HIGH ROADS: HA GIANG→BA BE LAKE→CAO BANG
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INTRODUCTION| GUIDE| MAP| RELATED POSTS
The roads linking the three northern provinces of Ha Giang, Cao Bang và Bac Kan travel through some of the most spectacular & remote regions of Vietnam. The landscape around here is extraordinary: many travellers consider this their favourite place in Southeast Asia. Connecting two of the most scenic motorbike routes in the country (the Extreme North Loop và the Northeast Loop), a handful of incredible mountain roadscorkscrew their way through a complex terrain of steep valleys, limestone karsts, and raging rivers. There are several different route options for riding between Ha Giang, tía Be Lake (in Bac Kan Province), and Cao Bang; all of which are stunning, but none of which are particularly straightforward. In this guide, I’ve mapped three routes that connect the extreme north with the northeast.
Three spectacular (but unpredictable) routes lead over the mountains from Ha Giang to lớn Cao Bang
ROAD TRIP DETAILS:
Total Distance:360km/370km/310kmDuration:1-3 daysRoad Conditions:back-roads & mountain highways, rough sections, light trafficScenery:limestone karsts, mountains, deep valleys, jungle, terraced rice fields, minority villagesROAD TRIP CONTENTS:
ABOUT THESE ROUTES:
The bản đồ below shows three alternative routes between Ha Giang, cha Be Lake, & Cao Bang. The Classic Route (the blue line) is the most popular and easiest lớn follow; the Border Route (the red line) is the most remote and least travelled; và the ba Be Lake Route (the green line) is a combination of rarely used roads & national highways. The purple lines are connecting roads between the three routes, so you can mix and match as you please lớn create a route that suits you best. Although all of these routes are extremely scenic, they’re not necessarily easy to lớn ride. The difficult, mountainous terrain, & frequent bad weather, mean that road conditions often deteriorate, resulting in treacherously muddy sections. What’s more, roadworks to lớn upgrade & maintain these routes are ongoing. I’ve marked sections of rough road as best I can on my map. But, when riding any of these routes, take chú ý of recent weather conditions (heavy rain, for example, can lead to lớn serious landslides which can block roads for hours or even days), and try lớn ask locals or other riders you meet about current road conditions. Below, I’ve written a brief mô tả tìm kiếm of each route. For accommodation, there’s at least one mini-hotel or local guest house (nhà nghỉ) at each of the places marked with a red pin on my map. (For more details about accommodation in Ha Giang and Cao Bang see my Extreme North và Northeast guides.) Any time of year is good, but the heaviest rains occur during the summer months (June-August), & it can be bitterly cold during the winter months (December-February). Although any of these routes can be completed in one (long) day, the winding roads make riding a lot slower than you might expect. Alternatively, you can turn this into a scenic round trip by connecting the upper, lower, and middle routes & making a loop.
ROUTE MAP:Ha Giang→Ba Be Lake→Cao Bang | 3 Routes
Blue line: 360km | Red line: 370km | Green line: 310km
View in a LARGER MAP
The Classic Route:
BLUE LINE:Ha Giang→Meo Vac→Bao Lac→Cao Bang: 360km
Starting out on the famous Ha Giang Extreme North Loopvia the limestone landscapes of the Dong Van Karst Plateau, the Classic Route then heads southeast from Meo Vac on road QL4C down khổng lồ the Gam River Valley. Out of Meo Vac there are some fabulous views over a vast và sparsely populated landscape. Although mostly upgraded, parts of the southern half of QL4C to lớn the Ly Bon intersection with QL34 are still undergoing repairs. However, these should be finished by the time you read this. After crossing the bridge at Ly Bon, turn onto QL34 due east towards Bao Lac. Ly Bon is at the confluence of the Nho Que and Gam rivers, và the ride lớn Bao Lac affords some picturesque views of riverine scenes. However, there are currently (2019) major road works on the section of QL34 between Ly Bon và Bao Lac, so ride very carefully.Bao Lac has plenty of guest houses if you need them.
Road QL4C between Meo Vac và Bao Lac offers some extraordinary views over rice terraces và mountains
From Bao Lac, continue southeast all the way to lớn Cao Bang city, via the mining town of Tinh Tuc and Nguyen Binh (both of which have a couple of nhà nghỉguest houses). It’s a long ride to Cao Bang, and, although the scenery is superb (particularly around Tinh Tuc), the road conditions to lớn Nguyen Binh are unpredictable. Expect a few rough patches, potholes and, if there’s been rain, landslides. Between Tinh Tuc & Nguyen Binh, there’s an intersection with a turning due south on road DT212 to mang đến Ra: use this excellent back-road if you want khổng lồ go to ba Be Lake. If not, continue east along the meandering QL34 to Cao Bang City.
