Ha Giang Loop – The ExhaustNotes Blog

Returning to Vietnam – Ha Giang Loop: Part 5

By Mike Huber

I had stopped at the perfect place for my morning coffee. Not only did the owner know of less chaotic roads, but the coffee shop was at the exact location to turn off to hit these mostly unexplored roads. I quickly finished my coffee and was out the door in minutes.

This would be the Vietnam I was looking for. No congestion, no traffic stops, just miles of mountain switchbacks. This new chosen path didn’t come without a bit more adventure, too. Over the next five days I didn’t see one Westerner or tourist. None. The village homestays I chose were so far off the beaten path I don’t even think many of the locals had ever seen a Westerner. Communication was strictly between my charades and some Google Translate. The more rice wine I drank at the end of the evening, the less I relied on Google and the more colorful my charades became.

The roads were beautiful as the paved switchbacks disappeared into the lush jungle mountains and became dirt. Some had precarious places with mudslides that consumed the dirt along these roads. On more than one occasion I would be filled with confidence as I successfully negotiated these obstacles, only to be put in my place as a 10 year old girl on a scooter would overcome the same obstacles (but one-handed as her other hand was busy texting). Talk about an instant ego check.

The days actually became very isolating with the empty mountain roads, and even emptier villages where I found myself staying. On more than one occasion I found myself alone in a rundown hotel room having ramen for dinner by boiling water from a tea kettle. Those moments were overshadowed by the adventure that always arrived the following day as I chose new mountain roads. It was exactly the experience I desired while motorcycling Vietnam.

For the next five days I hardly saw pavement or even other vehicles. When I would stop for a break at a viewpoint or for a drink of water there was absolute silence. Even if there had been noise, the dense jungle would have absorbed it. The jungle even consumed the sound of my moto crashing into the rocks when I occasionally lost focus. It wasn’t dense enough to absorb my pain-induced swearing as I reinjured my broken rib from my Thailand crash.

After nine days I returned to the sensory overload of Hanoi, which came in the form of massive traffic and chaotic roundabouts. I had completed the Ha Giang Loop. It was such an epic road. The greater accomplishment was leaving the tourist trap loop and experiencing the true, raw, and mostly unexplored roads of Vietnam.

Catch up with Huber’s Vietnam adventure ride:

Ha Giang Loop: Part 1
Ha Giang Loop: Part 2
Ha Giang Loop: Part 3
Ha Giang Loop: Part 4

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Returning to Vietnam – Ha Giang Loop: Part 4

By Mike Huber

Awakening the following day, I was eager to begin my second day on the Ha Giang Loop in northern Vietnam. Thankfully, the remainder of my first day on this road went without further incidents with local law enforcement.

As I continued northward in this beautiful mountainous region there wasn’t a day that went by where I wasn’t pulled over at least once. The officers I had paid the 8 million Dong to were true to their word as each time I was pulled over at license checkpoints the officer would pull out their phone and scroll through the many photos of tourists until I would stop them. “Right there! That’s me. See? I paid.”

The police officers then signaled me to be on my way. Outside a few verbal warnings to slow down, the police check points just became part of my daily routine as my journey continued.

Hitting the Vietnamese North Pole was one of my objectives along this ride. Starting off early in the morning was the best way to go. The early start was not only to avoid police check points and tourist traffic, but also to watch the mystical fog burn off the mountains as I weaved my way north. The roads were in pristine condition. The only thing more pristine was the green mountain views that unfolded as I powered through the corners. It was wonderful to have the road to myself, outside of the few meandering water buffalos that lazily crossed in front of me every so often.

Every day as afternoon approached, the police check points would appear. After a few days of constantly being pulled over to scroll through the police text thread, point out my photo, and on occasion be given a breathalyzer test (Vietnam has zero tolerance for driving under the influence), it began to get old. The road was filled with rental scooters. Most carried Westerners.

After four days of riding along the Ha Giang Loop, I reached my limit. I’d had enough of tourists, police stops, and crowds. Tigit Rental had written a solid itinerary, but at this point I needed more solace. I pulled into a coffee shop to see if there was another route I could take to deviate from the Ha Giang Loop (and there was). I hit smaller, less traveled roads. The coffee shop owner must have seen the frustration on my face as I zoomed through maps and roads to explore on my phone.

