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Ha Giang Extreme North Motorbike Loop
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http://hagiang-responsibletourism.com/ : To discover our all activities around Ha Giang and to get more informations about our motorbike tours in north Vietnam.
Brilliant article from http://vietnamcoracle.com/ha-giang-extreme-north-motorbike-loop/
"Ha Giang is Vietnam’s northern-most province. The mysterious landscape along the Chinese border – a mythical combination of conical limestone peaks and deep, craterous valleys – is probably the most striking in the country. Considered by many as the last frontier for adventurous travel in Vietnam, Ha Giang already has an almost legendary status among independent Vietnamese and foreign travellers alike. In the last few years road conditions between Ha Giang, Dong Van and Meo Vac have improved, making access to this remote part of the country relatively easy. With mountain passes hanging onto cliff-faces high above roaring rivers, and back-roads threading through forests of limestone pinnacles, it’s ideal territory for a motorbike road trip. Food, accommodation and ATMs can now be found throughout the region. This is the perfect time to drive the Extreme North Loop; before traveller numbers rise, but after the completion of necessary infrastructure. Scroll down to read my guide to the loop and view my map of the route.
Exploring Vietnam’s final frontier. A roadtrip through Ha Giang Province
We've moved ! Visit our new website :
http://hagiang-responsibletourism.com/ : To discover our all activities around Ha Giang and to get more informations about our motorbike tours in north Vietnam.
Hanoi was great to get a first taste of Vietnam. But after a few days in the city and touring its highlights, it was time for serious adventure again. Aris, a fellow traveler and photographer whom I met in Myanmar, recommended traveling all the way up North to tour the province of Ha Giang by motorbike. By many this remote and mysterious area is regarded as Vietnam’s final frontier. Bordering China’s Yunnan Province, the region boasts nature as you have probably never seen it. Massive limestone walls, granite outcrops everywhere, hanging valleys, rice terraces climbing to the clouds and winding roads carved into the mountains. This alone sounded like a great adventure but combined with the ubiquitous presence of the local hill tribes, mostly the proud Black Hmong, this tour quickly became a must do on our Vietnam itinerary.
Preparations
“Why would you want to go there? Tourists don’t go there.” was a common reply from locals, accompanied with a look which was a mix of confusion and reverence, we received when explaining our plans. Before heading to Ha Giang City, the region’s capital, we got in touch with Ha Giang local Nguyên. The contact with Nguyên, a super welcoming and helpful guy working at Ha Giang Resort, was established by Aris and he was supposed to pre-arrange a decent motorbike for us. All of the conversation happened via Facebook and some short text messages, so we left Hanoi with a little bit of uncertainty since we heard motorbikes can sometimes be hard to arranged up there.
The construction of cultural tourism villages
We've moved ! Visit our new website :
http://hagiang-responsibletourism.com/ : To discover our all activities around Ha Giang and to get more informations about our motorbike tours in north Vietnam.
The northern mountainous province of Ha Giang has been undertaking efforts to promote the tangible and intangible cultural heritage values of its ethnic minority population in a bid to develop the province’s tourism image.
In addition to infrastructure improvements, local authorities focussed on the preservation of traditional festivals, rituals and craft villages, as well as boosting the role of folk artisans associations.
The province also concentrated on the construction of cultural tourism villages and the modernisation of rural areas to facilitate tourism development, which is a long-term objective for the province.
Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trieu Thi Tinh said the province is developing ecological and spiritual tourism, whilst preserving the unique values of ethnic minority cultures.
Located in the north of Vietnam at an altitude of 1,000-1,600m above sea level, Ha Giang boasts dramatic landscapes and has great potential for hydropower generation and mineral extraction. The province is rich in biodiversity and home to numerous medicinal plants.
The Dong Van Karst Plateau, recognised by the Global Network of National Geoparks in 2010; Twin Mountain in Quan Ba district; Ma Pi Leng Pass in Meo Vac; and Hoang Su Phi terraced rice fields are only some of the fascinating tourism attractions the province has to offer.
Ha Giang is home to 19 ethnic minority groups that are steeped in cultural traditions, such as the Khau Vai Love Market, the ethnic Dao “cap sac” (coming-of-age) ritual, ethnic Pa Then flame dancing, the ethnic Tay “Long Tong” (Field Work) festival and the ethnic Lo Lo prayers for rain.-VNA
Ha Giang province to host buckwheat flower festival
We've moved ! Visit our new website :
http://hagiang-responsibletourism.com/ : To discover our all activities around Ha Giang and to get more informations about our motorbike tours in north Vietnam.
The northernmost province of Ha Giang will hold the first ever Tam giac mach (buckwheat) flower festival in early October 2015, when the plant fully blooms.
Buckwheat (scientifically known as Fagopyrum Esculentum) is a plant with clusters of small pinkish white flowers and edible triangular seeds.
H’Mong ethnic residents grow two crops of Tam giac mach every year, as it also blooms between April and May. The flowers are sensitive to sunlight, turning from white in the early morning to pink in the afternoon.
Buckwheat creates striking sights when blossoming, making it a tourist draw in Ha Giang, as well as neighbouring mountainous areas such as Lao Cai province.
The provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism will organise the festival in Dong Van district, as instructed by the Ha Giang People’s Committee.
Various activities will be held as part of the event such as a H’Mong panpipe festival, a tourism fair and a photo exhibition about the Dong Van Karst Plateau, which was recently recognised as a member of the Global Network of National Geoparks for the 2015-2018 period.-VNA
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