Will life ever be the same again? Reflections on the Ha Giang Loop
The last time I was in Vietnam, the Ha Giang Loop, as a popular tourist attraction, did not exist. Instead, for avid motor bikers and stunning view seekers, the Hi Van Pass was the outstanding choice. The latter, a windy scenic road connecting Hue and Da Nang made famous by the Top Gear TV special whereby Clarkson and his mob travelled south to north Vietnam by motorbike.
If you’ve been keeping up with my travel blogs, it won’t come as a surprise to learn that Harry and I did not drive the Hi Van Pass during our previous trip. I actually wonder what we did for those two whole months. Anyway, here I am on the long coach from Hanoi to Ha Giang, wondering if I had made a massive mistake.
Should I stay or should I go?
Rewind a couple of months and despite being told that the Ha Giang Loop experience is brain chemistry-alteringly good – yes I made that phrase up – I was slightly apprehensive. I’d fallen down the trap of watching videos that showed landslides, treacherous conditions and an occasional horror story. Also, without any judgement intended, I did not want to do the tour with a raucous group of heavy party-goers, which is also what it had become well-known for.
For those reading who are not aware of what the Ha Gaing Loop is, it is a three or four day (depending on what tour you book) motorbike tour that winds through the mountain ranges of Northern Vietnam. During the route you stop at natural and historic man-made landmarks, visit local farming villages, indulge in the native culture and spend your evenings and nights at remote homestays. You see a side of Vietnam that was only once visited by the extremer travellers of years gone by or in photographs in travel books. Because of the motorbike laws in Vietnam, most travellers opt to sit on the back of the motorbikes that are driven by the expert tour guides.
As time went by, I knew I had to do it. My sister and Kea’s brother had done the loop a year before and both highlighted the experience as their travelling peak – if you pardon the pun. A group of Kea’s friends had also done the loop a couple of months before us and so recommended the tour group they chose. But because we left booking so late, entirely my fault for umming and ahhing for so long, they had no room left. Some research later and we booked in with a tour group called Odyssey and I am so glad that we did.
Into the thick of it
We are about an hour away from our destination and the drive through the mountains has begun to ignite the fire in my belly. I think my excitement has started to rise in part because I’m listening to a podcast with Joe Rogan and Ash Dykes. Ash is an extreme explorer who has completed the most dangerous and thrilling adventures over the last few years. Hearing his enthusiasm is inspiring me and I’m not doing anything compared to what he has done. I’m right up for this now.
The bus pulls in to what is an unassuming industrial town. I hope it gets better than this. Of course I know it will – thanks TikTok. We check in to our homestay ready for an early rise the next morning.
Up bright and early the next morning and the energy is already starting to rise. As people young and old and from all over the world tuck into their breakfasts you can’t help but notice the people around you start to wonder who they will be sharing the special next few days with. There are too many people for one group, it has to be two or even three. ‘Kea Edwards?’, ‘George Barnes?’ That’s us, we’re up. Kea meets her driver, Hop, and I’m introduced to mine, Tuan. That’s as far as I get, he doesn't speak a word of English and I’m not fluent in Vietnamese… yet. Then one by one as the other names are called out, our group begins to collect and before long there we were, the magnificent seven ready for an adventure like no other.
Bags strapped with only the essentials needed for the next three days and three nights, helmet and sunglasses on, headphones in, a wave to Kea and off we go. Queue Fortunate Son, Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Moments to cherish
Two months have now passed since that morning and unsurprisingly I haven’t forgotten it. I doubt I’ll forget it for the rest of my life, along with several other moments over the next few days.
Throughout the loop we saw sights that blew our minds – mountains, creeks and ravines that outperform your wildest imaginations. Pinch yourself moments around every other corner. Forests, caves and waterfalls so mystical that it makes you believe you’ve just been dropped and placed in a Lord of the Rings movie. At times, all you can do is breathe, take it all in and appreciate for that one moment, despite how short it might feel, that you are perhaps the richest person on the planet.
However, much like the most part of our travels, it is not just the scenery and outstanding natural beauty that completes your trip but the people who you share those experiences with. That can be just as magical.
It is safe to say that our small group got on well. A diverse bunch that included Floor and Sabine from the Netherlands, Meleke and Cahit from Turkey, Patrick from Brazil and Kea and myself from England. Thank goodness they all spoke brilliant English. As time went on, we grew closer and it was in the evenings that we really got to know each other. Sharing stories of our cultural similarities and differences, of our homes, our families and friends and hobbies and interests was just as special as the views.
