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Hi all, three of us are flying into Hanoi on Nov 20 and we have 4 full days. The Ha Giang Loop is the one thing we all agree on, but we keep going back and forth on how to actually do it.
None of us has ridden a motorbike properly. Like, we can ride a scooter around a parking lot, that is about it. The easy rider option sounds perfect, but then I read that the views are better when you can stop whenever you want, which makes me think self-drive. Except the mountain passes in November fog sound genuinely scary for beginners.
So, honest opinions: is 4 days enough, and what did you pay for an easy rider recently? Also how cold does it actually get up in Dong Van at night in late November? Trying to figure out if we need to pack proper jackets or if a hoodie does the job.
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Did the loop last November as a first timer, went easy rider and zero regrets. The fog on Ma Pi Leng in the morning is real, you see nothing, then by 10 the clouds burn off and it is unreal. Self drive looks tempting but the roads plus the cold wind plus trucks… I would do the easy rider first, learn the route, then come back and drive it yourself next time.
Replying to Luke Stewart
Thanks, this helps a lot. How cold was it actually in late November? Trying to figure out if my normal jacket is enough or if I need to buy something warmer in Hanoi before heading up.
Replying to SageAsparagus375
I wore a thermal under a windbreaker and was fine on the bike, but my hands froze. Bring proper gloves, that is the one thing nobody warns you about. You can grab cheap warm layers at the Hanoi night market if you need, no need to overpack.