North Vietnam: Across the mountain passes of Ha Giang

Today, we enter Dong Van park, a geological wonder part of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network. We visit the H’Mong hemp cooperative before getting back on the road in the shadow of the limestone giants. The legendary Ha Giang loop has become popular with Vietnamese tourists, so we alternate between the main road and short tarmacked sections away from the crowds. We cross villages nestled in the foothills of a massif where local ethnic groups live.

We spend the day exploring this fantastic karst plateau. We stop off at H’Mong Royal Palace, built in the early twentieth century, before continuing on small hidden roads. We witness scenes of rural life where farming is still very important. The highlight: we end up on the Duong Hanh Phuc road, known as the “road to happiness”, which was a blessing for the inhabitants of this remote province. The ride along the famous Mae Pi Leng pass offers amazing views over Nho Que River and Tu San Gorges. We go back to Dong Van to spend the night.

Sunday is market day in Dong Van and Meo Vac, just some miles away. We take the time to stroll through these places of exchange where the locals come down from the surrounding mountain villages to meet and trade their goods. We leave Dong Van geopark behind us and descend in altitude on a tarmacked road skirting the river. We spend the night at a small Bao Lake town on the cusp of the northern Cao Bang province, a few miles from China as the crow flies.

We get up early and head east on small, windy roads along the Chinese border all day. We are in Cao Bang province, which is interesting in so many ways. It is home to Pac Bo Cave, where Ho Chi Minh found refuge for some years. We ride into another geopark with superb karst landscapes. This long leg takes us to the fantastic multi-tiered Ban Gioc waterfalls. And China is just on the other side!

Today’s leg is short but full of beautiful landscapes and secret tracks. We steer clear of the main road as much as possible and take the time to admire how quiet life is among the lush rice paddies and hills. The Cao Bang region looks like an inland Ha Long Bay. We enjoy a short break in Phuc Sen, a blacksmith village, before ending the day in the lively city of Cao Bang.

We leave Cao Bang geopark and return to more forested regions. Throughout the leg, we take windy roads through small traditional villages that have withstood the test of time. We stop for lunch at a tea estate in the middle of tea plantations. When we arrive at Ba Be national park some miles before we get to our hotel, we experience new scenery: mountains and old-growth forests. We end the day with a pleasant boat trip on Ba Be Lake.

We make an early start and head south to Hanoi. The first half of the leg is charming and gives us the chance to enjoy the last bit of calm before we arrive in the hustle and bustle of the capital. We arrive in the city in the afternoon so we can enjoy the last few hours in Hanoi. Overnight stay at a hotel.

You have a free day. You can rest or make the most of your last few hours in Hanoi. You are transferred to the airport according to your flight schedule.