Extended Ha Giang Loop: Ha Giang – Cao Bang – Ba Be

The journey begins at Ha Giang Experts and heads towards the Thanh Thuy border gate, a place steeped in the pride of this frontier land and in the brave stories of the hilltop battles. On the way back we cross the Lo River and take the road through the Phong Quang special-use forest, where old trees shade a winding lane and give you the cool stillness of wild nature before the first rocky climbs test the riders. Following the border ring road we push deep into the Dong Van karst plateau; the landscape turns the characteristic grey of “cat’s ear” rock as we visit ancient H’Mông villages. At sunset we reach the old hamlet of Lao Xa — a quiet valley of rammed-earth houses under moss-covered yin-yang tiles, where the H’Mông silversmith’s craft has been kept alive for generations. The first night in Lao Xa is the moment for a cup of fiery corn wine by the fire and for feeling the slow rhythm of a village still intact in the heart of the Geopark.

The second day opens with a visit to the old hamlet of Sao Ha, a “valley in the sky” tucked into the Van Chai forest (Dong Van), with its meticulously stacked stone walls and the mysterious air of a community living without electricity or phone signal. Leaving the mist-covered valley, the group calls at the Vừ family mansion in Ha Sung (Lung Tao commune) to admire its distinctive chieftain architecture, before taking a side branch of the Ma Pi Leng pass: the Sam Pun road through Xin Cai to Son Vi, the remotest border road in Meo Vac district. At the end of the day the route follows the lower Nho Que River to Khau Vai, famous for its romantic “love market”, closing a day full of emotion.

Early morning in Khau Vai brings a one-of-a-kind experience: loading the bikes onto rough bamboo rafts to cross the Nho Que River, a short passage over still water — and when the raft touches the far bank you have arrived in Cao Bang. The day’s biggest challenge is the Khau Coc Cha pass on Provincial Road 217, with 15 tiers of tight hairpins stacked up a sheer cliff, demanding a steady hand in exchange for the panorama from the top. The route continues over the Na Tenh pass, following the Vietnam–China border and opening onto the terraced valleys of Cao Bang. From Bao Lac the group takes National Road 34 to Thong Nong, then turns onto the Can Yen – Cai Vien – Tong Cot border patrol road towards Pac Bo. The day ends at the Pac Bo historical site, where the Lenin stream and the Coc Bo cave offer a calm, almost sacred space and take you back to the roots of the revolution.

The fourth day takes the group from Pac Bo through Tra Linh to Mat Than mountain (Nam Tra) in the Thang Hen lake complex — a geological wonder with a round “window” pierced through the mountain above a valley of green grass. The route continues towards the border, following the jade-green Quay Son River through Ngoc Con and Phong Nam, where giant water wheels and the stone houses of the Tày people create a scene straight out of a fairy tale.

Morning in the Ngoc Con valley, where limestone ranges embrace the Quay Son River. After the awe of Ban Gioc waterfall, the journey turns onto small roads through Tày, Nùng, H’Mông and Dao villages: Provincial Road 206 through Quang Uyen, joining National Road 34 to Nguyen Binh, then through Ngan Son and Phu Thong on Provincial Road 258 down to Cho Ra. We cross the suspension bridges along the Nang River to reach a secluded lakeside retreat in the heart of Ba Be National Park.

Wake up to the fresh air of the national park and explore Ba Be Lake by boat. Then comes a riding challenge on the forest roads of the Cho Dien – Phja Khao mining area (Cho Don), across the remains of the 1914 Decauville railway and the 1,200 m Otto Pohlig cable line once used to carry ore to the Lo River. History returns at Tan Trao — the “Resistance Capital” (1946–1954) — before the adventure closes in Hanoi.