The Ha Giang Loop is the organizing principle for almost everything here. The 200-kilometre circuit through the Dong Van Karst Plateau takes visitors past the Ma Pi Leng Pass, through the Dong Van old quarter, and down to Meo Vac — with detours to the Lung Cu Flag Tower at Vietnam's northern tip and the Vuong Family Palace near Dong Van. The Nho Que River canyon can be seen from above on the pass road and explored by boat from below. In October, the buckwheat flower fields transform the plateau. To the west, the Hoang Su Phi terraces offer a quieter alternative to Sapa's rice paddy scenery.