Ba Be Lake is located 70 km northwest of Bac Kan city, in Nam Mau commune, Ba Be district. The lake is composed of three lakes: Pé Leng, Pé Lu and Pé Lam. Ba Be is located at an altitude of 145 m above sea level, more than 8 km long, the widest place is about 3 km, the water surface area is about 500 hectares, the average depth is 20 m, the deepest place is 35 m, surrounded by limestone mountains and there are many underground springs, Cave. Ba Be has many species of freshwater fish, including particularly rare species recorded in the Red Book of Vietnam such as carp, blue rumble fish, and fried fish.
In 1995, Ba Be Lake was recognized by the World Freshwater Lakes Conference in the United States as one of the 20 special freshwater lakes in need of protection. In 1996, the lake was recognized as a national cultural and historical relic.
Photo: Tran Xuan homestay
Move
Bac Kan belongs to the Northeast region, 165 km from Hanoi. From Hanoi to Bac Kan, there are two roads: along the old National Highway 3 (about 3 hours to travel, motorbike) and along the Hanoi - Thai Nguyen highway then to National Highway 3, the time is about 2 hours (only by car).
From Bac Kan city to Ba Be lake in two ways: take provincial road 256, about 60 km or provincial road 257 to Don market and continue to Ba Be, about 70 km.
The bus departs from My Dinh bus station (Hanoi). You can choose bus companies running the Hanoi - Bac Kan or Cao Bang routes. These buses often pass through famous tourist attractions, including Ba Be Lake.
For tourists from Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces, the most reasonable way to travel is to fly to Hanoi and follow the above instructions.
Photo: VGP/Hong Van
Beautiful season
Visitors can come to Ba Be Lake all year round because each season has its own characteristics. The rainy season is from April to October, the dry season is from November to February next year, it is deeply cold, in many places down to 0 degrees Celsius, frost may appear.
However, the most beautiful weather to travel to Ba Be lake is from February to April, when it is cool, the temperature is from 25 to 30 degrees. On January 9 and 10, there are many festivals imbued with the cultural identity of the ethnic groups in the region.
Photo: Nongnghiep.vn
Accommodation
There are many hotels and homestays in the area around Ba Be Lake with prices ranging from 150,000 VND to 1.2 million VND for a double room. Community houses cost 70,000-100,000 VND per person.
Accommodation areas close to Ba Be Lake, with balconies or room doors overlooking the lake are all homestays of locals, often including community rooms. The amenities here are only basic. If you want to stay in a more well-equipped place, you will have to choose a place to stay 1 to 2 km away from the lakeside, in the area of the national park gate.
Visitors can choose the following places: Thai Binh Hotel, Saigon Ba Be Hotel, Ba Be National Park Hotel, An Thao Ba Be Hotel and homestays such as Huyen Hao, Tran Xuan, Hoang Nguyen, Minh Quang.
Camping by the lake is a new experience that has been loved by many tourists recently. Some reference places include: Alluvial land at the end of the Leng River in Pac Ngoi village, Hoi Xuan beach, Lac Nga garden, Puong cave. Prices range from 1 to 2 million VND per person, depending on the package or partial service.
Photo: VGP/Hong Van
Where to play
Visiting Ba Be Lake
Visiting Ba Be Lake, visitors can choose to rent a canoe, kayak, SUP (stand-up paddleboard) or wooden boat. There are usually two starting berths: Ba Be lake and Nang river.
- Motorboat: 12 people per boat (Vietnamese passengers) and 10 people per boat (foreign passengers). Rental prices range from 300,000 VND to 1 million VND depending on the time (2 to 8 hours) and route.
- Kayak and SUP: These are new services in the last 2-3 years. The rental price is about 1.2 to 1.5 million VND for a group of 3 boats in a day. Visitors will be equipped with life jackets to ensure safety. The maximum number for 3 boats is 6 people.
- Wooden boat: This is a long-standing means of transportation of the Tay ethnic group around the lake. This vehicle has a traditional cultural feature. The boat is made from a large wooden tree about 50 cm wide and 5 to 10 m long, using a paddle. Wooden boats usually only carry 2-3 people.
Photo: VGP/Hong Van
Pac Ngoi Village
Pac Ngoi village or Pac Ngoi cultural tourism area, Nam Mau commune, is the home of the Tay ethnic people located close to the banks of the Leng River and Ba Be Lake, with about 40 people. Most of the accommodation is located in this village. The village has ancient stilt houses, roofed with yin and yang trough tiles, typical Tay architecture. The villagers mainly live by farming, breeding, and fishing for seafood from Ba Be Lake. Here, visitors will enjoy local specialties such as lam rice, grilled fish with sour meat, five-color sticky rice, participate in activities with people such as fishing, rowing wooden boats, watching Tay girls sing then.
Hua Ma Cave
Hua Ma Cave is located in Ba Be National Park. From the foot of Solitude Mountain to the cave about 300 m, there are stairs, so it is convenient to move. The cave entrance is 3 m wide, 5 m high, about 1 hectare wide inside, up to 40-50 m high with many walls and stalactites. According to legend, this is the place where the devil reigns, and later a court general who went on patrol heard the howl of the evil spirits, so he held a big ceremony, slaughtered the horse, and took the horse's head for sacrifice. After the ceremony, the howls disappeared. Over the years, stalactites have sprung up and are considered a sacred destination.
Photo: VGP/Hong Van
Tou Dang Waterfall
Dau Dang Waterfall is located on the Nang River, between Bac Kan and Tuyen Quang. The Nang River flows through the limestone mountains of Lung Nham to form Puong Cave, flows to Hua Tang village, but is blocked by hundreds of large rocks to form a waterfall. Dau Dang Waterfall is more than 1,000 m long with 3 floors, each floor is 3-4 m apart. This tourist destination is also the place where fried fish, one of the rare fish, has cubs weighing up to several tens of kilograms.
Photo: babenationalpark
Fairy Pond
Ao Tien is a small lake about 3 hectares wide, with underground geysers connected to Ba Be Lake and nearby caves, so even though it is located about 100 m from the lake, Ao Tien is always full of water. Surrounding the pond are moss-covered terraces, limestone mountains, and old forests. The space around the pond is quite peaceful, quiet and contains mystery, arousing the curiosity of visitors.
What to eat
Grilled fish
Grilled fish is a familiar dish for locals. The freshest fish caught by fishermen are cleaned, marinated with typical spices and then put on grilled embers. Fish tastes better when eaten hot, along with other local dishes.
Chinese sausage
Sausage in Ba Be lake is made from village pork. A unique feature is that the sausage here is marinated with stone ginger, a fragrant spicy ginger that only grows on the limestone mountains with its own flavor. After processing, sausages are taken to smoke or go to the kitchen to be stored for a long time. This is a favorite dish of many people, and it tastes better when paired with local wine.
Meat in the kitchen
Just like the buffalo meat in the kitchen of the people in the highlands of the Northwest, the Tay ethnic group also considers this a method to keep the meat for use all year round. Pork hanging from the kitchen can not only be stored for a long time, but also have a richer taste. Today, people here still make meat in the kitchen on occasions to entertain distinguished guests or have Tet gatherings.
Photo: Booking
Note
The air in Ba Be Lake is chilly in the morning and at night, so you need a jacket, even in summer. In addition, it is necessary to bring mosquito and insect repellent.
There are not many food and grocery stores in the village, visitors should prepare carefully, be careful to bring snacks and drinks. It is recommended to order meals in advance.
If you want to stay in Pac Ngoi village, you can take a motorbike taxi at the gate of the national park or ask the homestay to arrange someone to pick you up.
According to VnE