The 4 days I spent on the motorbike loop in Ha Giang were among some of my absolute favorite days out of the 5 months I spent in Southeast Asia.
This is everything you need to know if you are planning to embark on this journey through the mountains of Northern Vietnam.
Where and How To Book:
I booked my tour through Jasmine Hostel and I can’t imagine doing this tour through any other company. That said, there are other options out there such as Mamas Hostel that offer smaller group sizes and cheaper prices. It’s worth looking into all options to find the best fit for you.
I booked the 4 day, 3 night tour with Jasmine. They also offer a 3 day, 2 night package, however, I HIGHLY suggest extending to 4 days if you have the time. Day four brings you more incredible views, an afternoon in a waterfall, and the chance to properly close out the trip with your new group of friends. If you do select the shorter trip, Jasmine allows you to change your mind at any time and extend to the 4 day. Many people on my trip ended up extending — so if you have the time, just book the longer one!
You can easily book everything directly through the Jasmine website. You will have the option to book an easy rider or self-riding tour (more on this later) as well as an option to purchase your bus tickets to and from Ha Giang.
What to Expect: Pre Loop
If you book your bus from Hanoi with Jasmine you will meet up at a central office and board the roughly 7 hour sleeper bus to Ha Giang. You will get dropped off in Ha Giang and take a smaller bus to Jasmine Hostel. They will check you in when you arrive and you’ll spend the night before embarking on the loop the next day. You may choose to take a bus in the morning or take the night bus. I recommend taking the morning bus which will get you to the hostel in the early evening. This gives you time to organize your belongings, start meeting other loopers, AND you will get a full nights sleep before the chaotic four days that lie ahead.
You will need to pack a small backpack to bring with you on the loop. There is a storage room at the hostel where you will leave the rest of your belongings (if you have valuables, they will lock small items for you upon request). I suggest bringing the bare minimum to save space on the bike. Pack a few outfits you don’t mind getting dirty, a bathing suit, a raincoat, and any personal items. You really don’t need much!
Doing the loop with Jasmine is a very social experience. Before you begin, the whole group will be split into several smaller groups labeled by number. The size of these groups will depend on the time of year you go. I did the loop in September and we were a group of 14. Each day, you will travel on the motorbikes with your group. Though these are the people you primarily be with, you will see the rest of the larger group several times throughout the day when you make scenic stops, eat lunch, and when you arrive to the accommodation in the afternoons.
On day one, everyone will meet in the common area to be briefed on exactly what to expect over the course of the loop. You will receive a map and details about the breakdown of each day. At the end of the briefing you will learn which group you belong to and the name of your easyrider (if you have one). If you are self-riding, you’ll go outside for a briefing on the bikes. This is where the adventure begins. You will load your small backpack onto your bike, get together with your group, hear the announcement that the group is ready to leave, and begin day one on the Ha Giang Loop!
What To Expect: On The Loop
A Typical Day:
You only actually spend a couple of hours on the bike each day. The days typically start in the 7:00 – 8:00 hour (your driver will always let you know what time everyone will leave the night before). Each accommodation offers breakfast before heading back out on the loop. All meals are included on the tour: just bring money for additional drinks/snacks you may want. There are rarely instances where you sit on the bike for extended periods of time. Each day you will make several stops where you’ll have a chance to stretch your legs and spend time with your group. You’ll make scenic stops to take in view points, visit caves, swim in waterfalls, go on mini hikes, and grab some food. Lunch comes around the 1:00 hour, but remember that you have to be flexible with times and things will never run exactly to plan! The time that you reach the new accommodation for the night will depend on the day, but this typically happens some time between 4-6pm.
