Trying to decide whether I should rent a motorbike in Ha Giang. I travelled the Mae Hong Son loop in northern Thailand by motorbike and while it was steep, found it okay since the paved roads were so good. How do the roads in Ha Giang compare?
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travoyageur
Hi mruckus,
I would have no idea on how roads may have improved in the two locations over 24 years but back in 1993 I was in both Thailand, up around Mae Hong Son and further north as well as buying a motor bike in Hanoi which I and a short time travelling mate rode up to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba_B%E1%BB%83_National_Park which is getting up towards the area where you are heading.
As you say, the main road into and out of MHS is quite reasonable and was back in 1993, there being gravel roads once you went out further west which we did to see a rain festival, huge rockets made from hollowed bamboo to shoot projectiles hundreds of metres skywards to please the rain gods and plenty of Thai whisky on hand, a great day and on the way back to MHS in a pick up, it started to rain! - that's in mid May and a shame you have missed it.
There's also a place called Caves Lodge and back country roads right up to the Thai/Myanmar border, pretty rough and I was walking but a couple of Thai police passed us on a motorbike.
What I saw of those roads and also over in the Golden Triangle area ( gravel too ) in having hired a motorcycle from Chiang Rai I would say they are similar to the roads once you get off the highway from Hanoi heading north so riding a motorcycle ought to be OK if you just take it easy.
When I was in Hanoi, I came across a couple of guys who had ridden out to Sappa and back and you can see some images and a tour route reference here: https://www.google.com.au/search?q=Road+and+towns+map+of+Ha+Giang+in+Vietnam&tbm=isch&imgil=VwUBmPqwSwfmKM%253A%253BD7w57LPRy1VP1M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Ftravelphotoblography.com%25252Fsapa-ha-giang-motorbike-route%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=VwUBmPqwSwfmKM%253A%252CD7w57LPRy1VP1M%252C_&usg=__R8bOquG3vYwjkVaDCOVJ5_WC4u8%3D&biw=1440&bih=809&ved=0ahUKEwia54-O2ZvTAhWJjZQKHZY6D_QQyjcIMg&ei=-GzsWJqLI4mb0gSW9bygDw#imgdii=NRYdLohDZanE0M:&imgrc=VwUBmPqwSwfmKM:
Motorcycles and scooters are or were the most common means of transport in Vietnam more so than in Thailand and I expect would still be.
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Thorn Tree
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