Ha Giang loop - day 3

Final day of the loop today and whilst our bodies are ready to not be on the back of a bike any longer, we’re definitely going to miss it. It’s felt like its own little holiday within a holiday and we’ve absolutely loved it. I had high expectations but I think it’s probably the best adventure experience we’ve had.

We’ve been able to see parts of Vietnam we never would have otherwise. It’s been quite sad seeing the poverty in the villages and the work that small children and the elderly do. It doesn’t seem to matter what time you drive through the villages but everyone is doing some sort of work; farming, construction, cleaning, they never seem to stop. And you see children walking along the side of the roads and then drive for ages before seeing where they must be headed. But the tourism of the loop definitely seems to be positive and has brought lots of opportunities so hopefully it’s a good thing.

The last day started with an early visit to a waterfall where we both chickened out of jumping in. Then more riding and more views. Day 1 was definitely the busiest on the roads, at one point hitting a mammoth traffic jam on hairpin bends that the hundreds of bikes had to wind their way through. By today we were only occasionally seeing other bike groups. There have been plenty of hazards and hairy moments, with suicidal chickens, dogs, piglets and water buffalo darting in front of the bikes or blocking the road. At one point we came round a corner to meet another scooter dragging an entire tree trunk that spanned the width of the road. Our drivers have been incredible though and kept us feeling very safe throughout.

After a return sleeper bus and a sad farewell to our group, we’re back in Hanoi for a night and then off to Ninh Binh tomorrow.Weiterlesen