Vietnam: Ninh Binh, Hanoi, & Ha Giang Loop

The last stretch of my time in Vietnam went by so fast and was filled with so much adventure. From exploring the caves and waterways around Ninh Binh, to wandering around Hanoi, and then finishing my time in Vietnam on the back of a motorbike riding the Ha Giang Loop.

After my short stay in Hue, I got on an overnight bus to Ninh Binh, which is both a city and a province in Vietnam and is known as the “Ha Long Bay on land” because it is inland of the ocean but has extensive waterways, with soaring mountains all around. I stayed in the small town of Tam Coc which is right outside of the city. When booking the bus through my homestay in Hue, I had been told that the arrival time in Tam Coc was 6:00 in the morning. While early, I figured there was no need to reach out to my next homestay since my plan was to just drop my bags and then immediately go out and explore since I was only staying one night. Unfortunately, the 6:00 arrival time was if I was going all the way to Hanoi. Instead, my bus ended up arriving at 4:00 in the morning. Since Tam Coc is a small town and it was so early in the morning, everything was closed and dark. Luckily my homestay was only a short walk away from where the bus dropped me off, so I walked there and sat in their garden space where I planned to wait until people woke up. Luckily, a half hour after I arrived a group of four backpackers arrived from their overnight bus. They had reached out to the family in advance telling them of their early arrival time. Once they arrived they knocked, as they had been told to do by the family, and the family who ran the homestay woke up and got all of us a place to sleep until later morning. Three of the backpackers ended up staying in the family’s home area and the family even insisted on them taking their bed to sleep in. The fourth backpacker and myself were each given a bed in the shared room. I was able to get a few hours of sleep in a bed, which was wonderful. When I woke up I found that the group of backpackers were up at around the same time. I ended up joining their group and the five of us had an amazing breakfast made by the homestay family. After a delicious breakfast and getting to know the other travelers, we all rented bicycles and biked around the small town and then to Bich Dong Pagoda which was just outside of town.

Bich Dong Pagoda is a multi-level temple built into one of the soaring mountains of the area. When exploring the temple, we discovered that one section of the Pagoda went up the mountain and then into a cave. I thought it ended at the cave, however it instead wound through to an exit in a different area and then up the mountain a little further. On the steps that were outside of the mountains we saw absolutely beautiful views of the surrounding rice fields and mountains. After making my way down the mountain I found another area just outside of the Pagoda courtyard that led up over a small section of the mountain and into a field and pond area. Walking through the field was beautiful and so peaceful.

While exploring the Pagoda, the group I was with and I ended up breaking into two smaller groups. One other person and I ended up getting to the field area first. On our way back to where we had parked the bikes, we met up with two other people who told us that the last member of the group had gone into a small cave with a local guy. Since there was a metal door that kept the cave locked, we all waited for him to come out. While waiting, a few other tourists came by and decided to wait as well. Once he came out of the cave he told us that it was super interesting so we all decided to go in as well. In total, nine of us went in. Once we got in the cave with the local guy leading the tour, he locked the door and started pointing around the cave and talking in a language that we found out later was not even Vietnamese. He spoke no English whatsoever. It was so funny because none of us knew what was going on and we were all trying to figure out at least some of what he was saying. As we continued deeper into the cave, the guy would flash us with his flashlight and then point with the flashlight where exactly he wanted us to stand. Alternatively, he would move us if we weren’t standing exactly where he wanted us to stand. The whole time we were all just laughing because it was so random and funny. As we went further into the cave, the passageways started to get smaller and smaller. In a few areas we were climbing through tiny passageways that were not only super low but were also very narrow. At one point I had to go into the splits to get low enough to slide through the passageway that was only as wide as me. While the passageways were uncomfortably small, it was all just really amusing because of how random the whole experience was. After we finally got out of the cave we were all covered in mud and dust, but it was a truly unforgettable experience.

After thoroughly exploring the Pagoda and the surrounding area, the five of us biked back into town where we met up with another traveler that someone from the group knew. We ended up splitting up and four of us went onto boats to float down the maze of rivers that wind through the mountains. The views along the river were breathtaking and it was such a fun experience, as we also went through large caves that went through the mountains. In total, the boat ride ended up being almost three hours long and the entire time I was in awe of how beautiful the nature was. Since we all wanted to do different things for the rest of the day, after the boat ride we all parted ways. I decided to bike back outside of town and through the rice fields. It was so much fun and so peaceful.

Once the sun had set I slowly made my way back into town to return my bike and meet others for dinner. That evening when back at the homestay, the family realized that there was an error in the online booking system and the four bed dorm room had been overbooked, so they brought an extra mattress into the room and squeezed it in between the two bottom bunk beds. It ended up feeling like a sleepover. The family also brought us some fruit and snacks and so that evening we ended up eating the snacks and hanging out before going to bed. It was a really fun day and the people I met that morning were so nice. It just shows how easily you can become fast friends with other travelers when backpacking.

The next morning I got up and had breakfast with others from the homestay and then packed up and waited for my bus to Hanoi. Since I booked the bus through my homestay, I was able to be picked up close to my homestay. It was a short two hour bus ride that then dropped me off at my hostel in the city. All in all, it was a super easy and uneventful travel day. Once in Hanoi, I checked into my hostel and rested the rest of the day since I was still feeling sick from a few days prior. I ended up spending most of my time in Hanoi resting and recuperating so that I would be well enough to do a Ha Giang Loop tour. Since I was resting I wasn’t able to get out much but when I did get out, I spent most of my time casually wandering around the city. One of the days I did a free walking tour of the city. It was a really fun walking tour where I was able to learn more about Vietnamese coffee culture and about a popular northern coffee called egg coffee, which is super creamy and delicious.

