Let's Go, Jane!

I first heard about the Ha Giang Loop, a scenic motorcycle route in northern Vietnam that travels through rugged mountains, breathtaking landscapes, and remote ethnic villages, from a young woman on a walking tour in Chiang Mai. She called the experience “life changing.” I was in the process of outlining my plans for my last month in Asia and had blocked off five nights in Hanoi. The more I read about the loop, the more I wanted to do it.

I flew from Bangkok to Hanoi on a Thursday morning, having booked a bus pickup for two hours after landing. I figured that would give me plenty of time to retrieve my bag (AirAsia makes me check it, not because it’s too big but because it’s over the 7kg weight limit), get through passport control, and clear customs. Unfortunately, my plane was 90 minutes delayed and the immigration line was super long. I kept texting updates to the tour operator, hoping I could still make the bus. It’s a 5-6 hour ride, so I wanted to get on the earliest one possible. Finally I got through the airport and rushed to the meeting point outside. I had heard the term “sleeper bus” before but assumed that it just meant a bus that ran at night. No, this thing was literally a bus full of beds, like a hostel on wheels. I’m tickled that I made it 53 years without knowing that sleeper buses were a thing. With me, the last passenger, on board, we hit the road.

As it turns out, I am not able to fall asleep on a sleeper bus. Despite the fact that I was lying down, the ride was too bumpy and there were too many turns for me to be able to doze off so I just read. Because I was in a new country and had to rush through the airport, I didn’t have any local currency. At our first rest stop I asked if they took credit cards and they said no. At our next rest stop, I asked again and was told cash only. I hadn’t eaten since my airport breakfast and I was starting to get really hungry. With the help of Google Translate I was able to explain my situation to the driver and he arranged for me to pay for my dinner in US dollars. I scarfed it down and we got back on the road.

We finally arrived in Ha Giang around 8 pm. I set out on foot to look for an ATM, having been told that there wouldn’t be any on the loop itself. It took three machines before I found one that would give me cash. I withdrew a million Dong. Sounds like a lot, right? Because of high inflation, it’s actually only about $37. I headed back to the hostel to figure out the luggage situation.

When traveling by motorbike, you only have room for a small daypack tied to the back of the bike. I basically lived in the same pair of jeans with three different t-shirts and brought pajamas, a toothbrush, sunblock, a wind/rain jacket, wool socks, and a light down jacket (it can get cold in the mountains at night). I used my sling bag purse to hold my passport, wallet, airpods, and sunglasses so I could access them while we were riding. The rest of my belongings stayed at the hostel for three days until we got back.

Other travelers arrived at the hostel throughout the evening and into the night. We were instructed to come downstairs to breakfast at 8 am, packed and ready to ride. After a light meal, I was introduced to people I’d be riding with. There were seven of us, all solo travelers from seven different countries (France, Poland, India, Philippines, Netherlands, Mexico, and me) and all except me were in their 20s and 30s. You know how on that show Survivor there’s always an older woman who steps into the mom role? I tried SO hard not to do that on this trip, but it was difficult. Don’t forget sunblock! Have you had enough water to drink?

We were introduced to our drivers. While some people choose to drive themselves on the Ha Giang Loop, it is challenging terrain. I opted for an “easy rider,” where a driver operates the motorbike and you sit behind them. My driver’s name was Naan. I’m sure that’s not how he spells it, it was just an easy way to remember it. He didn’t speak a word of English so we communicated through hand gestures. Naan does smile, just apparently not for photos. He was a very safe driver, and I was never fearful. In fact, I was more scared on my 5 am ride to the airport, when the driver was clearly falling asleep, than I ever was on the back of Naan’s bike. 

I chose this particular tour company because the young woman in Chiang Mai said their group sizes were small (max 8) and she could tell that safety was a priority for them. I definitely had the same impression when we were out on the road. We wore helmets and protective gear. Some of the drivers from other groups were aggressive, traveling in large packs, going too fast and taking unnecessary risks to pass on blind curves or narrow roads. The road surface ranged from paved multi-lane roads to dirt or gravel, sometimes just a few feet wide. At one point we were driving on a 12” strip of concrete, with two-way traffic. 

That first morning we were all holding the handles under our seats in a death grip. As incredible as the scenery was, I was afraid to take out my phone to take photos or videos because I didn’t want it flying out of my hand. By the end of that day, our group had started to bond. All of our meals were served family style. The first night we toasted with happy water, a local wine made from corn (and sometimes rice), played card games, and sang karaoke. A tall, quiet Polish guy named Jakub resisted going up until well into the evening, when he blew us all away with a rendition of Let it Go from Frozen. I don’t remember the last time I laughed that hard. 

We stopped every 30-40 minutes to stretch our legs and use the restroom, sometimes just for a few minutes and other times for longer. One day we visited a Hmong family and got to go inside their house and see how they live. Another day we stopped at a village where they farm hemp and weave it into beautiful textiles. Other stops included hiking to a waterfall and riding bamboo rafts to a swimming hole. The water was cold, but it felt so good to swim! Some people were jumping off a cliff into the water and I thought, I could do that, but I’ve already proven to myself that I can. 

By the last day, I was leaning back with my hands in my jacket pockets and not a care in the world. When I tell you this trip was incredible, I’m underselling it. The scenery was absolutely stunning. Many times we came around a corner and I thought, “I should take a picture,” only to decide to just enjoy the view and stay in the moment. The terrain was a little different each day, depending on the altitude and how close we were to a village or city.

All good things must come to an end, and this motorbike trip was no exception. We arrived back in Ha Giang, collected our big bags, and hopped on the sleeper bus back to Hanoi. I collapsed into my hostel bed at midnight and slept for nine straight hours. I had one day to explore Hanoi, which is pure chaos. There are not only no crosswalks, there are no sidewalks. Pedestrians, bikes, motorbikes, street vendors, and cars all flow in and out of intersections, somehow never colliding. Four of us from the tour, who were still in town, got together for a delicious lunch of Bun Cha and then said our goodbyes.

I had originally planned to spend five nights in Hanoi. The motorbike tour wasn’t even on my radar until that fortuitous conversation on a walking tour in Thailand. But what started as a detour ended as one of the most extraordinary things I’ve ever done.