EPIC Adventure in Ha Giang

Tatum & Corbin
Feb 29, 2020
4 min read

Settle in... This one’s a doozy!

Mid-November we headed back to Vietnam. We were excited to go back but were nervous to be thrown back into the “ 'nam' chaos”. We had no idea how the next three months would play out. After renting a house and cramming in a couple days of work... we hopped on a plane and headed north to Ha Giang province.

Ha Giang is the northern most province in Vietnam and shares a border with China. We had heard about an epic motorbike loop, and after seeing a few photos we knew it was right up our alley. We packed our bags, flew to Hanoi, took a 7 hour bus ride to Ha Giang city, rented a motorbike, and were on our way. We set out to travel 400km over the next 4 days...

Day 1: It may surprise you that we have been illegally driving motorbikes around SE Asia for the last 11 months. This meant that on day 1 we needed to get up at 6am to leave town, an hour before the police opened the “checkpoint” to ticket foreign illegal drivers. Loopholes people! After driving for about 2 hours in the cold morning air, we decided to stop and warm up with a bowl of pho. The pho shop was a really local place and we could tell they were not used to seeing white people with red beards. One guy was so intrigued that he came up to Corbin and gave it a tug. Mind you... nobody spoke a word of English.

We hopped back on the bike and made our way roughly 75 km to the town of Yen Minh. Along the way we enjoyed mountain pass views, flower fields, and playing with the cutest puppy! Corbin had to talk Tatum out of taking him home, which was not an easy task. We ended day one at a rowdy home-stay playing cards and drinking beers with other travelers.

Day 2: The second day started with a construction zone going up a mountain pass; In Vietnam road construction happens a little differently than at home... They do not stop working and you must drive around and sometimes under construction equipment as they work. It was nerve wracking but we took it slow. On the other side of construction, Corbin did a total bad-ass wheelie (the front tire literally went above our heads & Tatum had to bail off) as he started up the mountain. (Okay, maybe the wheelie wasn’t on purpose but no one really needs to know that.) Luckily we made it to the top of the mountain in one piece.

The rest of the day was a blast. We zipped through stunning valleys, wound up and down curvy mountain roads, and got off the beaten path to witness remote village life. We ended the day with another 80km under our belt at what is considered the most northern part of Vietnam. We climbed up to the top of the flagpole and looked out into the mountains of China.

It was getting cold and dark... but we still had another hour of driving ahead of us. We thought it would be better to stay put for the night. We found a local home-stay, enjoyed a mostly hot shower, and spent the night with Vietnamese travelers. We shared a hot pot, took shots of “happy water” (aka rice whiskey), and they attempted to teach us how to speak Vietnamese. The change to our ‘itinerary’ lead to our favorite night of the entire trip...

Day 3: We started the day with coffees and an unbelievable view. Guys... look at this place!

The day continued to only get better. Highs included a walk/drive up a narrow path to a viewpoint, traversing a dramatic mountain slope, and a boat ride through a canyon on teal water. The day was arguably the most scenic and was full of jaw dropping views...

Day 4: Our last and longest day started with the hustle and bustle of the Sunday morning market. Pigs walking down the street, baskets of various grains and rice, clothing, and bargaining going on in every direction. We found ourselves at a local food court and decided to eat breakfast... a bowl of pork pho (we really hope it wasn’t dog meat... yes they still eat dog meat in the rural villages).

We were back on the bike and spent the day zooming through valleys and villages. Throughout the journey, it was amazing to get a glimpse of rural Vietnam... as poverty stricken towns sat nestled in stunning, rugged landscapes. The Vietnamese people have contagious smiles and this Sunday in particular it was great to witness everyday village life. We drove through markets, wedding festivities, farmers working in their fields, and past waving children.

After driving another 100km, we reached the end of the loop; Ha Giang town. We were exhausted, happy, and relieved that we hadn’t crash a single time! This four day trip was the most epic, off the beaten path, adventure that we had experienced so far on our trip. We headed back to Hoi An with a new appreciation for Vietnam and grateful hearts.