Off the beaten track in Ha Giang - 6 Days - VOB03

You will be picked up by your guide and car at your hotel in Hanoi, and driven to Ha Giang, via Tuyen Quang province. Along the way, you will see a picturesque landscape of rolling hills, quiet villages and lush rice paddies dotted with palm trees. Stop en route to visit a village of black Tay ethnic people. Arrive in Ha Giang town in the late afternoon. Overnight at homestay.

After breakfast, drive to Dong Van Plateau situated at 1025m above sea level and inhabited by H’mong and Tay ethnic groups. Stop at the Heavenly Gate of Quan Ba before arriving at Yen Ninh- a beautiful valley nestled amongst green mountains. Walk through Pho Bang, known to tourists as the “town falling into oblivion”, home to the Hoa and H’Mong ethnic people. The locals have kept their laidback lifestyle. Their clay houses are decorated with a pair of couplets written in Chinese scripts with wishes of good luck and prosperity. Continue your tour with a visit of the Palace of H’Mong King Vuong Chi Sinh built in 1914 and now a symbol of the glorious past of the H’mong people. Night at a local guesthouse in Ha Giang.

If you are lucky, you may have a chance to visit Dong Van market held every Sunday. In the early morning, ethnic people from near and far carrying vegetables, fruit, chicken cages, birdcages and even pigs, buffalos or cows flock to the market for bartering. The atmosphere is very excited and enthusiastic, as after days of strenuous work, they are gathering here to exchange their products and have fun together. And one thing they never miss is “Thang Co”, a delicacy of the northwest area made of beef organs.  Ethnic men come here, squat to eat Thang Co, drink wine and chat until drunk. When the sun sets, they return home on their horse’s back led by their wives.

After breakfast, you depart to Meo Vac village inhabited by the Lo Lo and Pu Peo ethnic minority people who still retain their cultural traditions and traditional costumes. You will enter the border area with Yunnan province in China sculpted with an amazing karst landscape. You will hike down to Meo Vac valley, a beautiful valley filled with picturesque terraced rice fields, winding rivers and peaceful villages nestled at the foot of the hills. You continue the journey to Bao Lac crossing Ma Pi Leng Pass. In good weather, this pass makes for an amazing picture with mountains shrouded in cloud and the poetic Nho Que river winding its way to the horizon like a silk ribbon. This is a place where heaven and earth meet. Night at a hostel in Bao Lac. 

Continue your adventure with a morning drive to Cao Bang province. Stop en route, to shake out your legs, shoot nice photos and get in touch with local people. Overnight in Cao Bang.

Free time to visit Cao Bang until you return to your vehicle and drive back to Hanoi. Several stops en route. Arrive in Hanoi. Transfer to your hotel. Asiatica Travel’s services end here.