The
road to the northern province of Ha Giang presents many breath-taking
bends but is still well worth traveling for the marvelous landscape it
offers to nature lovers and adventurers.
The
60-kilometer section from Dong Van to Meo Vac and Lung Phin winds up
and down to the magnificent Ma Pi Leng Pass through mountains and
valleys of rocks and villages of ethnic minority groups.
Many adventurers select Ma Pi Leng as the most beautiful pass in
Vietnam. The road runs on the sides of black limestone mountains, which
are typical features of Dong Van Plateau.
Wall-like rocks of all shapes also beautify the pass, which is in the
middle of Dong Van Town and Lung Phin. The Nho Que River adds the
finishing touch to nature’s perfect and picturesque painting.
To fully appreciate the pass some adventurers chose to stroll or jog
rather than see it from inside a car, exploring the scenery as they go
and stopping for pictures at view points. Please note that it is not
easy to find a safe corner on the pass to park a car, and there is much
to see and admire on the road besides Ma Pi Leng.
Meo Vac at the end of the 20-kilometer pass has an original Sunday
market. Groups of Mong, Dao and other ethnic peoples in their colorful
costumes walk from every corner of the mountains down to the market to
buy and sell life’s necessities as well as oxen, pigs, horses, chicken
and other cattle and fowl that ethnic people raise at their homes and
on the fields. Visitors will get excited over noisy bargains at the
trading area for animals and the tinkling sounds of spoons, pots and
bowls when food sellers prepare dishes for patrons and guests to eat at
the market.
The road from Meo Vac to Lung Phin through the imposing rocky mountains
is an equally exciting journey. Ethnic children shout out greetings to
passers-by on the way home from school and Mong women in their
traditional costumes can be seen farming on the hillsides and
mountainsides and carrying bamboo baskets loaded with vegetables home.
Nestled at the bottom of valleys and perched against the mountainside
are the distinctive houses of the ethnic people. Typically the eyries
made of wood are just high enough so that strong winds cannot blow them
away, and they can live and shelter from the chilling weather and
freezing winds in winter.
People are advised not to travel on this section of the road in winter
as the cold weather is chilling and the stunning scenery is often
shrouded in a thick fog. However, it is blankets of fog that make the
mountains and deep valleys more enticing and a real challenge for
adventurers to conquer.
Northern Vietnam Adventure Tour
©2012 SkyDoor - The travel information network of Vietnam
