Ha Giang travel: how to get there, what to explore, what to eat…

Ha Giang is simply 300 kilometers from Hanoi, however the life that unfolds within the province is a world aside from most different locations, given its topography and ethnic variety.

Between September and November is essentially the most supreme time to go to Ha Giang with dry local weather and funky climate with common temperatures of 28 levels Celsius.

From the top of September to early October marks the ripening of its terraced rice fields, that are a spellbinding sight.

Buckwheat flowers blooming in November is one other distinctive sight within the northern highlands province.

Nestled in the midst of a valley, the Dong Van Outdated Quarter, additionally known as Dong Van Outdated City, is a novel gem in Vietnam’s last frontier that’s surrounded by excessive rocky mountains and limestone formations.

The outdated city was shaped within the early twentieth century with just a few Hmong, Tay and Chinese language households settling down right here.

Now, the city has 40 two-storied homes with a contact of Chinese language structure equivalent to yin-yang tiled roofs, yellow partitions and pink lanterns held on the gables.

Since 2006, the city has attracted vacationers by organizing a lantern competition on the 14th, fifteenth and sixteenth days of every lunar month, across the full moon time. All of the native households cling pink lanterns, show their particular product – ethnic brocade – and promote their conventional meals in an effort to spice up tourism, considerably much like what the extra well-known Hoi An historical city has been doing.

A cup of espresso on the Pho Co Café, one of many few locations which have retained its Chinese language-Vietnamese structure, is a extremely beneficial expertise.

One other cultural-commercial spotlight of the city is its flea market, held each Sunday morning. It’s a place to buy native merchandise made by ethnic minorities such because the Mong, Dao, Giay, and Tay and a spot for younger ladies to hang around with mates of their colourful conventional costumes, buying and having enjoyable.

Positioned in Sa Phin Valley of Dong Van District, the Hmong King’s Palace, the seat of the H’mong kings Vuong Chi Thanh and Vuong Chinh Duc, who dominated over the area through the French colonial period up till Vietnam regained independence in 1945, takes guests to a different age.

The palace consists of six two-storied homes with a complete of 64 rooms, all linked to one another. The structure options the Qing Dynasty model, with inexperienced pebbles, pine woods and terra-cotta tiles as the principle constructing supplies.

Admission charges price VND20,000 per particular person.

Leaving Dong Van City, a 25-kilometer street by way of steep paths and rugged mountains results in the Lung Cu Flag Tower, which proclaims the nation’s territory and sovereignty, and is mark of pleasure for all Vietnamese residents.

Constructed on the summit of Rong Mountain on the top of 1,700 meters above sea degree, the octagonal monument is 33 meters tall and on high of the tower flies a 54-square-meter flag that represents 54 ethnic teams in Vietnam.

Guests need to climb 389 stone steps and one other 140 steps on a spiral iron staircase to get to the tower. A panoramic view of Ha Giang awaits those that attain the summit.

The Ma Pi Leng Move is commonly described as one of many 4 most harmful passes in Vietnam. Hovering over the cross is a mountain 2,000 meters excessive that’s hugged tight by the Hanh Phuc (Happiness) Street connecting Ha Giang City with the districts of Dong Van and Meo Vac.

The street was accomplished in 1965 after 11 years of building principally by staff belonging to the Hmong ethnic group.

Negotiating the cross is a troublesome process even for essentially the most seasoned vacationers and a few overseas vacationers have died driving off the cross.

“Ma Pi Leng cross is such a surprise of the world which lies proper on the border of Vietnam and China. The cross affords breathtaking landscapes and unique strolling trails alongside the mount. Love this!” stated Victor from Denmark.

“This may be one of the crucial lovely locations I’ve ever been to. A bit harmful, I recommend you pay for a service with a driver,” Zupanc Nina wrote on Tripadvisor.

Presently, some tour operators additionally supply one-day excursions for inexperienced vacationers to navigate Ma Pi Leng Move. Skilled tour guides will take them by way of the rugged curves and steep cliffs.

A ship journey on the Nho Que River’s turquoise waters on the foot of Ma Pi Leng Move is one other extremely beneficial journey expertise.

Rent a bike taxi (xe om) to achieve the pier and pay VND100,000 per particular person for a 30-minute boat journey.

Guests can even request particular photograph stops alongside their means down Tu San, often known as one in every of Southeast Asia’s deepest canyons.

There are 23 vacationer boats that transport 1000’s of tourists who come to admire this majestic surprise yearly.

“Earlier than the Covid-19 outbreak, this place was crowded with vacationers throughout weekends and holidays. Now we solely get vacationers touring in teams to make sure security,” stated boatman Trieu Chuong.

Alongside each side of the river are rice fields planted by the Giay folks.

Pho Tro, a small village on the outskirts of Pho Bang City in Dong Van District, is characterised by conventional ‘trinh tuong’ homes with yin-yang tiled roofs.

As a part of a rural renovation program, native authorities have improved infrastructure to develop tourism right here. The village now has spacious headquarters and an elementary college. Cemented pathways present quick access to each home. Households have acquired subsidies below this system to construct loos and indoor bathrooms.

As famous earlier, visiting Ha Giang from September till November is a chance to go to Hoang Su Phi District, well-known for 3,000 hectares of terraced rice fields that kind wavy, mesmerising golden yellow carpets.

There aren’t many locations to remain in Hoang Su Phi, however homestays can be found in villages or motels in Vinh Quang City for VND250,000 to 550,000 ($10.68 to 23.50) an evening.