When you arrive at the accommodation, everyone typically showers and relaxes until dinnertime. The group will then gather and indulge in a wide variety of Vietnamese dishes and perhaps more importantly, happy water. Happy Water is a rice wine that you will find all over Vietnam, but especially on the Ha Giang Loop! Every night with dinner, you will find a bucket of happy water and shot glasses waiting for you at the table. And if that’s not enough, your drivers have your back. The easyriders seemingly come out of nowhere with more happy water in plastic water bottles that they are more than willing to share. They will come over to your tables, pour rounds and rounds of shots, and lead the group in a Vietnamese cheers. Beware: in my experience, the easyriders’ happy water is a LOT stronger than the ones on the table. After a rowdy dinner and plenty of shouting in Vietnamese, everyone enjoys the night together singing karaoke, dancing, playing card games, and relaxing from a long day of exploration. The accommodations typically have a curfew which means that the music is shut down and everyone slowly turns in for the night: you are staying in little villages where people live, so it’s important to be considerate towards them. This is usually around 10 or 11pm: and if that feels early… don’t worry. Everyone will be exhausted from the day and you’ll need some good sleep for the early morning and long day ahead.
Accommodation:
Accommodation is included in the tour and everything is booked for you and you will stay in group dorms each night. On night one, you will stay in a room with roughly 7-14 people. The beds are lined in rows on the floor which makes it feel like you’re having a cozy sleepover! The night two accommodation houses around 20 people per room for yet another giant group sleepover. On night three, riders receive the royal treatment with proper, super comfortable bunk beds and smaller rooms that house around 6-8 people. The night three accommodation is breathtaking. You will be surrounded by beautiful nature right outside your door. One of my favorite moments was waking up early to sit outside and take in all the views without everyone else. There were baby chickens and roosters wandering around, a mountainous chill, and absolute silence filling the air. If you can muster the strength to rise early after a long last night of happy water and celebration, it is so worth it!
Each accommodation offers towels for a deposit, free breakfast and dinner, and drinks available for purchase.
There is an also an option to book private accommodation that comes at an additional cost of 400,000 dong or about $16 USD / 2 people.
Food:
You have a variety of food options on the loop. For breakfast on days two and three, you will choose between a few set options available at the accommodation, whereas breakfast on days one and four is buffet style. Lunch and dinner are always presented family style. There will be meat and veg options and include dishes such as spring rolls, meat or tofu based mains, noodles, an assortment of cooked veggies, pumpkin soup, french fries, and more. There is always a heaping bowl of rice with each meal. As a vegetarian, I always felt I had plenty of options and enough to go around. The only complaint anyone had was that the food was repetitive, but again, remember that you are in the mountains of Vietnam: be flexible! There are places to buy snacks along the loop, so bring extra money to supplement any needs you may have.
Communicating with your Easyrider:
Each easyrider has a different level of English and it may not be super easy to communicate with your driver. Download google translate! You will use this all the time to communicate. There will be easyriders in your group who are better able to communicate information like important times you need to be aware of, so rely on them. Remember to always be patient and use body language to communicate with your driver. My driver didn’t really speak any English and we had a blast together. We listened to music every day on the bike and danced and laughed together the whole time. Do your best to communicate the best you can with the resources you have!
The easyriders go out of their way to make this a safe and FUN experience for the loopers. They may be running around shooting waterguns, blasting music from their speakers, singing karaoke, pouring shots of happy water, and more. Treat them well!
It is customary to tip your easyrider at the end of the loop. The amount is completely up to you, but again, treat them well!
Easyrider or Self Rider?
Easyrider
It is completely your choice as to whether or not you decide book an easyrider. An easyrider is a local driver who will be with you throughout the entire loop. This means you will never be in charge of driving the motorbike: you will get to be a passenger princess the entire time! If you are not confident on a motorbike, this is the choice for you. Driving the Ha Giang Loop is no joke. There are many other bikes around, times where you’ll be riding on the edge of a sheer cliff, extreme rains, and more that can make driving conditions quite dangerous. Easyriders have driven the loop so many times and are familiar with the route and the conditions (they have likely also been driving a motorbike since they were children).
Self Rider
If you are feeling adventurous and are quite confident on a bike, you can choose to drive yourself. In doing so, you will have more freedom and will save money on the trip. There are police stationed at various locations around the loop just waiting to give foreigners without a license a fine. Easyriders know these locations and have a plan in place. They drop their passenger princesses off past the checkpoint and go back in pairs to pick up the self-riders on the back of their bike to take them past the checkpoint to avoid being fined. By driving yourself, you will save around 1,800,000 Dong or $73 USD. For any extreme budget travelers out there, remember that saving $73 is NOT worth it if you are not confident on a bike. Don’t get in over your head and sign up for something you’re not prepared for.