Ha Giang: A DIY Budget Travel Guide to Vietnam’s Final Frontier
Vietnam, when mentioned, speaks of hordes of motorbikes crossing busy intersections of Ho Chi Minh City, the laid back vibe in the French Quarters of Hanoi, and the buffet lunches while riding a Chinese Junk across the Ha Long Bay.
But still unknown to many, Vietnam’s final frontier lies in its northern region near the China’s Yunnan province that shares a common 270 kilometer long border and it is called the province of Ha Giang (pronounced: Ha-Zahng)
This travel guide is the author’s recollection of their two (2) day Ha Giang Loop, some guides and tips on how to pull-off your visit to one of Vietnam’s most dramatic and surreal landscapes. Also check out our full adventure here: Ha Giang Loop: A Journey through Vietnam’s Northern Frontier
Why Visit Ha Giang?
Most travelers opt to visit northwest Vietnam, mostly in Sapa, where everything is commercialized, people tend to sell you their stuff saying “Buy this!” all the time, thus the hard sell that is rampant in the province, and everything comes with a steeper price, but most people overlook Ha Giang province which is way way better than Sapa. While most people aren’t so fussy with mountain towns, this one should be an exception, as this is one of the more special regions in Vietnam.
With the boom of tourist arrivals in Vietnam, I hardly saw any travel guides about Ha Giang Province, specially in our country, the Philippines, and felt the need to see the place for myself. So we ventured out into the far fetched province, and upon coming back, man, I really had to explain this to you now why this was my favorite place in Vietnam to date.
Dramatic karst mountains, unbelievable vistas of rice terraces, mountain passes, and saw like jagged peaks jutting out from the sky, local hill tribes and locals with one of the most effusive hospitality ever, and many more – this remote and mysterious province deserves the limelight of it all.
This was once a hard place to venture out, from locals charging expensive permit fees, terrible road conditions and the ebbing dispute between Vietnam and China, the province alone was isolated from the world. And even in the present time, even with the funding from the national government and the UNESCO recognizing it as the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark and with the country experiencing modernization and infrastructure growth, Ha Giang seemed to stood still in time.
Where is Ha Giang?
Is a province in the Northeast region of Vietnam. It is located in the far north of the country, and contains Vietnam’s northernmost point. From Hanoi, Ha Giang City is atleast 300 kilometers north of Hanoi, and 200 kilometers west from Sa Pa. It shares a 270 km long border with Yunnan province of southern China, and thus is known as Vietnam’s final frontier.
Ha Giang is home to 17 ethnic minorities, and it also houses the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, an UNESCO inscribed area that is known for its historic fossils, rock formations, tectonics and faults, and geomorphic locations that dates back from the Cambrian period some 550 million years ago.
Where To Stay?
There are many towns inside the geopark, and if planning to travel with a motorbike, spend atleast three days to enjoy the loop. There are a lot of homestays and hotels opening their doors, so finding a place to stay for the night is not hard as long as you are in one of the towns before dusk.
Our group spent a night in Lam Tung Hotel in Dong Van town as part of our two (2) day Ha Giang loop which costs at around 500,000VND for three persons. Dong Van is one of the few places to base yourself for the night with a good choice of accommodations since some of the towns only offers homestays or decent rooms, room rates starts at around 100,000VND. Dong Van also has restaurants and convenience stores, events at the town center are held during weekend evenings and a Sunday Ethnic Market.
Upon arrival in Ha Giang City, one can also opt to stay at the Green Hill Hostel which is our host in Ha Giang, they arranged everything from the transportation, guides, food and accommodation. Too bad we only had two days to do the loop, if only time permits, we could’ve spent another night into this home away from home. You can check out their Facebook page here: Ha Giang Green Hill Hostel for motorcycle, car, English speaking guide, food, accommodation rates and even the bus schedules going to and from the city.
