Great Loop | 12 Days

We obviously need to get out of town today and we do that with minimal hassle but with some traffic. We get off the main highway as quickly as possible and then head for That Khe on the smaller back roads. Along the way, we will pass through small valleys, custard apple groves, and tiny hamlets. There is not much going on in That Khe but that is the charm of the countryside. 

Today, we head into Cao Bang Province and take a visit to the Ban Gioc Waterfall before heading back down to our homestay which is tucked away from the madding crowd. Another peaceful night here means we are rested and ready for the next day. 

We pass through the provincial capital of Cao Bang and head up to the Chinese border to visit Uncle Ho’s Cave (Pac Bo). It is a great drive on small country roads and we stay in a small homestay hear the cave ready to take the tricky road the next day. 

We take the cross country route rather than backtrack on roads already travelled and head for Bao Lac. We get great views of China over the border and ride on some very remote roads. We can stop in Bao Lac, Bao Lam, Meo Vac or Dong Van depending on how we do for time. At each of these locations, we have homestays ready to greet us with hot food and warm beds. 

We can make the choice to take the inner or outer roads today knowing that there will be more traffic on the outer loop. There are a lot of places to stop and hang out so we need to choose carefully as it may not look far but riding in the mountains takes a little more time. Once in Ha Giang we can rest up at a homestay a little way outside of town, which is more peaceful. 

Today is not a difficult day and it is one of the most scenic. We enter the UNESCO world heritage site of Hoang Su Phi, which is known for its beautiful rice terracing, and can stop to take photos as we ascend the hills. We stay at a hilltop bungalow resort, which looks down on the beautiful valley. It is worth getting up early the next day to witness the sunrise. 

This is a good long drive that takes us around the Kiou Leou Ti mountain and along the river valley bordering China to Bac Ha and then Sa Pa. There is a lot of good scenery and a few local markets on the route so we will definitely see some interesting things. 

After a couple of hard days, it is good to have a rest so we take the opportunity to do so in Sa Pa. We can choose to stay in the main town which is useful if we plan to ascend Fansipan or to head down the valley to stay with the villagers. Either way, we will get some good western food and see some interesting sights. 

We loop around Fansipan and down the O Quy Ho Pass, which drops down some 17km. We get stunning views of Fansipan and the valley ahead and the road is relatively peaceful and easy to drive. After Than Uyen, we turn into the Mu Cang Chai Valley which has beautiful rice terracing and lots of fun places to stop and hang out. 

We need to loop around Ta Xua Nature Reserve today as we can’t go over this mountain and we do that via Nghia Lo. The road is good, as it was yesterday and we can make good time, but we have a long way to go. We will still pass through a whole host of small villages and see lots of ethnic people on the road. However, things will start to get a little busier from now on.  

We head down to the Black River and take a ferry to get across before climbing up to the Moc Chau Plateau. We can take a stretch of the old Highway 4, built by the French to get to Dien Bien Phu before heading past Mai Chau and down into the Pu Luong Nature Reserve. Once we are off the main highway and into the reserve it is plain sailing and we stay in a secluded bungalow away from the hubbub. 

This is a journey of two halves. The first is quiet and scenic and we can amble along and really enjoy the ride. The second is busier as we are coming back into Hanoi and need to pay more attention. We can easily make it back to our hotel in time to wash up and be ready for our farewell meal.