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Road QL34 southeast from Bao Lac lớn Cao Bang has some rough patches but the scenery is excellent
The Border Route:
RED LINE:Ha Giang→Meo Vac→Bao Lac→Pac Bo→Cao Bang: 370km
After following the Extreme North Loop from Ha Giang khổng lồ Meo Vac, head southeast on road DT217 towards the famous ‘Love Market’ of Khau Vai (usually held in April). This meandering road soars over a limestone plateau before descending sharply through Khau Vai village và down khổng lồ the banks of the Nho Que River. Road conditions deteriorate severely before crossing the river on a bamboo raft ferry và continuing the other side. From here, it’s a twisting ride over barren mountains (with incredible views) all the way down lớn Bao Lac in the Gam River Valley. The road surface is very inconsistent on this section, and it may prove challenging for riders on automatic motorbikes. Bao Lac has a few local guest houses if you need to stay the night.
Road DT217 winds up the hillside leaving Meo Vac và then heading southeast to lớn Khau Vai & Bao Lac
Follow the Gam River east of Bao Lac on an as yet unnamed road. This road is currently the talk of many riders in Vietnam. Hugging the Chinese border for much of its length, the road passes through some extremely remote landscapes. As if the fabulous scenery weren’t enough, the road itself is quite a sight. A narrow asphalt lane, it’s full of contortions và knots; constantly switching back on itself as it negotiates the difficult terrain. Just look at it on the map: it looks like the path of an agitated dragon, shifting violently from left khổng lồ right, as if trying to lớn shrug an assailant off its back. One pass in particular is breathtaking: Ascending what is essentially a vertical wall of rock, the road passes 14 (by my count) consecutive switchbacks. I điện thoại tư vấn this the ‘Roller Coaster Pass‘, although it has recently been namedđèo Mẻ Piaon Google Maps. Và while we’re randomly namely things, let’s call this unnamed road the ‘Agitated Dragon’.
Looking down on one of the 14 switchbacks of the ‘Roller Coaster Pass’ on the ‘Agitated Dragon’ road
And so, the Agitated long continues east along the Chinese border (with some extended rough, gravelly sections in the middle) until it hits the Ho chi Minh Road (DT208), just south of Pac Bo Cave. (To visit the cave – which is well worth it – turn due north on road DT208 for 10km). Turn onto the Ho đưa ra Minh Road (DT208) và ride its smooth course south for 40km to lớn Cao Bang city.
Pac Bo Cave on the Chinese border is a fascinating historical sight in a beautiful natural setting
The bố Be Lake Route:
GREEN LINE:Ha Giang→Da Vi→Ba Be Lake→Cao Bang: 310km
This southerly route between Ha Giang and Cao Bang, via cha Be Lake, can be joined at any point along road QL34: you don’t necessarily have to begin it on QL34 right out of Ha Giang city (see the purple lines on my map for connecting roads with the green cha Ba Lake route). This route comes in two halves: the first half passes through lovely landscape on QL34 along the Gam River Valley; the second half, from tía Be lớn Cao Bang, is a smooth ride mostly on QL3 through fantastic mountainous landscape.
The southerly route between Ha Giang & Cao Bang, via ba Be Lake, passes particularly lush scenery
Take QL34 east out of Ha Giang along the very pretty Gam River Valley. This section of road was in poor condition for years, but now (2019) is in much better shape. Eventually you’ll reach the intersection with road DT176 heading south to da Vi. This is an isolated, beautiful road: a narrow paved lane slicing along valleys & over mountains. It’s a gorgeous ride in good weather, but again you will have to lớn contend with some pretty awful road conditions. In dry weather it should be OK, but if there’s been heavy rain it’s likely lớn cause landslides and mud pools. Take a look at the photo below to lớn get an idea of what I’m talking about. Having said that, the bad patches are short (but difficult), and if you have a decent bike, it shouldn’t be any problem.
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Some sections of QL34 và DT176 can be very tricky conditions, but the bad patches are generally short
DT176 ends at the small village of da Vi, on the edge of a giant reservoir. It’s a very off the beaten path place, but there’s a nhà nghỉguest house here if you need it. From here, bear east onto an unnamed road leading over some spectacular mountains và through dense jungle all the way khổng lồ the crossroads near cha Be Lake. Khổng lồ go to lớn the lake & the homestays on its southern shores, turn due west. Otherwise, take road QL279 east towards đã tạo ra village, where there are several guest houses. From mang đến Ra, it’s a lovely, lush ride to the intersection with QL3 at na Phac. National Highway QL3 is a great road ploughing through marvellous scenery all the way lớn Cao Bang city.
Stay at one of the homestays on ba Be Lake before continuing on the excellent road QL3 khổng lồ Cao Bang
