Don't Drive the Ha Giang Loop! (Go here instead - Cao Bang)
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
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There's a few reasons why I would skip the Ha Giang Loop and choose another area instead. Ha Giang has become too crowded with foreign tourists, the roads are dangerous, and police are out to get you. There is another area called Cao Bang, that features similar landscapes with less traffic and a much more authentic Vietnamese experience. A highlight of the trip is Thac Ban Gioc, the largest waterfall in all of Asia located on the border between Vietnam and China in Cao Bang Province.
i lived at a homestay at Ban Gioc for a month for free teaching English to the homestay host's kids. in 2020. Best experience of my life. Cao Bang rocks. the road to the waterfall is beyond epic. Done the HGL twice during covid when there were no tourists and the Ma Pi Leng pass is the highlight so we so stayed in Dong Van for a week and rode to Meo Vac and back every day. Been to Bao Lac too and stayed there for a month. Northern Vietnam is so beautiful. Nice video.
Yes northern Vietnam mountains are my favorite. Sounds like an awesome experience thanks for sharing.
Great video! Love seeing tourists having a blast on the Cao Bang Loop! 😍 Thanks for sharing your adventure with us-those views are unbeatable, right? 🌄🚴♂ There are few other landscapes to check out on this loop.
- Bamboo Forest
- Vinh Quy Grass Hills
- Khau Coc Cha
- Na Tenh Pass
- Etc.
I biked from hanoi to ha long bay, up to ban gioc waterfall, to ba be lake, cao bang, ha giang loop, to sapa and back to hanoi! took 4 weeks cause we took our time but it was an amazing bike ride!
That sounds like a very epic trip, well done
@@TravisTravelsVN I get that but your clickbait title is pretty harmful and wrong!
Wow you are amazing.
Thank you my brother I'll be sure to pass this information to my friend as he plans to visit Vietnam really soon..
Cheers Vu, when are you coming?
I did 4 days around Ha Giang back in 2018 and its probably still in my top 5 life experiences. I'm heading back to Vietnam for the second time this coming January and I was contemplating whether I should do Ha Giang again or if I should check out Cao Bang and you've definitely convinced me. I was worried that Ha Giang might be suffering a bit from overtourism - it kinda felt like it was on the cusp of it when I was there. Great to hear an up-to-date perspective!
Ya man, I have to agree Ha Giang is an amazing experience but my point is that there are several other routes around Vietnam with equally stunning views and way less overtourism and police. Especially if you've already done it, you should experience something brand new. Check out my travel group, I'll help you plan the trip if you need anything www.skool.com/travel-vietnam/about
Loving the consistency, you inspire me to break free and move to SEA :)
Thanks for the comment. Where are you currently?
Great content! Not many vloggers take this approach of suggesting a different itinerary from spots that have become too popular and lost a bit of it’s authenticity.
Hey I really appreciate the comment. I thought it would be a little controversial given the popularity of Ha Giang but I truly believe there are better options. Thanks for watching!
I just did 6 days on the Ha Giang loop solo and didn't see any police check points, barley saw any tourists on my trip and had the most authentic experience of my life. ❤️
That's awesome man glad to hear it. Definitely one of the most amazing spits in the country. I just try to avoid the crowds when I'm on a bike trip. Glad you went at a good time
The more I travel in northern Vietnam, the more I realize how little of it is visited by Western tourists. Mù Cang Chải might be the most beautiful spot in the country, and Yen Bai in general is criminally overlooked.
Hey Andrew, I completely agree. The North seems almost unlimited with crazy awesome spots. I've been to Yen Bai and Mu Cang chai a few times each. Also Ta Xua, Pu Luong, just to name a few. Other people have commented on places I've never heard of and I've explored a lot of the North. By the way I love your channel and video quality I'm trying to get to your level one day 👍
Cao Bang eco homestay is one of the best travel company i know in the north of Vietnam, i have stay there with them for a Week to explore Cao Bang with camping and sightseeing
Yes I agree they are great
You rock, bro. Great information.. beautiful video.
Yo man really appreciate the comment thanks for watching!
I did the ha giang loop then went to cao bang for tet holiday , saw the waterfall last year then down to mong cai then ha long then back to hanoi, never heard much about cao bang or mong cai area but i really enjoyed the trip , a weird thing i encountered though was riding along the road next to the chinese border, google maps just doesnt work even though i had a signal, maybe a security thing but just had to hope i was taking the right road.....
I've done both 7+ times over my years living in Vietnam. Cao Bang is nice too, but Ha Giang is by far the best. You can tack on a couple extra days to do both.
I did Ha Giang during covid times and agree it was amazing. I think lately its just blown up too much. Also agree going Cao Bang and through Ha Giang from that way would be a good option
Hi Travis in Da Nang and have been following your video tips! Good stuff thanks! It looks like I’ll do Cao Bang instead of the Ha Giant loop your video changed my mind. BTW Dirty fingers has pulled pork and pastrami as good as Texas!
