Ha Giang Loop Day 3 & 4

Day 3
We woke up to the sweet sound of cocks just in time to admire the Chinese border glowing in the sunrise before heading out for yet another pho for breakfast—no complaints there.

Next stop was the Lung Cu Flag Point (fun fact: we actually meant to go there yesterday but somehow managed to ride straight past it). It was massively touristy, but the views from the top more than made up for it. Clearly still not done with border appreciation, we then headed to the northernmost point of Vietnam. It was much quieter there, with equally stunning views—and yes, more of the Chinese border.

After that, it was mostly just riding around, soaking up the beautiful sunshine, which made the cold far more bearable. To reach our homestay for the night, we rode through a remote mountain village as the sun slowly began to set. The beauty of the scenery almost made us forget how sore our backs and butts were from riding close to 150 km that day.
We were greeted with fresh bananas and warming ginger tea, then sat down to enjoy a delicious dinner.

Day 4

Once again, we were woken by chickens going completely mental over what was probably absolutely nothing. Thankfully, the morning improved quickly with five large stacks of complementary very tasty pancakes topped with fruit and honey.

To get a few steps in, we took a short walk through the rural village, watching people do their laundry, children playing in the fields, and everyday life unfolding around us. Cultural experience complete, the Gang set off for the first stop of the day: an abandoned French fort.

From there, we rode through some beautiful mountain passes—until about the 100th pothole finally finished off our back wheel. We pulled in at a nearby mechanic (luckily there was one close by), and after about 45 minutes of replacing all the spokes, we were back on the road.

A slightly late lunch followed, enjoyed beside a beautiful river. Not long after, we realised our fuel was nearly empty, so we bought a couple of bottles to keep us going. The final stop of the loop was a stunning waterfall that we had entirely to ourselves, as all the tourist groups seemed to have already called it a day.

Back in Ha Giang, we enjoyed some very yummy dry pho, then treated our sore backs and butts to a long, well-deserved massage. Most of us found it incredibly relaxing, though Ny and Will slightly regretted their choice of an add-on cupping treatment.Read more