The Northernmost area of Vietnam, which is the sacred land of the S-shaped land, is the destination everyone wants to set food on. And so do we. On a beautiful day, we set out to conquer Dong Van Rock Plateau and discovered its majestic beauty of Northeast Vietnam.
Our motorcycle trip lasts two days on a Honda CRF25L. Riding from Hanoi to Ha Giang around noon, we enlisted to saunter through the streets of the capital. After enjoying the fresh air, we started our trip to Ha Giang mountain.
Our itinerary to discover the beauty of Dong Van Rock Plateau
The milestone number 0 was the first destination to mark the starting point of our trip from Hanoi to Ha Giang by motorcycle. This spot brought a different feeling as well as the pride for every trekker when reaching such a poetic land.
Running along 4C Highway, a glimpse of majestic hills and mountains appeared.
The Lo River parallelly runs to the highway. In some sections, the water fluctuates regularly. Sometimes it growls while it flows smoothly like the endless cloudy hair of a young woman at times. In this season, visitors can somewhere come across blooming end-of-season buckwheat flowers on both sides of the road. For us, to see those pink flowers at this moment is an indescribable joy.
From Hanoi to Ha Giang, we passed through Quan Ba Heaven Gate, from which we could see Tam Son town from above, and more excitingly, Co Tien mountain – a priceless gift from nature which is shaped like woman’s breasts.
Occasionally, we met highland children and adults coming back from the local market.
Continuing the trip, we soon moved to Sung La to admire the winding slope and dreamy valley from a distance.
Leaving Sung La, we proceeded to the Meo King’s residence. Along the way is a very majestic scenery with gray rugger rocks.
The ancient and mysterious mansion of the Vuong Palace was the last stopover of that day. We stayed overnight in Dong Van, enjoyed a ramble alongside crowded stresses and sipped a cup of coffee here.
Departed the palace in the early morning, we continued our motorcycle trip to Lung Cu flagpole – a place to mark the couple’s loves. The slope is winding and dewed, creating a vaporous picture.
From Lung Cu, we returned to Dong Van and continued to Meo Vac to conquer one of the four greatest peaks of the northern highland – Ma Pi Leng Pass.
The mighty Ma Pi Leng, which stubbornly challenges many visitors, now has gone into legend, and also known as the road of happiness. Arriving here, we just want the time to stop, then we can fully enjoy and snap some photos to record the stunning beauty of nature.
This 20-km road was made by thousands of young volunteers from 16 ethnic groups in 8 provinces of Northern Vietnam in 6 years (1959-1965), with over 2 million working days. Especially, Ma Pi Leng was made by young men of the Suicide Squad who hung themselves on the cliff to make every centimeter of the pass for 11 months. Below is Nho Que river flowing through the Tu San ravine and Ma Pi Leng pass. Standing on the top of the pass, you can hear the intense flow of river water.
On the two sides of the road, sometimes we see waterfalls flowing from the top of the mountain crossing like white thread, creating a very poetic scene for the rocky plateau.
To return to Ha Giang and end the trip, we chose the road from Meo Vac to Cao Bang via Highway 34, which runs along Nho Que River. The scenery on both sides of the road is very majestic.
Passing Bac Me, we came across green terraced rice fields and the stilt houses that appeared in the distance. It poured with rain on straight rows of palms. The whole area was covered with the white color of the rain. Our car promptly came back to Ha Giang at dusk, closing the second day of rock adventure. The trip from Hanoi to Ha Giang by motorcycle gave us the most exciting experience. Hope to see Ha Giang in the near future.
Best routes through the Dong Van rocky plateau
Let’s check out the best routes through the Dong Van Rock Plateau for your fascinating Vietnam motorcycle tour to the Northeast:
From Hanoi to Ha Giang, there are many routes to discover the beauty of Dong Van Rock Plateau. Each route offers riders different experiences. In particular,
Ha Giang → Yen Minh → Dong Van → Meo Vac → Ma Pi Leng Pass → Du Gia → Ha Giang → Bao Lac
If you are an avid adventurer, Ha Giang is the destination that cannot be skipped. Lining along the Chinese border, the mysterious and far-most mountainous land of the S-shaped country attracts numerous visitors. Blessed by nature, exhilarating roads and marvelous views of flowers blooming all year round are extremely special and I’m sure that you have never laid eyes on. Beside splendid landscapes, the local cuisine is also a fascinating thing for visitors to explore. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s join us and hit the road.
Hanoi → Vu Linh (Thac Ba lake) → Ha Giang City → Dong Van (Ma Pi Leng pass) → Bao Lac → Ba Be Lake → Hanoi
We will not only explore the distinctive beauty of Ha Giang with such landmarks like Quan Ba sky gate, Co Tien twin-mountain, Lung Cu flagpole, Dong Van Old Quarter, Khau Vai love market, and Ma Pi Leng pass, we also drop in other tourist attractions in northern Vietnam such as Hoang Su Phi terraced rice fields, Thac Ba lake, and Ba Be Lake.
Chieu Lau Thi peak is the next place of the trip which is one of the highest peaks in northern Vietnam. Standing at 2402 m, this challenging peak is worth your visit. During this Ha Giang off-road tour, visitors will be given exciting rides with so many surprises.
It’s awesome to experience the motorcycle trip from Hanoi to Ha Giang. You are an adventure enthusiast, so what are you waiting for? Prepare a powerful two-wheeler and start the discovery right now!