Amazing landscapes
Thank you. Great information.
Your videos are very helpful in planning our trips. Can you please share your experience on phong na ?
Phong Nha is great. Highly recommend Phong Nha Farmstay, Aussie guy named Ben runs it and has been in the area 20 years
Awesome. Gonna do this.
thanks for the tip. The Sleeper buses look pretty nice but I am reading horror stories that the buses are not clean, any tips to choose a high quality bus company that has clean interiors?
Always get the most expensive option, only a few dollars more than the lower quality busses
Beware. I rode sleeper buses around Vietnam in 2020 and none of them had toilets on board. Ouch! (even though I was lied to by bus company and told there was).
This area is definitely where I want to go next in Vietnam. The problem is still the licence and travel insurance validity. How did you get a Vietnamese licence, Do you have a residence visa there. Have you seen anyone using the UTCA driving permit there
Great video! Thank you for sharing such valuable tips. I'm planning to visit during New Year's. Do you think it gets too crowded at that time? Would you recommend booking homestays and scooters in advance?
Just a few days in advance is fine. It won't be too busy.
cao bang its really underrated
ya I agree
Hoang su phi and Mu cang chai are breathtaking this month and next.
Mu Cang Chai is great, I'm not familiar with Hoang Su Phi
@@TravisTravelsVN Hoang Su Phi is even better. It has Ban Phung, Ban Luoc, Mam Xoi, etc. They are spectacular.
Hey Travis, Thank you so much for sharing this. I'm due to go to Vietnam in late March and wanted to go solo on a bike tour. Ha Giang now looks horrible but I see that Cao Bang has increased in popularity this past year. Is it still relatively quiet and peaceful or is it now being invaded by westerners? Appreciate your videos btw! Thank you brother :)
Ha Giang is still amazing, just busy, and in my opinion there are equally amazing places where you don't see a foreigner for days at a time. Cao Bang will still be chill for a while. A lot of people visit the waterfall but that is just one blip of the total area.
@@TravisTravelsVN Hey thanks, so what other equally amazing places would you recommend in Northern Vietnam?
How do you book these homestays that are on the way? Should I book ahead or just drive there and take a room on spot? Thank you!
In the countryside you can almost always just show up and there will be rooms or dorms available
Great video thanks for sharing love the channel nice work
Thanks buddy I appreciate the comment
I haven’t been there yet hopefully in the future
Hey Travis! Great video. I’m Thinking about heading up to Cao Bang for a 2-3 day trip. Any places you suggest are must see if I only have two days? Thanks!
You can do the waterfall and big cave near there in one day. Then drive about 1.5 hours to Nha Moc Homestay. Right next to Nui Mat Than (Angel Eye Mountain). Then back to Cao Bang city for a perfect 2-3 day trip.
Hey there, thanks for the video, really enlightened me about Cao Bang. I am planning a trip to Vietnam and unfortunately I only got a month to travel and I have budgeted 5 nights in Sa Pa, 3 nights in Cao Bang and 3 nights in Trang An Ninh Binh. Ofc I will be in other places throughout the month but I wanted to hear your suggestions - is this enough nights at those places or do I need to spend a bit more and take out some nights in other places.
What month are you coming? 5 nights is a lot in Sapa unless you will do some trekking or driving around in the area. Of course it's fine if you are just wanting to chill out for a few days and relax. Ha Long Bay is definitely worth doing a cruise just for a night. Da Nang for beach vibes and sunny weather.
@@TravisTravelsVN Thanks for the reply! I will be in Vietnam all of March. I budgeted 4 nights in Cat Ba island + cruise to Ha Long Bay. 3 nights in Trang An, 4 in Da Nang and 2 in Nha Trang (on top of what I wrote earlier). It can all be changed ofc. Is there another place im missing? Or take a night or 2 from Sa Pa into another area? Im not sure how easy it is to rent and use a scooter, cause this way I assume I can get to see more of Sa Pa.
Thank you so much for the video. Very insighful. I want to do Ha Giang tour but from the reverse route. I want to star fro Cao Bang. Is it possible?
Yes definitely, they are next door.
id really apreciate a price breakdown on the trip you took
Sure,
bus to and from Hanoi-Cao Bang 15x2 = $30
Bike rental $10/day x 4 = $40
Homestay average $20/night including beers/meals = $80
Add maybe another $20-30 for lunches and roadside beers here and there
Easily under $200 for the whole trip
Hey Travis, this is my first time visiting Vietnam {this coming July} and I have been seriously considering the Ha Giang loop. But now that I've seen your take on Cao Bang, I'm starting to wonder which one to go for. I haver a British driver's license {would that be enough to rent a motorbike?} and would rather stay away from the crowds and tourists. What would you recommend?
If you're comfortable on a bike Cao Bang is great. Hardly any foreigners. To be clear, Ha Giang is also amazing just a lot of foreigners.
