# Ha Giang

Hà Giang is a city in the northeast region of Vietnam, on the banks of the Lô River. Its surroundings (and Hà Giang province in particular) can impress visitors with its high karst plateau, steep hills, winding roads, and ethnic diversity. It is ideal for outdoor activities such as trekking and camping. For many travelers, Hà Giang serves as the starting point for visiting the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark with its famous Hà Giang loop.

## Understand

Hà Giang is the main city of Ha Giang province, which is in the far north of Vietnam and shares a long border with southern China. The weather can vary greatly from hot, dry and windy to cold and rainy quickly.

## Get in

By bus from My Dinh, Gia Lam and Giap Bat bus stations in Hanoi#By bus (300 km, 200,000 dong). Or you can book the bus and it will pick you up at your hotel.

## See

Ha Giang is surrounded by typical Vietnamese countryside that includes rice fields terraces, green natural caves, cascading waterfalls and green tea fields. While wandering through the high mountains of Ha Giang you will be surprised to see such a variety of plants in one area, firs growing next to banana trees. The city of Ha Giang is the beginning of a famous journey called the "loop" that is a road that goes through the very top of the mountains of Ha Giang, next to the border with China. To fully immerse into the landscapes of Vietnam it is advised to travel by motorbike.

## Do

Rent a motorbike or car to do the "loop" or to simply stroll around Ha Giang to have an authentic Vietnamese experience.

### Car and motorbike rentals

A common price is 150,000 dong/day for a semi-automatic bike (110cc). You can find several rentals in Ha Giang. Some of them run out of motorbikes, but booking in advance is not necessary. It's better to have a look at the bike before renting.
* Car & Motorbike rental, N.10 Quyet Thang street, Ngoc Ha ward, ☏ +84 902093223, +84 825331983, canomi@thuexehagiang.com. 03:00-21:00. Cars and motorbikes to rent with or without a driver or English-speaking guide. Large, well-maintained fleet of bikes. Gives advice on roads and places to stay along your route. Always good to book your bikes in advance. (updated Mar 2020)

### Tam Son town

* 23.064688104.996261 Twin Mountains – Quan Ba, located in Na Khoang village, Tam Son town, Quan Ba district (49 km from Hagiang city in the North). Twin Mountains were formed from the geological movement processes of the earth’s crust, the fault of the limestone were about 400 million years ago. The perimeter of these 2 mountains are almost 1000 m², the area is approximate 3.6 ha. Twin Mountains also associated with some legendary stories which relates to the ambition and humanities of local people here. (updated May 2016)
* 23.068318105.0282572 Yen Minh. Yen Minh is a mountainous area, northern border of Hagiang (99 km from Ha Giang city in the north, along the highway 4C). There are many beautiful natural sceneries such as pine forest in Lao Va Chai commune; terraced rice fields Sa Ly (Ngam La commune), primary forest in Du Gia commune with diverse fauna and flora, Na Luong national cave, which are suitable for Yen Minh in developing eco and adventurous tourism. (updated May 2016)

### Khu TĐC Bình Vàng village

* Trekking in an ancient tea forest (you can see huge tea trees)

## Buy

* 23.037591105.049811 Lung Tam Linen weaving products, Lung Tam village, Quan Ba district, ☏ +84 1255 147 665 (Ms Mai). Unique linen clothes, bags, handbags, scarfs, pillows, blankets, purses and many different things. Every linen cloth weaving have traditional patterns, with the images bring the culture and color of the Hmong ethnic people by complicated indigo dyeing and beewax batik drawing process. Mrs Mai is the leader of Lung Tam linen weaving cooperative. (updated May 2016)
* 22.693529104.967472 Shan Tuyet Tea (Snow Shan Tea), hungcuongtea@fpt.vn. Ha Giang is one of the provinces that has the oldest aged Shan tea of the Vietnam with a large leaf, bud and young leaf with snow-like white fur, good growth, high resistance of wetness, coldness, high productivity and good quality. Therefore, it is called snow Shan tea. This is the raw tea material of Hung Cuong Trading Company to produce organic tea products certified according to USDA, EU, COR, IFOAM standards. (updated May 2016)

## Eat

Local delicacies: Thang Co, Au tau gruel (Au tau bulb), sausage (Lap suon).

## Drink

Local drinks worth trying: corn wine, sugarcane juice, ancient Shan tea.

## Sleep

* Ha Giang Infinity Tours https://www.instagram.com/hagiang_infinity_tours/ https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=84326644674
* 22.810151104.9404831 Mama's House Hostel, No 368, 20 thang 8 street, 1st group, P. Nguyễn Trãi, ☏ +84 915121987, ExploreHagiang@gmail.com. (updated Oct 2018)

#### Khu TĐC Bình Vàng village

* A typical rentable motorbike with plateaued crop fields in the background.22.6968104.96952 Huong Tra Hotel, Km17, Vi Xuyen district, Ha Giang province, ☏ +84 2193825876, huongtrahotel.hagiang@gmail.com. From 250,000 to 400,000 dong. (updated May 2016)

## Go next

* Cao Bang
* Dong Van
* Hanoi
* Lao Cai