The northwestern mountains are a destination for those who love adventure and grand scenery — where mountain passes wind between cloud and rock, and highland life keeps its simple character.
The Ha Giang loop
Ha Giang is a route many travel lovers won't miss. Riding a motorbike or a Jeep over the winding passes is a memorable experience: jagged limestone slopes, the Dong Van karst plateau, and the moment you stand on the Ma Pi Leng pass looking down at the jade-green Nho Que River below. Along the way, you witness the resilient life of the highland communities.
Mu Cang Chai
In Yen Bai province, rock gives way to some of the country's most beautiful terraced fields. Over generations, the people have carved the hillsides into stepped paddies to channel water for rice. If you come in the harvest season, the whole region turns golden; and a paragliding flight from the Khau Pha pass shows you a Vietnam that is vast and majestic in a very different way.