You should try Ha Giang loop first. It's the most beautiful place to see Mountain in Việt Nam and different culture to be hỏnest. And many tourist mean you can have more information especially First time to VN
Hi there! Thank you so much for the video! Do you think I could do this on a scooter ? I’ve never driven a motorbike so I would like to do it on a scooter… and are there many police around ? I don’t have a licence so I would like to avoid them if possible 😅
You can do on a semi-automatic bike. Pretty easy to drive and not many police at all.
@@TravisTravelsVN thank you 😆
Im going to Vietnam for the first time and limited with time. I can't do both ha giang and Cao Bang. Which one would you recommend? If i did just do Cao Bang for a few nights, are there tours/people who can drive ne around on a motorbike? Thanks
If you want to ride on the back then you should do Ha Giang
Hi, going to Vietnam soon. Just wondering about this loop, and also about the Ha Giang Loop. Can you buy a map, are there signs on the roads, is there some kind of app for your route ? And how about sleeping arrangements? Do you make an educated guess where you will be at the end of the day and make a reservation ? Or do you just drive and when you are tired, look for a hotel/guesthouse? How does this all work ? Thanks a lot, nice video!
Hey man I got a travel group, message me there and I'll sort you out www.skool.com/travel-vietnam/about
ha zang?
This loop is absolutely amazing! I've done Ha Giang too, and as you say, it is really great, but I definitely preferred this loop. Great content.
Disclaimer* I'm in the video. 🤣
What is the best time in the year to travel around these areas? Would dec-jan be ok?
Decmber-Jan should be pretty clear weather. A little bit chilly
Which month did you visit Coa Bang and how was the weather?
This was late July, the weather was perfect. Sunny but not too hot, no rain. Rice fields were bright green
Is there data connection in Ha Giang Loop tour?
Yes, Viettel simcard works well. Many places will have wifi
Any tips on the weather and climate during the different seasons? I am thinking about going to Vietnam next year in September and am wondering if there are any areas where the weather is best to avoid?
Lời khuyên của tôi: Nếu bạn muốn thực hiện chuyến đi "Ha Giang Loop" hay khám phá các tỉnh vùng núi phía bắc Việt Nam, vậy đừng đến vào tháng 7 và tháng 8. Khoảng thời gian này là mùa mưa, sẽ có một số vụ sạt lở trên các con đường đèo. Thời gian đẹp là vào tháng 10 ( mùa lúa chín ), và tháng 11 ( mùa hoa cải ).
Ngoài ra, tháng 6 là tháng nóng nhất trong năm, bất kể miền nam hay miền bắc. Vì vậy nếu bạn không thích nghi được với nhiệt độ trên 36 độ, vậy hãy loại bỏ tháng này ra khỏi danh sách.
September is pretty good time of year for a lot of the country. Rainy season starts in central vietnam around Sept/Oct but you should be ok.
Late Sep to early Nov is the best time to travel to North Vietnam. It is cool, less rain and rice is ripen to paint the hills into yellow
Do you know how bad the area has been affected from Typhoon Yagi? I have plans to do Cao Bang in November
Pretty beat up by Yagi but I think things will be pretty up and running by November.
@@TravisTravelsVN Thanks! Hope so! I hope the people there are doing better as well, been wanting to get up there forever!
Its my favorite area of VN for sure. Btw I start a group gathering all my information about VN would love to have you join www.skool.com/travel-vietnam-6703/about
😍😍😍
Can I step into China when I’m at the waterfalls?
At the waterfall, China is the other side of the river and you can not go there. But in Pac Bo, this is a famous historical area where Ho Chi Minh entered from China in the past. There the border is right there and you can stand on the other side 😉
@@TravisTravelsVN Noice.
From April 1st tourists can visit construction on Chinese side, but you must buy the tour not freely enter as inviduals
Tuyệt vời ❤❤❤❤❤
❤🔥
Love your content bro,stumbled across your page and im overly keen to come to vietnam, undecided on how long tho,thinking of taken my long service leave from work and doing like 8 weeks would that be enough to see everything.... names Stuart Irishman living in Australia
Cheers Stuart, 8 weeks is a good chunk of time you can definitely see a lot. Would give you a chance to go at a nice pace, chill out in a few areas that you like. Keep in touch, I'm happy to help you plan
DO.NOT.SKIP.THE.HA.GIANG.LOOP.
Don't listen to this guy. I'm genuinely upset this came up in my YT algorithm.
Just my opinion mate. Ha Giang is amazing as I mentioned, I just want to open up the idea of other options.
Is it hard to get a Vietnamese driver's license?
You can not get a VN license without long term visa (TRC)
FIRST! haha
Uuuuu I'm late 😂😂😂
*Suối Le Nin* !
*Núi Mắt Thần* !
*Thác Bản Dốc tráng lệ*
Cao Bằng is more chilling than Hà Giang. HG famous with the roads and sences
*Hang Bắc Bó* !