For a complete list of hotels and rooms in Ha Giang, check the following links:
How To Get There:
Hanoi to Ha Giang:
You can catch sleeper buses going to Ha Giang daily, buses leave almost every hour starting at 4:30 am till 1:30 pm. The night buses leave between 6 pm till 9:30 pm. Terminal is at My Dinh Station. Fare costs at around 200,000VND, and should be bought only at the ticket counter. Travel time takes about 6-7 hours with a mid way stop for bathroom breaks as there is no toilet inside.
Sapa to Ha Giang:
Sleeper buses also travel directly from Sapa to Ha Giang, there is one trip daily at 09:00pm and fare costs at around 300,000VND. You can ask your hotel/hostel host in Ha Giang to have it reserved for you at no cost to make sure you will not be ripped off by the driver. The terminal is just across Sapa Market. Travel time is around 6-7 hours with a id way stop in Pho Rang town for bathroom break.
Lao Cai to Ha Giang:
If you missed the night bus, you can take a bus going down to Lao Cai town where the train station is located and you will be dropped off at Bac Ha Market. Travel time from Sapa to Lao Cai is around an hour and fare costs at around 100,000VND. From Bac Ha Market just ask for the terminal near the train station, and buses leave at around 06:30am and costs at around 150,000VND and trip take around 6hours for the morning trip.
Ha Giang to Hanoi:
There are sleeper buses leaving for My Dinh Bus Station in Hanoi thrice a day, one morning, afternoon and a night trip. We took the 08:30pm trip and fare costs 200,000VND and took around 6hrs. Our hostel also booked for us and the bus company picked us up right at the hostel door steps at no extra cost.
You can also check bus schedules for your reference and reserve in advance for a hassle free trip here: Baolau.com
Good To Know:
- Buy the tickets only at the ticket counter
- Be aware of bus drivers who will try to rip off your fare, like how we paid for the Sapa to Hagiang ticket at 300,000VND, which according to our hostel is only at 250,000VND
- The better way is to ask your hostel to reserve bus tickets for you and ask for the price
- Unload your bladder before leaving since bus breaks is after three to four hours along the way
- If travelling on a cold season, bring jackets inside the bus
Getting Around Ha Giang
The Ha Giang Loop is a 300+km road network around the mountainous areas of the province and takes atleast three days to complete. One can opt to rent a bike and drive it yourself or have it driven by a guide who knows the place better. Motorcycles can be rented from 200,000VND per day to 900,000VND depending on the type you are renting. There are many companies to choose from, but from our experience, our host, the Green Hill Hostel have motorcycles for rent and they can suggest what is the best itinerary for you and where to stay for the night, it is also them who will reserve you on those accommodations.
One can also rent a car if time is limited just like what we did. Our two (2) day loop, costs at around 250USD/ 6,000,000VND/ 13,000PHP for three (3) persons, which is equivalent to 83USD/ 2,000,000VND/ 4,400PHP per head. The car is a Toyota Innova, which is inclusive of gas, English speaking guide/ driver, four meals plus snacks along the way, and a one night accommodation in Lam Tung Hotel in Dong Van. You can also wash up for free and order your meals or join sumptuous family dinners in Green Hill Hostel before and after the tour.
If by commute, there are also mini buses plying the routes going to towns like Meo Vac and Dong Van, they leave hourly in My Linh Bus Station in Ha Giang City.
Here’s how our trip went during our two (2) day Ha Giang Loop:
- Day 01
- Ha Giang Green Hill Hostel to Quan Ba Pass – 46kms
- Quan Ba Pass to Yen Minh Town – 51.3kms (97.3kms total)
- Yen Minh Town to Meo Vac Town – 49.7kms (147kms total)
- Meo Vac Town to Ma Pi Leng Pass – 17kms (164kms total)
- Ma Pi Leng Pass to Dong Van Town – 10kms (174kms total)
- Day 02
- Dong Van Town to Lung Cu Flag Pole – 26kms (200kms total)
- Lung Cu Flag Pole to Hmong Palace – 29kms (229kms total)
- Hmong Palace to Tham Ma Pass – 20kms (249kms total)
- Tham Ma Pass to Yen Minh Town – 10kms (259kms total)
- Yen Minh Town to Ha Giang Green Hill Hostel – 97.3kms (356.3kms total)
Travel Tips:
- Always take note of the bus schedules going in and out of Ha Giang, and make sure to reserve it ahead of time.