Luckily, after spending a few days resting and recuperating, I was feeling well enough to do the Ha Giang Loop tour. The Ha Giang Loop is a popular motorbike route in the very north of Vietnam that starts in the city of Ha Giang, goes up through the mountains and small towns of the province, and goes all the way to the Chinese border. Before going I had heard amazing things about the loop so it was high on my list of things I wanted to do while in Vietnam. The ride did not disappoint! Before leaving Hanoi, I booked a three day two night tour through a company and opted to have an easy rider drive me since I have never driven a motorbike. The company I booked with also arranged my bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang, arriving in Ha Giang in the evening where I was able to stay the night in their accommodation. The next morning I was up early for breakfast and to meet the others in my group and the drivers. Since it wasn’t peak season yet, my group was small; consisting of four other travelers, one guide, and three drivers. Everyone in the group was so nice.

After getting everything ready we set out for the first day of the ride. Right away after leaving town the views were already breathtaking. It was so much fun riding on the back of the bike taking tons of photos and videos. The first day was a shorter day and was only about four to five hours of riding. Along the way we stopped at different viewpoints to take more photos. Since it was a short day, we had lunch near the homestay where we were staying that night. Once at the homestay we had some time to briefly rest and get changed before getting back on the bikes and going to a nearby waterfall. Once there we had a short hike to get to the waterfall and we were then taken to the top section where there wasn’t anyone and we were able to swim in the cold water. It was a lot of fun and so refreshing swimming in the cold water after the day on the bike. Once back from the waterfall we had time to shower and rest before meeting up again in the garden space of the homestay for dinner. At dinner we had local food and happy water, which is homemade rice wine. It was a really fun evening and a great bonding experience with the drivers and other travelers.

The next morning we had to get up bright and early since we had a long day of riding ahead of us. After having a breakfast of pho we got back on the road. This time the roads were not as nice for most of the day because we ventured off the most popular route of the Ha Giang Loop. It was another day of riding and stopping at the different viewpoints. The views were just as good if not better in some areas today. Towards the middle of the day we pulled over on the side of the road and bought two chickens from a lady who was selling them. She wrapped the chickens’ feet up and put them in bags for easier carrying, and we brought them with us to the next town we were going through, which was the poorest town in the Ha Giang province. Once in the town we stopped at two different families' homes and gifted each family a chicken. It was nice being able to stop and talk with some locals and see how much the simple act of gifting a chicken meant. After stopping in the village we continued on for a little while longer before making it to a river area where we stopped for lunch and an excursion. Once there, we were able to change into our swimsuits and then we got onto two bamboo rafts and floated down the river into a large cave. In the cave we were able to swim for a little while before getting back on the raft and heading back to where we started. It was a fun stop. Once back we changed back into our clothes and then had lunch. After lunch we got back on the bikes and headed out again. The whole way the views were amazing, however along the way we had to stop and wait for construction several times. Since the roads were narrow, the equipment would block the whole road and we had to take turns going through the construction. Stopping for the construction slowed us down, so towards the end of the day we ended up having a race for time to get to our homestay for the night. Since these roads wind through rural mountains there aren’t street lights, so the last half hour to hour of the ride we were going a lot faster so that we would make it to the homestay before it got too dark. Along the way, we passed by the Chinese border and I was able to see the fence that stretched along the mountains. Since we were so far north and at a high elevation, it was really cold and we were partly in the clouds. From the drop in temperature due to the elevation, to the strong wind from riding the motorbikes, the last stretch of the ride was so cold.

When we finally got to that night's homestay, we were able to warm up in front of an electric heater and then meet up with another group who had just finished their first day of the Ha Giang Loop, but were going the opposite direction of us. That night both our groups had dinner together, and again there was lots of happy water. After dinner we all went outside where there was a fire and a karaoke machine and we hung out until it was time for bed. It was a fun last evening of the trip. The next morning we were up early again and both groups went to a local restaurant together for breakfast before parting ways. Unfortunately, due to heavy clouds, we weren’t able to go up close to the Chinese border or to a nearby lookout point. The clouds were so thick that at some points I would lose the leader or second bike in the clouds. Throughout the whole day there were lots of heavy clouds, however we also had times when we were able to drive out of the clouds and have good views. While super cloudy, it was also really cool riding within the thick clouds. Before lunch, we stopped at an old king's palace and were able to walk around it and learn more about the history of the region before continuing on a little farther before eventually stopping for lunch.

After lunch, we drove for another hour or so before stopping in another local village and learning how the local Hmong people make traditional hemp clothing. We were given a demonstration of all of the different steps to make hemp clothing, from grinding the plants, to making it into a yarn, weaving, and even how they get the different patterns or shapes using wax and dyes. It was very interesting to see and learn about. Once we finished at that stop, two of the travelers parted ways since they had chosen to do a longer four day three night route. After parting ways, we finished the last stretch of the loop and made it back to where we started with only a short amount of time before the other two from my group and I were picked up by the bus that took us back to Hanoi. I was only back in Hanoi for two nights before I had to say goodbye to Vietnam and go on to my next destination.

The last half of my Vietnam trip was filled with so many different unforgettable memories; from exploring Ninh Binh and going into a cave with a random local to the breathtaking views along the Ha Giang Loop. Overall, the Ha Giang Loop was an absolutely amazing experience and I am beyond glad that I went on it. The views were breathtaking and the stops along the way and the group dinners were so much fun. It was definitely a highlight of my entire trip, so far. I had an amazing end to my time in Vietnam and I cannot wait to go back some day.

“If you don’t get out of the box you’ve been raised in, you won’t understand how much bigger the world is.”

- Angeline Jolie