Using Google Translate with the shop owner, I described what I was looking for in terms of roads and a Vietnam experience. She quickly pointed out a direction. The roads she identified were remote and they met my criteria. The path would also send me north along the Chinese border, and then loop down to Hanoi. This would get me away from the Ha Giang Loop chaos.

Catch up with Huber in Vietnam:

Ha Giang Loop: Part 1
Ha Giang Loop: Part 2
Ha Giang Loop: Part 3

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Returning to Vietnam – Ha Giang Loop: Part 3

By Mike Huber

At 10:00 a.m., I was behind schedule, for whatever that means as I don’t really have much of a time constraint these days. But I did want to complete 200 kilometers that day. My usual thinking is to make up time by simply twisting my right wrist. I fully controlled time and distance with that slight move. This mentality had been successful in the past and so why not stick with what works?

It only took about 20 minutes of thinking that way before I saw a metal overhang with what appeared to be a speed camera. Tigit Rental warned me about speed cameras. I was not concerned. I figured it would be a fine when I returned the motorcycle. The fine would be a small price for the control of time and distance, and just another problem for future Huber to deal with.

Well, this time future Huber and present Huber were about to meet as three Vietnamese police and waved me over. There was quite the collection of motorcycles from tourists that had also been pulled over. I was then ushered across the street and found myself instantly sitting in front of a judge. I was quite frustrated and said, “Look, I just paid your buddy down the street 8 million Dong. I have no more money to pay.”

It was a stalemate between the police and me. I refused to pay the fine. After about 30 minutes he came back and started a video call with who I am assuming was the officer I had just paid 8 million Dong. By this time my day was shot, so I didn’t care if he had me sit around the courthouse all day. I wasn’t paying.

After another 30 minutes of me obnoxiously broadcasting the play by play of the other tourists in front of the judge, they decided I had learned my lesson (and they had obtained enough of my money). The judge and officers took pity on me and let me go.

It was now approaching noon, and it was finally time to put some kilometers and the morning’s incidents behind me, but perhaps at a slower pace. I had spent about four hours of my morning with the local police and the courts. It was time to salvage the day. I kept my speed down, at least in the more populated towns and villages. Either way, I was now officially on the Ha Giang Loop.

It only took a mountain pass or two before the morning’s frustration was replaced with my enjoying being back in the moment. The road and the amazing mountain ranges of northern Vietnam lay before me.

Catch up with Huber in Vietnam:

Ha Giang Loop: Part 1
Ha Giang Loop: Part 2

More Huber? Check out A Trip Into The Moment.

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Returning to Vietnam – Ha Giang Loop: Part 2

By Mike Huber

I awoke in Ha Giang prepared for an early start. This would be my first day on the Ha Giang Loop. After a quick breakfast (see the photo above) and some coffee, I was packed and ready to ride.

I knew the roads could get busy, so I made it a point to have everything packed up. This would allow me to wrap up riding by 3:00 p.m., so I could explore whatever city or village I would be staying in that afternoon. Tigit Rental had printed out the route they preferred and my plan was to stick to it.

My kickstand was up just after 07:30 and I was off. It was about 07:40 when my kickstand went back down. I had been pulled over by the Vietnamese police. I wasn’t speeding (I never am, right?). It was a routine license check. I quickly pulled out my IDP (International Driving Permit) and handed it to them. Tigit Rental had warned me that my IDP was not valid in Vietnam. It literally goes back to some clause Vietnam refused to sign in 1949.

Tigit Rental had also warned me to keep a certain amount of currency separate to pay the “fee” to the police. That was where my ADD kicked in and I had forgotten the amount. Utilizing Google Translate and handing my phone back and forth, I now had three officers around me. One officer said it was 8 million Dong (about 256USD). I didn’t have that amount with me. I explained that to them and that a trip to an ATM was required and I would return with the payment for the “fee.” I was forced to either surrender my passport (which was not happening) or leave my bag.