- Take enough cash with you for snacks (and loads of Vietnam Coffee!), but most of the sites in Ha Giang are free, the ones that only needs tickets are the Hmong Palace in Sa Phin (25,000VND) and the Lung Cu Flag Pole in Dong Van (20,000VND).
- While driving, just keep your cool as drivers in Vietnam are trigger happy when it comes to honking their car horns, specially around curves.(Locals do not really care even if you honk loud enough, true story)
- Internet Connection and Public Wifi is good at town areas and even in some tourist attractions, and it is FREE.
- A SIM Card by Viettel is also a must in case there’s no internet connection in some areas.
- Take your time, spend three days at least, we regret to only do it in two days and that was brutal. There was so much to see in every bend and curve!
- Respect locals and their ways.
- Ask for permission before taking someone’s photo.
- Do not give money or food to kids, so as not to encourage them to ask for it from other visitors in the years to come. A friendly attitude, a basic phrase like “Xin Chao!” (Hello!) or “Cam On!” (Thank you!) and a smile will do the trick.
- Offline language translators like Google Translate is a must to prevent miscommunication with the locals.
- Best time to travel in Ha Giang is during the Dry Season from September to April. December is where Buck Wheat flower fields are in full bloom and terraces are green. We visited last March and fields are barren, fog and cloud covers were our friend for the rest of the trip. Wet season, during May to August is not advisable as road conditions are too dangerous.
- Practice Leave-No-Trace Principles all the time, and leave no trash as much as possible since waste disposal in towns are not yet reliable.
- Buy bottled water all the time, since tap water is not that much potable in many parts of Vietnam
- Exchange US Dollars to Vietnam Dong in Noi Bai International Airport to maximize the currency. We had our money exchanged in BIDV Bank which offered good rates on our arrival (1 USD = 22,879VND, as of March 21, 2019).
- Or you can call your local bank and advise them that you will be withdrawing in Vietnam and wait for their confirmation.
- Never, ever miss the chance to have a shot of Happy Water during family dinners!
Things to See around Ha Giang:
Extend Your Trip
- Mt. Fansipan (3143+) in Sapa, Vietnam
- Ha Long Bay
- Ninh Binh in Tam Coc
- Hanoi French Quarters
Itinerary and Expenses
Northern Vietnam Adventure – Four (4) Day Itinerary
Day 0
2300 Depart for Hanoi, Vietnam
Day 01
1250 Arrival at Noi Bai International Airport (200,000VND Viettel 5GB unli 3G)
0224 Snacks (110,000) + 270,000VND Taxi Scam (Beware of this)
0500 Grab to Ly Thai To (300,000VND) + 50,000VND Snacks
0700 Take Sapa Express Bus to Sapa (360,000VND) + 45,000VND Snacks
1230 Arrival in Sapa
1315 Lunch (280,000VND)
1400 Fansipan Legend (750,000VND)
1530 Mt. Fansipan Summit 3143MASL
1730 Descend back to Sapa Station
1900 Dinner at Sapa Market (140,000VND + 100,000VND snacks)
2000 Bus Sapa to Ha Giang (300,000VND)
Day 02
0015 Stopover at Pho Rang
0300 Hagiang City
0330 Green Hill Hostel, rest, tidy up 0600 Breakfast (95,000VND)
0700 Start Hagiang Loop Day 01
0830 Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate
0845 Fairy Bosom
1114 Yen Minh, Lunch (+15,000VND Drinks)
1200 Depart for Meo Vac
1345 Meo Vac, Coffee (30,000VND)
1430 Ma Pi Leng Pass, Dong Van Karst Plateau GeoPark
1600 Check in at Lam Tung Hotel, Dong Van
1800 Dinner