Cahit explained, for example, the power and symbolism of coffee in certain Turkish traditions. He told us the story of how when a groom-to-be visits the brides home to ask for her hand in marriage, the bride is expected to prepare and serve coffee. But instead of sugar, salt is added. This is a test; if the groom drinks without complaint then he is committed to the marriage but if he reacts negatively then it might be seen as a lack of readiness.
Cahit explained how this custom is now performed playfully but it was taken more seriously once upon a time. It is these moments, learning from one another, that you realise it is not necessarily the experiences that shape you but those who you share it with.
Power to the people
It is not only your teammates that contribute to your Ha Giang Loop experience but the drivers too. In speaking to the drivers who could speak a little English, as well as the drivers who used mobiles to translate, we got to know more about them, their families and about the creation and existence of the loop and different operating tour groups. They explained how they are all local to the Ha Giang region and that the loop has brought them great opportunities to meet people from all over the globe, as well as consistent work.
All of the drivers made sure that we were all comfortable and assured the whole time. They understood that we had put our safety and essentially our lives in their hands and they did not let us down. They drove with caution, professionalism and with a smile on their faces at all times.
Tuan, my driver, explained through a translation app that he has a wife and five daughters who he misses very much when he is at work. Meleks driver apologised to her at the end of the tour for being quiet; he was grieving the loss of a loved one. The drivers joined us every evening as we chanted a traditional Vietnamese toast before drinking ‘happy water’ (a form of rice whiskey) and eating our dinner together.
Getting to know the drivers on a personal level reinforced the theme that just by trying, by allowing yourself to be vulnerable, open up and learn from one another that people will always get on with other people despite obvious differences. This was shown on a magnificent level on the final morning of our tour as whilst I was wandering around a former Vietnamese warlords palace, Tuan had secretly ventured off to do some shopping.
Unbeknownst to me, Tuan appeared with the most stunning hand-crafted hemp shirt, patterned with vibrant colours and elephants, that he bought as a gift for me. I was taken back, speechless and confused. What had I done to deserve this? I didn’t know how to react other than to accept Tuan’s gift with a great smile and a suffocating hug. We had hardly spoken, only through an app, but had communicated through smiles, laughter, head nods as well as sharing food, drinks and cigarettes with one another over the three days. As I valued Tuan’s kindness and hospitableness, he valued my openness and warmth.
I thought long and hard how to respond to this gesture. Should I do nothing? Gifts are not meant to be gifted just because you received a gift. What about an extra-large tip? Does that just come across as unthoughtful and patronising? Then Kea had a great idea. At our next stop, a rural hand-crafted hemp factory, I bought six different coloured bracelets. One for each of his daughters and his wife.
When I gifted Tuan these bracelets, which in monetary value could not match that of the shirt, his eyes began to pool. It was never about the money, it was about the power of building relationships through unspoken affection with what was once a complete stranger.
I didn’t want to leave Tuan out of pocket, however, knowing how much the tour companies take compared to how much they pay the drivers. I gave him a tip. It was not a tip in response to his gift but a thank you for keeping me safe and returning me in one piece.
If you need me, you know where I’ll be
Before I finish, I have missed out a lot. Hop showed us a brilliant card game called Sam that all the drivers played when we stopped off at viewpoints or activity spots. The small rural farming villages we drove through that ooze community and togetherness, something that is depleting at an alarming rate in the west, was exceptionally eye-opening and perspective-altering. And driving up to the Northern Vietnamese border and seeing China only a short distance away was incredibly surreal.
I’ll leave you with this. Imagine a small wooden cabin overlooking a valley so breathtaking it makes you feel like you’re deep in a dream. This cannot be real, can it? Myself, Kea, our gang and the drivers are all taking a minute. Some are lying down smoking a bamboo pipe, some are sat with a coffee and an ice cream. Six Blade Knife by Dire Straits starts playing from the speaker. I lay my feet upon the small wooden trunk stall conveniently placed in front of me, light my cigarette, lean back onto the timber wall to rest my shoulders, back and head, exhale and just soak it all up. For those four minutes and eleven seconds, time stood completely still. I hoped the song would never end.
I will forever long to be back in that world. A world that seems impossible to be only a dozen hours away from my desk, my laptop and my home in the south of England. What was a dream turned into reality has now become a dream once again.
Thank you, Vietnam. Thank you, Ha Giang Loop.
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