Things to do in Ha Giang

Ha Giang is Vietnam's motorbike loop: three to four days over the Dong Van Karst Plateau, the Ma Pi Leng Pass and a string of high villages, roughly 300 to 350 km in all. It sits about six to seven hours by road from Hanoi, so it is never a quick excursion. Two points need clearing up. The plateau is a UNESCO Global Geopark, not a World Heritage Site.

And riding yourself without the right licence is a genuine risk, because many insurers refuse to pay out after an accident; most visitors ride pillion with a local easy rider, typically around 100 to 200 EUR for the loop with lodging, depending on the operator. Expect long days on mountain roads, fatigue and changeable weather.

Buckwheat flowers and ripening rice come in autumn, winters are cold, and fog can close the views entirely.