Boat ride is available on the emerald Nho Que River at the foot of Ma Pi Leng Pass in Ha Giang Province. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh
Ha Giang Province on the northern border with China ranks 25th in New York Times’s list of 52 best places to travel in 2023.
“The several-day loop by motorbike through the Ha Giang highlands in northern Vietnam is not for the timid,” the U.S. newspaper said.
It takes around six hours to reach Hanoi and the Ha Giang loop takes three to five days depending on the weather.
But it is not an easy trip for amateur travelers due to its twisting, narrow roads and dangerous mountain passes that have claimed the lives of many motorbike riders, including foreigners.
New York Times suggested hiring a guide from QT Motorbikes and Tours to explore the diverse cultures of ethnic minorities such as the Hmong and Tay.
“Road improvement projects and new high-end accommodations have made the loop more accessible and inviting.”
It advised tourists to take a boat ride on the emerald Nho Que River through the canyon at Ma Pi Leng Pass.
The local tourism boom in recent years has seen many motorbike rental services spring up across Ha Giang. Foreigners only need to leave their passports and pay around VND150,000 ($6.40) a day to rent a vehicle.
London tops this year’s New York Times list, followed by Japan’s Morioka and the U.S.’s Monument Valley.
Other Asian representatives in the list are Bhutan, Kerala in India, Fukuoka in Japan, Flores in Indonesia, and Taipei in Taiwan.
