Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [326]
Ha Giang lies 318km from Hanoi; buses leave from the My Dinh Bus Station (near My Dinh Stadium, 20km southwest of Hanoi) and Gia Lam Bus Station and take six hours to reach Ha Giang via Highway 2, passing through Viet Tri on the banks of the Lo River, and Viet Quang (also known as Bac Quang) just 60km before Ha Giang. With a rented vehicle, it’s also possible to approach from Bac Ha(See "Bac Ha and around") by heading south on Highway 70 to Pho Rang, then taking Highway 279, which winds its way eastward to Viet Quang, and finally north to Ha Giang. Either way the journey takes the best part of a day.
The town of Ha Giang straddles the Lo River, with two bridges connecting the older part on the east bank and the newer part on the west bank. The bus station is on Nguyen Trai which runs along the west side of the Lo River; the main post office and several hotels, guesthouses and restaurants are also along this street. On the east side are more hotels and restaurants, as well as many shops. The town’s main tour agent (Ha Giang Tourist Company) is located on Tran Hung Dao, near the bank just west of the northern bridge, while the immigration police are next door. You need to visit them or a tour agent to arrange a permit for onward travel towards the border.
The far north | The northeast | Ha Giang and around | Practicalities |
Accommodation and eating
There are plenty of places to stay in town, and though staff speak very little English this shouldn’t be a problem. Arriving from the south along Nguyen Trai, one of the first places you come to is the Ha Duong (0219/386 2555; US$10 and under), which has spacious but bland rooms. A little further in towards town is the Sao Mai (0219/386 3019; US$10 and under–20), which, despite its outside appearance, has good rooms with bathtubs. Further up the road, the newer Hoang Hoa (0219/386 3797, hoanghoahotel@yahoo.com; US$10 and under) and the cosy Duc Giang (0219/387 5648; US$10 and under–20) are both fine. Closer to town, the Huy Hoan (0219/387 5648; US$11–20) tries to sell itself as the best hotel in town, but the rooms are cramped and the service indifferent, while the quieter Hoang Anh on Ba Trieu (0219/386 3559; US$10 and under–20) is off the main highway and popular with tour groups.
There are several restaurants along Tran Hung Dao, one of the most popular being Pham Ba Cuong, which offers tasty Chinese cuisine and has a small English menu. Staff will also take you into the kitchen where you can pick and choose what you want. Certainly the most novel place is the Trang Chien floating restaurant, which is often full at night, and specializes in tasty steamboats. You can find the usual soup and rice places around the market on the east side of town.
The far north | The northeast | Ha Giang and around | Practicalities |
Meo Vac and Dong Van
Highway 4C heads north out of town, at first following the Lo River Valley, then heading east to follow the Mien River. After about 20km the road begins to climb into the hills before crossing Quan Ba Pass (“Heaven’s Gate”), where roadside steps lead up to a fine view – when the weather is clear – over Quan Ba, 45km from Ha Giang, and the patchwork fields and dramatic hills around it. There’s a market in Quan Ba on Sundays where, apart from the White Hmong, who are the biggest group in this region, you might see Red Dao, Tay, Giay, Co Lao, Pu Peo and Lo Lo people.
After Quan Ba, the road follows a pretty stream for some distance, with steep mountain flanks rising on both sides. After climbing over treeless, terraced hills which serve to increase the feeling of remoteness, it then descends into Yen Minh, some 97km from Ha Giang. This makes a good lunch stop, especially since there is a very reasonable restaurant, the Phuc Cai, which has good tofu and potato dishes. It is located directly opposite the Minh Hai (0219/385 2109; US$10 and under), where it’s possible to base yourself, though the newer Hai Son (0219/385209 1; US$10 and under) 20m down the road is slightly better; however, Meo Vac and Dong Van have more comfortable