Vietnam Northern Highlands Motorcycling

Ha Giang and the Northwest Loop, Northern Vietnam · Vietnam

Moderate10 daysAsia~£900 est.

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Overview

Ride a 10-day motorbike loop from Hanoi through Vietnam's northern mountains, where the country's most dramatic roads stack switchback on switchback between rice terraces and limestone towers. The set pieces connect naturally: Mu Cang Chai's terraces cascading 1,000 m down the hillsides in stepped gold at September harvest; the O Quy Ho Pass between Sapa and Lai Chau; Dien Bien Phu, where French colonial ambition ended in 1954; and — the climax — the Ha Giang karst country, riding the Ma Pi Leng Pass with the jade ribbon of the Nho Que River far below and the cliff dropping straight off your handlebars. The infrastructure is friendlier than the terrain suggests: semi-automatics and 150 cc manuals rent cheaply in Hanoi or Ha Giang, mechanics appear in every town along the circuit, and homestays and guesthouses come every 30-50 km. The variable that catches people out is weather — mountain fog and greasy concrete descents demand real caution, and December-February is genuinely cold above 1,000 m. Ride in September-October for harvest gold or March-April for warm, dry roads. Budget around £900 for bike hire, fuel, food and guesthouses; carry an International Driving Permit with a motorcycle category or your travel insurance will not pay out.