1900 Explore Dong Van Town, Watch evening program
Day 03
0830 Breakfast (20,000VND)
0900 Hmong Ethnic Market, Dong Van (snacks 50,000VND)
1000 Depart for Lung Cu Flag Pole
1020 Lung Cu Flag Pole (20,000VND)
1100 Vietnam China Border Belt
1200 Hmong Palace (25,000VND)
1300 Sa Phin Moon Surface
1345 Tham Ma Pass
1445 Lao Va Chai
1530 Quan Ba Viewpoint, Cong Troi Cafe (Coffee 30,000VND)
1700 Green Hill Hostel, tidy up
1800 Family Dinner (100,000VND)
2030 Depart for Bus Station
2100 Sleeper Bus to Hanoi (200,000VND)
Day 04
0330 My Dinh Bus Station, sleep at the bus
0600 Grab to Gia Ngu, Hoan Kiem (160,000VND)
0830 Halong Bay Tour via Charming Travels (805,000VND)
1000 Stopover
1230 Ha Long Bay Cruise
1300 Lunch
1400 Cave Exploration
1530 Boat Tour
1700 End of Tour
2000 Hanoi, dinner at French Quarters
2200 Depart for Noi Bai International Airport (280,000VND, Grab Taxi)
Day 05
0200 Flight back to Manila
0730 NAIA T3, Manila
Total Vietnam Adventure Expenses: 280.00USD/ 6,406,000.00VND/ 14,784.00PHP inclusive of all expenses including meals, transportation, souvenirs and other incidentals
Total Expenses for Two (2) Day Ha Giang Loop: 2,545,000.00VND/ 5,744.00PHP/ 108.64USD ( For three pax)
** Please take note that incidentals such as snacks, souvenir items and other meals not included in the package are excluded from the total expenses
*** Exchange rate as of March 21, 2019: 1.00 USD = 22,897.00VND = 52.87PHP
**** We exchanged US Dollars to Vietnam Dong in Noi Bai International Airport
This tour wouldn’t be possible if not for the very generous help from the owners of Ha Giang Green Hill Hostel. I highly recommend their services and effusive hospitality like no other. Big thank to Ms. Pham Loan, Sir Hoang “Big Ben” Dung and their staff for the home far away from home experience!
You can contact them through:
Viber or Whatsapp: (+84) 91434 2035
Facebook page: Green Hill Hostel
Website:Greenhillhostel.com
This year’s transit, we called our team the “Lagalag Brothers” who is composed of three individual monkeys who braved the long journey holding their bladders for several hours just to get a glimpse of what’s inside Vietnam’s Final Frontier.
Hanoi, Vietnam: Underneath the Nón Lá – located on the eastern Indochinese Peninsula, this was once a French city often dubbed as the “Paris of the East”, a gateway to a plethora of natural wonders, people, culture and amazing food. From rich forests, karst and tectonic landscapes, towering mountain peaks, UNESCO listed sites, ethnic markets, and effusive local hospitality – let us take you into an adventure of a lifetime up into the northern reaches of Vietnam!
This is my third country visited last March 22 to 26, 2019.
Northern Vietnam Adventure Series 2019
The Roof of Indochina: Mt. Fansipan Travel Guide 2019
Ha Giang Loop: A Journey through Vietnam’s Northern Frontier
Ha Giang: A DIY Budget Travel Guide to Vietnam’s Final Frontier
Ha Giang’s Quan Ba Fairy Bosom
Mã Pí Lèng: The Legendary Mountain Pass Above the Clouds
Ha Giang’s Ethnic Rendezvous: Dong Van Sunday Market
Lung Cu Flag Pole: Vietnam’s Last Vestige
Hmong King’s Palace – Vietnam’s Golden Triangle Opium Link
Hanoi, Vietnam: One Night Only in the Charming Old Quarters
Inside the Bay of Dragons: Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Have you tried the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam? How was it? Share your awesome stories in the comments section below!
Ha Giang: A DIY Budget Travel Guide to Vietnam’s Final Frontier
Updated April 11, 2019
