Vietnam’s Ha Giang Loop: The reality and risk — BBC News

[0:00] The Hai Giang Loop is one of the most popular road trips for tourists in Vietnam. [0:03] In December 2024 I was one of thousands of people who travelled the mountainous roads for four days [0:08] on the back of a motorbike. I rode on the back with a local who works as a tour driver. [0:13] The views were unbelievable and every night we had drinks and partied with our group. [0:17] But it's also a journey that involves long distances, increasing traffic and really remote [0:23] roads. Earlier this month 19 year old British traveller All Awaits was involved in a road [0:27] accident while travelling the Hai Giang Loop. Local media reported she fell from the back [0:31] of a motorcycle. She later died in hospital from her injuries. So how safe actually is the loop? [0:38] What's it like for the drivers? And are there risks that don't get reported on? [0:42] Their earnings are based on keeping you happy. The tourists knocked on the door and dragged him [0:48] out of his room to go back and party. The Hai Giang Loop is a circular route of about 350 kilometres [0:55] through the mountains of Northern Vietnam, close to the Chinese border. You can either be a passenger [1:00] on the back of a bike driven by a local tour guide, they're known as easy riders, or you can drive [1:04] yourself. In peak season most easy riders will be going at least six if not seven days a week, [1:11] which can be quite relentless. For us it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. As soon as that tour [1:16] finishes the easy riders are on the next tour. The trip usually spans three to five days and it's [1:20] organised through a company. Prices vary but it often costs a couple of hundred pounds. [1:25] You're riding through steep mountainous terrain, rural areas and long stretches of road. Sometimes [1:30] with no barriers and steep drops. Lorries, motorbikes and even cattle all use the same roads. [1:36] And these videos I took in December show how busy it can get at some of the stop points. [1:41] I spoke to Glenda who's done the loop five times, volunteered for one of the tour companies [1:45] and she met her partner, an easy rider who's been driving the loop for five years, through it. [1:50] It is so much more relentless now than it has ever been. Every single year it grows. I really [1:56] think my partner probably knows every single corner of the loop and he could drive it with his eyes [2:00] closed if he needed to, you know. Tourism in Vietnam as a whole has grown rapidly over the [2:06] last decade. In the north destinations like Sapa have become heavily developed and Ha Giang was seen [2:11] as a quieter alternative, at least at first. The loop used to attract experienced riders, [2:16] but after endless tick tocks and word of mouth between backpackers, it blew up. [2:21] If you've backpacked Southeast Asia, you'll hear I would say 90% of people say it's in their top [2:27] things to do. So now the loop and the jobs it brings have transformed the remote city of Ha Giang [2:33] for locals. Even 10 years ago, people there, the main employment was farm work or people would go to [2:38] Hanoi to get other work. So the loop has brought so much employment. As more people arrive, more tour [2:45] operators set up, hostiles expand and large groups are setting off at the same time. [2:50] So across Southeast Asia, some safety regulations exist, but the enforcement of them varies and [2:56] Vietnam is no exception to that. In 2016, three British people died at Vietnam's Da Tan La waterfalls. [3:02] Last summer, a tourist boat in its popular Ha Long Bay capsized during bad weather, killing 35 people. [3:08] Early last year, a couple died after drinking contaminated alcohol in Hoi An. [3:12] The company, which 19-year-old Aula was with, said it immediately assisted following her crash, [3:18] coordinated emergency medical care and supported those affected. It said initial information [3:23] indicates no alcohol or drugs were involved and that the vehicle was traveling at an appropriate speed. [3:28] But an official investigation is still ongoing. [3:31] The country is notorious for really dangerous roads. More than 10,000 people were killed in traffic [3:37] accidents in 2024. Vietnam has made progress, but in remote areas like Ha Giang, geography, [3:43] traffic and tourism growth still create risks. And standards seem to vary a lot between different [3:48] lube companies. Which company you go with can really make or break your trip. Some provide arm pads, [3:55] shin pads, knee pads, helmets, you know, these aren't necessarily all things that come provided. [4:01] A lot of companies just have a helmet that they've been using for the last 10 years and that's it. [4:07] Licence checks and safety briefings are not standardised and some travellers who