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Ha Giang is the final frontier in northern Vietnam, an amazing landscape of limestone pinnacles and granite outcrops. The far north of the province has some of the most spectacular scenery in the country – if not the region – and the trip between Yen Minh and Dong Van, and then across the Mai Pi Leng Pass to Meo Vac, is quite mind-blowing. Ha Giang should be one of the most popular destinations in this region, but its distance from just about everywhere else keeps visitor numbers at a low level.
Travel permits (US$10) are required to travel on the road north from Tam Son to Dong Van and Meo Vac, but these are simply paid directly with whichever hotel you choose to overnight in along the way.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Ha Giang Province.
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Once a week, local villagers from the surrounding hills, including the Hmong, Tay, Nung and Hoa ethnic groups, flood into Dong Van for the Sunday market. It's an entirely local affair full of colour, with several food stalls plus Hmong jackets and berets for sale. The rest of the week the market is open, but quiet.
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This grandiose two-storey mansion was built for a local Hmong king by the French in the 1920s in Chinese-Hmong style. Set in a hidden valley in the tiny village of Sa Phin, around 15km west of Dong Van, the building is an intriguing sight in such a remote region of the country.
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Located in the narrow, incredibly picturesque Sung La Valley is the village of Lung Cam. Deemed a 'cultural tourist village' by the local authorities, the highlight here, aside from the stunning setting, is a century-old traditional Hmong house. The adobe structure, surrounding a stone-paved courtyard, was, in a former life, an opium emporium, and more recently featured in a Vietnamese film.
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Around 25km north of Dong Van and just a few kilometres from the Chinese border, Lung Cu is a massive flag tower erected in 2010 to mark the northernmost point of Vietnam. The summit is reached by almost 300 steps, and the views across rural villages are stunning. The flag is 54 sq metres, to represent Vietnam's 54 official nationalities.
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At the top of the karst peak that overlooks central Dong Van are the dramatic ruins of a French fort. It's possible to scale the peak, using the path that starts just east of the old market square. It's a sweaty half-hour to the top, from where you're rewarded with stunning views of the town and the patchwork of rice fields and peaks that hem it.
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Leaving Ha Giang, the road climbs over the Quan Ba Pass (Heaven’s Gate) around 40km from the city. The saddle has an information centre and an awesome vista of knobbly topped limestone mountains. It's worth a detour, even if you aren't headed all the way to Dong Van.
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Head south of town, branching off on the road left towards Khau Vai, and you'll soon get to a homestay and a series of steps that lead up to fabulous views of Meo Vac and the surrounding valley. It's 1km from the centre.
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Meo Vac has a good Sunday market. The timing and its proximity with Dong Van's Sunday market means that it’s easy enough to combine the two by xe om.
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At the northern end of P Co, just past the old market plaza, a narrow lane, backed by a limestone cliff, meanders into the compact old quarter of Dong Van. The traditional terracotta-coloured adobe houses here, with timber details and slouchy tiled roofs, date from the French colonial period, although many have been updated.