It was with reluctance that we got back on our motorbikes, and put Du Gìa in our rear view mirrors. Our next stop would return us to Ha Giang, and complete our tour with Chu Chu. This trip had been incredible, and it was to be our final adventure in Vietnam. Not just four days, but six months were coming to an end, and it was hard to stomach.
As soon as our four-day tour of the Ha Giang province began, we knew that the trip was going to be special. From far-flung villages and colorful local markets, to rice workers and buffalo boys, we saw so many amazing sights just on the first day, that it was almost overwhelming. The bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang took eight hours, and we arrived in the evening. Our tour would be starting in the morning, and we…
Among Vietnam's most stunning images is the aerial view of Tam Cốc: a region of rice fields and steep limestone hills, just south of Ninh Binh. If you're spending any time in the region, it's a photo you'll see over and over again, in the window of every tourism agency, hung on the wall of every restaurant. And every time you see it, you'll think to yourself... "Man, I've got to go there!"
Rarely have we spent time in an area so beautiful and remote as the Pù Luông Nature Reserve. In fact, in terms of sheer beauty and remoteness, I'm pretty sure this place tops the list. We took hundreds of photographs during our two days here, and could have taken hundreds more. Everywhere you turn in Pù Luông, it's nearly guaranteed that you'll encounter a scene worthy of a picture. And the longer you look, the more charming…
After a few days in the Phong Nha National Park, we were happy to stay focused on Vietnam's nature, and relocated to another park: Pù Luông. Just like Phong Nha, this is an exceptionally beautiful area. But unlike its more famous brother, Pù Luông is still largely untouched by tourism. We spent two days exploring the region, and never once saw another foreigner.
The best day we had in Hue wasn't spent visiting ancient tombs or forbidden cities, but a humble pedestrian bridge. Found in the village of Thủy Thanh, the tile-roofed Thanh Toàn Bridge was built in 1776, and a trip to see it makes for an excellent excursion from Hue.