It will get chilly at nights and early within the morning, so taking a jacket alongside is a good suggestion when visiting Hoang Su Phi. Additional care needs to be taken when driving on the street from Ha Giang City to Hoang Su Phi as a result of it’s slim, winding and crowded with vans.

WHERE TO STAY

Constructed atop a mountain in Yen Dinh Commune in Bac Me District, the P’apiu Resort is especially favored by well-to-do {couples} who want to take pleasure in a peaceable, secluded environment and inexperienced landscapes.

The resort can be distinctive in that every one its employees are native ethnic minority residents. Room costs begin from VND9.8 million an evening.

The Hmong Village resort in Quang Ba District, round 50 kilometers northeast of Ha Giang City, has 25 bungalows surrounded by inexperienced timber and picturesque pure surroundings.

Bungalows designed within the form of rattan baskets that Hmong ladies sling on their backs to hold rice and different issues are a particular function of the resort.

It additionally has a group guesthouse that may accommodate as much as 40 folks at VND400,000 an evening. An evening’s keep within the bungalows prices from VND2.4 million ($105.31).

To gaze up on the rice terraced fields through the golden season from their home windows, the Hoang Su Phi Lodge and Kinh Homestay in Nam Hong Village are supreme choices.

Dong Van and Meo Vac districts supply budget-friendly homestays with costs starting from VND100,000-230,000 per night time.

WHAT TO EAT

Given the variety of ethnic minority communities who stay in Ha Giang, a culinary exploration of the province is a rewarding train.

The xoi ngu sac (five-colored sticky rice) – pink, yellow, blue, purple and white – is made through the use of fruits, roots and leaves of crops. Glutinous rice is soaked in water for 6-8 hours and divided into 5 elements. Other than the unique white coloration, the opposite elements are dyed with a pure meals coloring agent and steamed till tender.

The dish could be discovered on the weekly flea market in Dong Van City.

From mid-October onwards, the Ha Giang rock plateau blooms with buckwheat flowers, a season which has already made the place a significant vacationer attraction. Residents use these flowers to make a signature dish – triangle buckwheat cake – that’s tough to seek out elsewhere.

The buckwheat seeds are harvested, dried and crushed into tremendous powder. The ability is blended with water to make flat spherical muffins which are then steamed for about 10 minutes. The muffins purchased on the markets could be taken dwelling as a particular reward.

Vacationers can purchase this cake from avenue meals distributors or meals stalls within the Dong Van flea market.

Thang den is one other signature dish made with glutinous rice flour in Ha Giang. It appears like banh troi, the cake with a candy filling that’s well-liked in Hanoi.

The thang den is made by mixing glutinous rice flour with sugar, formed into balls and steamed. They’re served with a syrup made with sweetened coconut milk and ginger. A bowl of thang den is topped with peanuts and/or black sesame seeds.

Although the steamed rice roll, banh cuon, is a well-liked dish within the north of the nation, the model in Ha Giang is kind of totally different. It’s crammed with pork/egg and mushroom, topped with dried shallots and served with a bowl of scrumptious bone broth flavored with recent coriander, chopped scallions and Vietnamese pork sausage.

In Ha Giang’s chilly mornings, a bowl of sizzling broth with banh cuon makes for an ideal breakfast.

The most well-liked eating places to do this dish are: Ms.Ha’s stall at 31 Dong Van City; and Ms. Cuc’s stall reverse to Ha Giang City’s social safety heart.

A particular porridge favored by the Hmong folks in Ha Giang is fabricated from the basis of the monkshood aconite plant, often known as au tau, which grows on Ha Giang’s highest mountain peak, Tay Con Linh.

The method of cooking the porridge could be very time-consuming, as a result of the roots could be toxic with out being processed and cooked in the best method.

After harvest, the roots are soaked in water for an evening after which simmered on a hearth for about 4 hours. They’ll then be became dough and blended with glutinous rice and pork trotters.

The porridge is just bought at night time and is served with fried minced pork, pepper, herbs and bitter bamboo shoots.

You will discover this deal with at Ngan Ha Restaurant at 161 Tran Hung Dao Avenue.

The black hen hotpot is a not-to-be-missed dish on a chilly day in Ha Giang. It’s usually had with cabbage, peas and different greens that make the hotpot sweeter.

Not like ga ac, a type of black hen within the Mekong Delta, the Hmong selection is a uncommon breed discovered within the northwestern mountainous provinces of Son La, Lai Chau, Lao Cai and Bac Kan. It’s a favourite of the Hmong folks, who consider that it helps improve human vitality, together with libido, and is sweet drugs for coronary heart illness.

The hotpot is served at Oanh Hieu Restaurant in Dong Van City and at Phan’s Restaurant on Hai Ba Trung Avenue.

HOW TO GET THERE

Ha Giang City is 300 kilometers from Hanoi and the most well-liked technique of transportation is by in a single day sleeper bus, for which tickets could be booked/purchased on the My Dinh Bus Station. The journey of round six hours to achieve Ha Giang City prices VND200,000-350,000 ($8.54-15) per particular person.

On arrival, hiring a bike for VND150,000 a day might be one of the best ways to discover the undulating paths that embrace the province’s mountainous terrain.

With one’s personal bike, take Nationwide Route 2 to Vinh Yen City, flip into Nationwide Route 2C previous Tuyen Quang and Viet Quang cities to achieve Ha Giang. That is the simpler route, although barely longer.