There are four routes considered as the top in the Northern Vietnam. They all might take approximately one week to finish but are varied in difficulty degree. Another thing that they have in common is stunning scenery, amazingly colorful and friendly ethnic minority people ready to serve your Vietnam adventure.
The North West Loop
This is by far the most popular touring route in northern Vietnam. Although it can be a bit tricky in places where they are upgrading it, the road is generally kept in a good condition. Along the route, travelers can stop at Mai Chau, Son La, Dien Bien Phu, Lai Chau, Tam Duong and Sapa for overnight rest.
Cycling Vietnam routes including Mai Chau is generally good with great views. After Mai Chau, the road disappears up into the forested Pha Ly pass, and you will see the local branch of Flower H’mong. You can follow the route into the Moc Chau valley famous for its milk and then onto the Black Thai dominated area around Son La.
From here you can cut over the mountains directly to Lai Chau or make a detour to the rapidly expanding settlement of Dien Bien Phu. It is interesting to note that since the provincial capital changed from Lai Chau to Dien Bien Phu, the latter has undergone a boom into another large nondescript Vietnamese town while Lai Chau has become very sleepy nestled in its fertile valley.
After Lai Chau the road follows the picturesque Nam Na river valley and you will start to see the local White H’mong (Sin Ho) ladies identified by their peaked black turbans, possibly working on the road. You can also take a detour to the Sunday market of Sin Ho to see a whole range of minorities such as Red H’mong, White H’mong, Flower H’mong, maybe a few Lu from further north and some of the colourful Dao Khau, who are spread between Sin Ho and Tam Duong.
Tam Duong is becoming a popular stop for Vietnam adventure holidays on the northwest loop and as a day trip for those coming from Sapa and therefore it won’t be too long before its two basic hotels are superseded by grander ones. The reason for its growing popularity is because it is an excellent place to watch a variety of the ethnicities seen before but also Lu and Giay. From Tam Duong the road climbs steadily over the Giang Ma pass into Binh Lu, a bustling and fertile area with a number of villages and ethnicities in evidence. At Binh Lu you will see Black Dao women and the huge massif of the Hoang Lien Son range in front of you.
Hoang Lien Mountains Route
The Hoang Lien Mountain Range route is easily the least traveled for a Vietnam adventure. The reason is simple – the road.
Like the North West loop, you go from Hanoi stopping the first night in Mai Chau. In Moc Chau however you fork right and take the new road to the reservoir, past rolling hills which at the time of writing had been completely denuded. The road is quick however and you are soon waiting for the vehicular ferry to the other side of the Hoa Binh reservoir. Again, on the other side, the road is mainly good until the village of Gia Phu where you will see a few women from the local branch of the Flower H’mong often with false hair – similar to the Red H’mong of Lai Chau. The road from here to Phu Yen is rough but not too bad and crosses some beautiful padded countryside. There is a good hotel in Phu Yen for you to enjoy your adventure Vietnam.
After the Phu Yen the road zigzags up to the Lung Lo pass which is only passable to the odd motorbike. This road is really out in the middle of nowhere and not a good place to break down. Barring breakdowns however you will soon join up with the Hanoi -Nghia Lo road which is good. The people around Nghia Lo are mainly Thai – identifiable by the silver clasps on their shirts. However, they don’t wear the striking turban of those in Son La province.
After Mu Cang Chai the road follows a beautiful river valley up until the pretty town of Than Uyen where you will meet the local branch of the Red Dao identified by their tasseled headdresses and typical embroidery and the local branch of the White H’mong. Once in Binh Lu, there will also be a few Dao Khau and then it is the steep climb into Sapa and on to Lao Cai and the Train to Hanoi.
The Far North
Only recently discovered by the tourist guides and still needing a permit and guide/minder in some parts, the Far North is set to become a center of adventure activities in Vietnam. This is because the landscape is stunning, there are reasonable places to stay and there are good main roads ( an exception being the beautiful but uncompromising stretch between Bac Ha and Hoang Si Phu). From Lau Cai it is a well-worn trek up a beautiful valley into the mountain village of Bac Ha. The Sunday market is justifiable famous as a magnet for Flower H’mong women and tourists alike. For the purist, however, it may be already getting spoiled by the increasing numbers of travellers’/internet cafes, hotels and handicraft stalls.
One alternative is Muong Khuong, where you will see a more diverse collection of minorities but few tourists. It also has one half-decent hotel. In this area in addition to Flower H’mong you will see Nung, Tu Di, Bo Y and maybe a few Lo Lo women in the market and a number of Dao Tuyen villages in the surrounding hills. The road to Muong Khuong is not quite as stunning as the one to Bac Ha – but still well worth the journey.
The roads north of Ha Giang have only recently been upgraded but are now in great shape and will only serve to attract increasing numbers of tourists and development. About 50 kms out of Ha Giang the road zigzags its way up the amazing Quan Ba Pass – to the aptly named summit at Heaven’s gate.
Just beyond Yen Minh the road forks. You can take either road as it forms a loop on to Dong Van and Meo Vac. If you take the right fork you will soon come to the small village of Mau Due, which often has an interesting market featuring a lot of the local Red Dao (Northern Ha Giang Branch) people. If you take the left fork you will climb the amazing Lang Si pass and continue to see pockets of White H’mong people who will encourage you to join more Vietnam outdoor activities.
From here it is not far to Dong Van which in common with a lot of Vietnamese towns is undergoing modernization (read uglification). In addition to the dominant White H’mong you may also encounter some Giay, Co Lao, Pu Peo and Lo Lo (although I found most Lo Lo now wear modern Vietnamese clothes). Between Dong Van and Meo Vac is probably the most stunning piece of scenery in northern Vietnam – the Ma Pi Leng Pass.
From Ha Giang you could go back to Lao Cai and the train but an alternative is to follow the wide Lo River right down into Tuyen Quang Province and maybe onto Yen Bai. In Tuyen Quang you are likely to run into some pockets of the striking White Dao ladies. After Tuyen Quang however the road is not so interesting and becomes much busier the closer you get to Hanoi.
The North East Loop
The North East Loop in Vietnam is the second most popular touring route for an adventure but still way behind the North West. And if you take the back road to Lang Son and on to Cao Bang you are unlikely to see many foreigners.
The journey starts from Hanoi with a two and a half hour drive to Thai Nguyen along a busy but quite pretty road. The scenery is pretty good though and you will probably bump into a few Shaven Headed Dao.
Lang Son is another bustling border town with an interesting market selling a lot of Chinese goods. Across town in the Cao Loc area you will encounter the colourful Nung Phan Sinh, and probably a few more Shaven Dao. From here you can take a day trip to Mau Son – following a pretty river with plenty of rural scenery.
There are also a number of day trips to be done around Cao Bang including some markets – however as they follow the lunar calendar you’d better asks locals for times. Also the minorities are mainly Tay and Nung so they are not that colourful. One of the best day trips is out to the Ban Gioc waterfall – which although not high is very impressive. From Cao Bang take the road south to Ba Be. There are the usual amazing passes to cross and you will no doubt encounter a few Coin Dao (Dao Tien). The hills around here are still mainly forested and so it is very picturesque. The road to Ba Be is probably finished by now which will cut down on time. Ba Be has been popular for a Vietnam adventure for a while and rightly so. The lake is very picturesque and you can stay in the national park in a stilt house or in the nearby village of Cho Ra and go on boat trips.
