Sharing my Ha Giang travel guide

In Vietnam, Ha Giang is also a good place to explore. I am interest Dong Van market here http://www.traveldudes.org/travel-tips/visit-dong-van-market-upland-market-ha-giang/136632

Thank you, good report BUT, sorry, "The most complete" it is not !!!!! I went already up there 8 times, including a 6-day tour by motorbike just between Ha Giang and Dong Van-Meo Vac); so, here it is :

February is, with January, the worst month to go up there : cold (I got a 6° at night in Dong Van, with a fog so thick since 2 days that the gas station had no more gas because the gas truck could not come up from Ha Giang

In Meo Vac, the best place is missing : the Auberge de Meo Vac, owned by the owner of the famous Chim Sao restaurant in Hanoi, in an ancient noble house ( rooms + a cute little dormitory)

And in Ha GIang, the best is missing also, the excellent Truong Xuan (Ha Giang Resort), with its bungalows with terrace on the river and mountains, regular rooms in the gardens, an excellent restaurant, and an impeccable service supervised by the young Director Mr Dong, who speaks excellent English (and rents motorbikes, so no language problem) ?

Another one : the very interesting h'mong weavers village of Lung Tam 10 km after Quang Ba

And last omission, though extremely important : a permit is needed to visit the region (10$ per person); If you sleep between Ha Giang and Dong van, you buy the permit at the police station in HG ; if you go straight HG-Dong Van, at the DV police station

And shame on the people who go to the Khau Vai Love Market !! It is a very personal affair where young h'mong bachelors meet their future spouse (hopefully !). What are you going to do , take their photographs while young men and women, who, already, do not like to be photographed, are talking to one another, like animals in a zoo ???? LEAVE THOSE PEOPLE ALONE in such a private event !!!!!!!

Hi Larsay, thank you very much for your reply!

As I had mentioned earlier, the purpose of my blog post was to gather all information about travelling to Ha Giang in one place for future travellers to easily refer to. That's why the blog post is meant to be updated regularly. And that's also why I aim to make it the most complete Ha Giang Travel Guide. The information you have given, for example, is extremely helpful. Would you mind me including the information you have given about Ha Giang into my blog post as well?

And thank you so much for reminding me of the permit. As a Vietnamese I did not have to apply for any permit, so I totally forgot to mention that.

As for the Khau Vai Love Market (or the Ex Lover Market to be more precise), I personally think it is fine to visit the market as long as you don't interfere with locals' personal affairs. Here are things I have noted upon visiting this market in 2015:

1. Khau Vai Market is NOT the same as the commercial love market in Spa. There is no staged authenticity in Khau Vai. In addition, unlike in Sapa, the main purpose of this market for locals is not finding new lovers, but rather meeting ex lovers in a central atmosphere of joy and content. I have written a summary of the story behind the Khau Vai Market here if anyone is curious to know

2. There are many other activities you can join in the market as visitors, such as watching dance performances, tasting local specialities, participating in traditional games etc. Therefore, if a person goes to this market, it does not mean that they only want to see how the locals date.

3. I totally agree with you that it is absolutely inappropriate to take photos of people who are dating there. Last time I was there, I could see couples standing in the dark corners of the mountains surrounding the market, yet nobody seemed to go up there to intrude upon their privacy. Most visitors gathered at the main path of the market to watch performances or buy ethnic weaving products.

Well, as long as somebody tells the visitors that they cannot take photos of the young people talking, it's fine with me, though there are a lot of other places where to see h'mong other than a love market which, by the way, was prohibited to foreigners until some Authority thought that it was a great tourist attraction, certainly not a h'mong !!!!!

You may include my info in your blog (and mention that the Sunday Dong Van Market is great ; there, tourists can take photos of locals !)

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