Heaven’s Gate under the sun
A few weeks ago, I made my second visit to Ha Giang, the mountainous province in the far north of Vietnam, and spent a fantastic few days motorbiking through the region’s spectacular scenery. This was a slightly longer version of the trip I made in November; I wanted to give myself plenty of time for numerous photography stops, and to enjoy the drive without rushing.
The pictures in this post were taken on the first and last legs of the trip, between Ha Giang City and Yen Minh, taking in Quan Ba district and the mountain pass known as Heaven’s Gate. On my first trip, this whole stretch was obscured by clouds and rain, but fortunately the spring weather was much kinder, and I was able to see – and photograph – a lot more this time round. The green valleys and rice terraces of this part of the region are punctuated by limestone karsts, bizarre conical rocky growths that wouldn’t look out of place in a Lord of the Rings film, while towns and villages huddle in the plateaus and cling to the hillsides.
More pictures from Ha Giang coming soon.
View of Tam Son town and the mountains known as the ‘Fairy Bosom’
A good spot for a selfie
Firewood in Nam Dam village
Traffic
Without an H 
6 Responses to “Heaven’s Gate under the sun”
Beautiful shots, Jon.
Fabulous photographs. My favourites are the second last one, and the first two. What spectacular scenery. It’s a part of Vietnam I’d love to visit.
Alison
Amazing images!!!
fabulous photos. We never got to the North of Vietnam, I’d love to return one day and see more of that beautiful country.
Impressive photos of a beautiful landscape.
Brilliant shots!