As I ran the money conversion in my head, I realized the amount was not good. What’s worse is it took visits to three banks to find one that took my card (and that would allow that amount to be withdrawn). I also had forgotten to pay myself that month, so my bank account was now pretty close to zero after my previous numerous withdrawals. I was getting a bit flustered as I finally got all 8 million Dong and was ready to head back to the checkpoint, pay them, get my backpack, and depart. That was when I realized I had forgotten where the checkpoint even was located. I had been turned around so many ways in hunting down banks I was fully disoriented. The only thing I could think of doing was returning to the starting point, my hotel, and just re-riding my path from that morning.

That worked out and I finally made my way back to the checkpoint. The officer than asked why it took me so long and I know I typed something to the effect “I’m not that smart” into the translator. He then ushered me over to a van and in the passenger front seat opened a briefcase full of cash.

Looking back, this entire experience is a “what NOT to do” outline for these types of situations. I get it, and I fully deserve any bashing I get because I was beyond dumb here. I managed to get ever more stupid.

I thought taking my phone out to take a photo of the briefcase full of cash would be a great addition to this story, which I knew I would write eventually. As I angled my phone, another officer behind me grabbed it. This was not good. He spent five minutes reviewing every piece of data and photo in my phone searching for the photo that I never managed to take, and all the while I kept repeating “no photo.” He finally returned my phone.

I unknowingly overpaid the Vietnamese police about 150USD ((2 to 3 million Dong is the going rate; I had paid 8 million). I was almost arrested due to my own stupidity. There was just one final step to take before I could go on my way: A photo of myself and my motorcycle. This photo was uploaded to what I will describe as a massive group text chat for future altercations with the police that would prove I had paid my “entry fee.”

It was now close to 10:00 a.m. My early start was shot. I threw my leg over the Honda and fired it up. Feeling relieved I wasn’t going to jail, there was still plenty of daylight to salvage my slow and difficult start. Sadly, that relief was short lived. In just under 30 minutes, I found myself sitting in front of a judge and more police.

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Returning to Vietnam – Ha Giang Loop: Part 1

By Mike Huber

In December 2019 I spent a month motorcycling central Vietnam, but due to poor weather I missed riding the Ha Giang Loop. The Ha Giang Loop is a 240-mile loop through northern Vietnam. It has spectacular mountain views and roads that go up to Vietnam’s North Pole, the northern-most point in Vietnam. This loop is the best road I have motorcycled in Asia. It may be the best road I have ridden anywhere.

I started the 10-day journey from where I had previously left Hanoi. I rented my moto from the same place I had six years earlier (Tigit Motorcycles). I was familiar with the company and felt comfortable renting from them again.

Upon arriving and securing my motorcycle, a Honda XR150, the representative went over the usual rules and a few route suggestions. He informed me that my International Driver’s License was not valid. What this meant was that I would be expected at some point to pay the police “a fee.” This was news to me as I had previously ridden for four weeks through central Vietnam, and I of course had been pulled over. The police then never really seemed to care; however, now the Ha Giang Loop has become so popular that you are expected to pay the police this fee. The representative stated the amount in Dong (Vietnamese currency) I would have to pay, but my ADD kicked in and I didn’t hear the amount.

It took me two days just to get to Ha Giang, where this epic road began. During this time there was one moment that really stood out. It was getting late and I was about 30 kilometers south of the city of Ha Giang when I decided to stop in a restaurant to get some Wi-Fi and book a place for the evening. As I sat down, I noticed a group of four Vietnamese men a bit older than I was. Within a few moments they invited me over and we began passing my phone around using Google Translate as beers, a bamboo tobacco pipe (which looked similar to an Australian Digeridoo), and food begin to arrive at the table. A dish of food and a beer suddenly appeared in front of me. The conversation eventually got deeply serious about the Vietnam War and about the history surrounding the United States and Vietnam.

After an hour or so, I went to pay the waitress. I tried to be slick and ensured she knew I was paying for the entire table. She quickly waved me off. As I turned around, the men from the table all gave me hugs and nudged me towards the door. They texted on my phone “Your money is no good here.” It was probably one of the nicest gestures I encountered in all my travels, especially knowing they don’t make much money and for them it was a substantial amount.

After drying my eyes, I got on the Honda and continued to my hotel. Carefully parking my bike in the hotel’s garage, it was now time to get some local food and retire for the evening. Tomorrow was the day I was to begin the Ha Giang loop and I wanted to ensure I was fresh as it would be a long day.

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