choose [4:12] to drive themselves have limited experience of riding motorbikes in similar conditions. [4:17] Another issue that comes up repeatedly is alcohol. Groups sleep overnight in rural homestays and if [4:22] you've done the loop, you'll know about Happy Water, home brewed alcohol commonly offered by locals there. [4:27] Happy Water, as they call it, corn wine in Vietnam. It is a big part of the culture, so it's always available [4:34] there. But then that can very quickly step into being maybe a little bit excessive if people want [4:41] to party. Some companies lean into and advertise a party atmosphere more than others, with some [4:46] drinking in the evenings is encouraged as part of the social side of the trip. I've been on a video [4:50] call with my partner when a tourist knocked on the door and dragged him out of his room to go [4:55] back and party. And I think that's a really difficult situation to put drivers in. For context, [5:00] drivers are paid a wage but a lot of their earnings will come from tourist tips and Glenda says some [5:05] feel a pressure to earn that tip by partying with the backpackers. Their earnings are based on [5:12] keeping you happy. Everyone will say the strong correlation is that people tip more for drivers who [5:18] they think are fun more than drivers who they think are safe. Tourists underestimate how much power [5:25] they have in a community that doesn't have so much financial privilege, right? The average wage [5:32] that a tourist is going with if they earn it a day is weeks of a Vietnamese driver's wage. And [5:39] of course, then the drivers and the companies are bending over backwards to whatever the tourists want. [5:43] It's not always the tourists fault. But I think we can be mindful more that we have that power. And it's [5:48] very difficult in that situation for people to advocate and say, No, I can't do that. That doesn't mean [5:55] people are necessarily riding under the influence. But over several days, it could affect how alert they [6:00] are. I do know of some drivers who have maybe been a little bit irresponsible. But I do have to say there are [6:08] many companies that and drivers who are responsible and who do drive well, you can absolutely do the [6:15] loop without encountering these problems. So what do we know about how often it goes wrong? In places [6:21] like Vietnam, reliable information can be hard to find and some accidents might never be reported on. [6:26] People have little slips, I would say quite a lot in terms of like a tourist dying. This is the first one [6:34] that I've personally heard of in the Easy Rider community. I'm sure previously there have been, [6:41] but it has shaken everyone a lot. Often these stories aren't heard. Vietnam has no independent [6:46] media. It's a one party communist state, which tightly controls reporting and access for journalists [6:51] is limited. Even the BBC's Southeast Asia correspondent is currently blacklisted from the country. [6:57] So reporting restrictions like this make it harder to build a clear picture of how often serious [7:02] incidents happen or what happens when they do. There's no official record we found of accidents [7:06] or deaths on the Haijang loop. But a small number of incidents have been reported in the media, [7:11] including a tourist who died after falling from the dangerous Mapileng Pass [7:15] and two people who were killed following a collision with a truck on the route. [7:19] So what should we take from all of this? There isn't a simple answer to whether the [7:23] Haijang loop is safe. Lots of people complete it every day, have the best time and no serious incidents. [7:29] But it takes place on challenging roads in a lightly regulated environment with traffic [7:33] that is increasing all the time. Doing your research before you go is key. [7:38] Motorbikes are dangerous anywhere you go and you should be looking for not just the most highly [7:44] recommended tour because it's fun, but also looking for things like safety and group size and things [7:51] like that can really help. The UK government advises that travelling by motorbike in Vietnam is much [7:56] riskier than in the UK. It suggests you shouldn't hire a motorbike if you're not an experienced rider. [8:00] And if you do, make sure to check it thoroughly, rent it from a reputable organisation and use a good [8:05] helmet. And also make sure your travel insurance covers the Haijang loop if you are planning to do it. [8:10] I think the local drivers are really, really talented in that area that they really understand the terrain [8:17] much better than a tourist would. Also, don't be afraid to advocate for yourself whilst you're on the loop. [8:23] So, if you do feel worried that your drive is going too fast, it doesn't feel comfortable for you, [8:30] you can ask them to slow down.