How is Cao Bang Loop for police and road surface these days?
So I've been spending a bit of time up north after living in the central region for the last year or so. Just rode up to Ta Xua, probably gonna spend some time in the general Sa Pa area and maybe hit a few areas further out as well. The landscapes, the people and the food have all been stunning.
I was reading the post about riding the Ha Giang Loop solo and there were a hell of a lot of responses mentioning significant police presence. Does this extend to Cao Bang as well?
For context, I've been riding for around 20 years. I have a 400cc road bike, which isn't ideal for rough terrain but I can make it work for most roads regardless of the surface (proper offroading is a definite no-go though).
However I'm from a country which doesn't offer 1968 IDPs, so I have my license, my 1943 or whatever IDP, and one of those $50 'online special' IDPs. I've also forgotten to bring my blue card, stupidly.
None of this would be a huge issue back home in central VN, but I've got no appetite to be paying out millions for coffees when I could just wait and come back another time.
So - is Cao Bang also heavily policed right now (i.e to an unusual degree)?
And just how hectic are the roads in terms of surface quality (if it's significantly unsealed I'll just come back on an enduro or an ADV bike)?