Mountain Bar & Pub — Restaurant in Sa Pa Ward

The tour itself was pretty well done. The guides and drivers friendly and helpful. Overall experience on the loop itself was good. We would recommend it. I think the 3 day is a good choice, you can do it in 2, it would be a bit rushed, but better than not doing it at all, and 4 days would have been too long. The accommodations were decent, the food very repetitive (same thing for breakfast all days, and all lunch and suppers were exactly the same), but it was a variety, so that everyone could find something they liked. one of the meals was sitting out for at least 1h30mins which was a bit concerning, but no one got sick. However the transportation to/from the tour was horrible. I understand that the tour group hires a separate transportation company, but since Hong Hao picks the company and arranged transportation this does reflect on them. Both drivers to and from were extremely dangerous. I've been traveling around Asia for the past 5 weeks, so I've seen sketchy driving, but this was beyond anything. Always on their phones (I know it's common, but still illegal in Vietnam) driver would take stupid risks to pass vehicles, driving aggressively, running people off the road. It did save us 5 minutes of a 6 hour trip though and it only costs putting 18 lives at risk. Good luck getting any sleep with all the swerving, rapid braking, and honking, and if you're lucky and the bus is full you can get the seat above the engine that has no padding, no leg room, and doesn't recline. They also stop and deviate from the route to pickup/drop off random packages, smokes in the vehicle, as well as picking up random hitchhikers onnroute that sit in the aisles of the bus. Hong Hao has a responsibility to ensure that the contractors they use are professional, law abiding, and safe, and this was a poor reflection. The tour could also provide a lot more information, we had no idea what we were getting into, what to expect, or what to do/bring. A read ahead guide should be created that outlines the tour,...

What a great way to explore and experience the beauty of Ha Giang and make new friends!||First of all, everything was well organized - from getting you to Ha Giang and then to your next destination.||We are a small group of 10 led by our Tour Guide is Nghiêm. Nghiêm has a really kind face - the one that would make you ferl like you need to protect him at all costs. Lol. However, it was him and our drivers who made sure we were safe throughout the trip and are having fun. Some of the roads are really rough and are not for the faint of butt, BUT, the drivers managed to keep us accident-free, and the views will be worth it! I am actually amazed at how good they were at avoiding potholes and rocks. Ngiem also took a lot of our pictures which is really good for a solo traveller like myself. On our 2nd night, I wasn't feeling well, and I can tell that Ngiem and the drivers were really concerned and made sure I was ok.||Karaoke nights were fun! A lot of us would say early in the evening that we're tired and wouldn't stay long, but then end up closing up shop. Oh, and the Happy Water!!! It's not smooth as whiskey but it sure will keep you warm in the cold mountain night!||The homestays were comfortable and clean. Each couple, group, or person (if solo) has a room of their own. Some have their own bathrooms, some have shared bathrooms, all clean. My favorite one was the one we stayed in a Dong Van. It was on a hill and had an amazing view.||Food was good and plenty. Every meal has soup, beef and/or pork, chicken, eggs, vegetables, potatoes, soup, spring rolls, tofu, rice and fruit. You have free water daily, but all other drinks including coffee you have to purchase, but are cheap.||Do the Ha Giang Loop and book with Hong Hao hostel. You will not regret it! It really was the best thing I did in Vietnam and would do the 4 days with Hong Hao...

This gets one star from me because unfortunately the very basics of hygiene are not adhered too. They do not change the bedding between guests. I stayed here recently and when I arrived I had had a really long journey and wanted to get straight to bed. Once the room was handed over I had my suspicions right away that the bedding had not been changed but it didn't look or smell terrible so the benefit of doubt was given and I slept. When I did wake finally the maids were 'cleaning' the dorm room. To my surprise I watched them go around and simply make all the beds that had already been slept in by other guests! All they did was brush all the hairs etc off each bed and make them up all tidy. I confronted the staff about this and they replied with the following: "We go around each room and clean the floors. Then we brush off the beds and make them. Once that is done we go around each room again and strip the beds off and change the covers and then make them again". I then made it clear that if they were going to blatantly lie to me then we may as well end the conversation there and then as no sane individual would conjure up such a ridiculous cleaning routine. I never saw one lot of bed sheets get changed in that place. It's a real shame because the place could be great, it looks good and the fittings have been completed to a high standard. The location is good too. IMO if you're paying for a room you simply expect the very basics to be ticked off, nothing fancy considering the price just the basics and they...