding day thus far on this entire journey.
This day was packed with some of the craziest, curviest, up and down roads I have ever ridden on. I had such joy riding and I never felt happier. The entire day was packed with the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. I could not get in to a good riding rhythm because I wanted to stop every 10 minutes or have my phone in my hands to video the surroundings while riding. The whole scenery kept completely changing every hour. There are no words to describe the immense beauty of Ha Giang region. This and the next day I did not cover much distance compared to what I used to cover in a day, but despite that I spent all day on the road. I really took my time on the road to enjoy these days.
Exploring China
I was on the way to Lung Cu, a small town just on the China border, where I would stay overnight. On the way there I scouted a tiny road leading to China. I decided to check it out. It was off the main route so only a few locals were commuting it. It eventually led me to a broken fence where I stepped into China. Some locals were around and crossing it so it wasn't a big deal. I thought about walking to the nearest village in China and possibly getting something from a market, however, opted not to. It was getting late so I could not be bothered and I headed back. It was cool to go into China though.
I reached the town of Lung Cu quite late, but still managed to do some exploration in the area before looking for accommodation. I ended up staying in a nice guesthouse with a gorgeous view on a hill. The owners also served a big meal with beer so it was perfect ending of the day.
To be continued.