Ba Be Lake – a green gem located in the middle of the mountains and forests of the Northeast is one of the ideal ecotourism destinations for many domestic and foreign tourists.
Located in the top 20 largest freshwater lakes in the world, Ba Be Lake has a wild and romantic beauty with a cool and pleasant atmosphere.
Nothing is more wonderful than you can stop in a vast place of water, relax in the cool blue water after days conquering the mountains!
1. General information
Ba Be Lake, also known as Sam Pé Lake, means 3 lakes, formed by the confluence of three tributary river Pé Lam, Pé Lu, and Pé Leng in Nam Mau commune, Ba Be district, Bac Kan province.
It has a diverse ecosystem, including mountains, forests, rivers and lakes, and especially the fresh, cool climate all year round.
Ba Be Lake at an altitude of about 145m above sea level, has a water surface area of more than 650 hectares and 8km in length.
The lake is surrounded by limestone mountains with many caves and underground streams with average depth is 20-25 m.
There are two small islands emerging in the middle of the lake, An Ma Island and Ba Goa Island, the famous spots for tourists to take pictures for check-in when visiting Ba Be Lake.
There are 5 ethnic groups living in this area. The Tay ethnic group is the majority, living nearby the lake are the first group residing here more than 2,000 years ago. The Nung, Dzao, and Hmong people live in the high mountains, while the Kinh people had just come to reside right along the lake.
2. When to travel to Ba Be Lake?
Ba Be Lake area has a cool and pleasant climate all year round. So you can come here to visit at any time.
In summer, this is the ideal place to avoid the heat of the city.
Two other periods in Ba Be makes people passionate about the nature is the beginning of autumn or spring. The clear blue surface of the lake reflects the high sky and surrounding mountains, creating a very majestic scene that is also very poetic.
Spring is also the season of the festival. The Long Tong festival (Going down the rice field ceremony) of Tay ethnic group in Ba Be is held on 9-10 of the first lunar month each year with the aim of praying for good weather, good crops, prosperous life, and peace. The festival has many attractive activities such as rowing, throwing, wrestling, archery, traditional singing …
3. How to get to Ba Be Lake?
Ba Be is about 220km from Hanoi, travel time is about 5 hours by car. You can take a public bus or rent a private car for your journey.
Public local bus.
Currently, An Binh bus goes straight from Hanoi to Ba Be boat station.
Pick up locations in Hanoi: The bus departs from the gate of My Dinh bus station and stops to pick up passengers at locations on Dai Co Viet Street, LOTTE Center Hanoi and 50 Vo Chi Cong str.
Drop-off point in Ba Be: Ba Be Lake Boat wharf.
From Hanoi to Ba Be: Depart from My Dinh at 12.00 and arrive in Ba Be at 17.30
From Ba Be to Hanoi: Depart at 7.40
Price: 260.000 VND/pax
Note that the bus is not very comfortable, so you will have to accept some inconveniences along the way: small bus, cramped seats, often be full with passengers and goods, stopping along the road at any time along the way to pick more passengers, quite noisy.
Rent a private car
From Hanoi, follow the highway Hanoi – Thai Nguyen to Thai Nguyen, then turn to National Road 3, to the intersection with TL 268 (km 31), turn left to Dinh Hoa (Cho Chu), keep going to Road 254 to Bang Lung (Cho Don) about 40km more to Ba Be. This route will take you to the homestay on the lake side, from these homestays people also have boats to take you around the lake.
If you want to explore the whole Northeast trip, you should rent a private car. Bus system connecting Ba Be with Northeast tourist destinations such as Cao Bang, Bao Lac, Ha Giang or Thac Ba lake is still very poor. You will have to change cars many times and it takes a long time to get to where you need to go.
>>> See more how to get from Hanoi to Ba Be Lake?
4. What to see in Ba Be Lake?
4.1 Dau Dang waterfall
Dau Dang Waterfall is one of the symbols of Ba Be tourism. The gentle stream of Nang River flowing to Hua Tang village in Nam Mau commune is blocked by hundreds of large and small rocks stacked with a slope of about 500m, forming a majestic three-step waterfall, each step about is 3-4m in distance.
As one of the famous landmarks in here, Dau Dang waterfall always is a strange attraction for visitors when visiting Ba Be Lake.
This area is also home to Chien fish, one of the rare fish species, some fishes are tens kilograms.
To visit Dau Dang waterfall, you need about 1hour boat ride and another 20-minute walk to reach the foot of the waterfall. The majestic scenery of the waterfall will leave you with a deep impression.
4.2 Puong cave
Puong cave in Cao Thuong commune, Ba Be, is 300 meters long, 30 meters high cave with vertical cliffs and many stalactites of different shapes and colors. The cave was formed when the Nang River passed through the Lung Nham limestone mountain creating a spectacular landscape.
Inside the cave, strange-shaped stalagmites hanging down, shimmering light on the water. Visitors can take a boat ride through Puong cave like in Ha Long bay or Tam Coc. The dome is home to tens of thousands of bats, making it very interesting for tourists to pass by.
4.3 Hua Ma cave
Hua Ma cave (or Leo Pen cave) is located by Leng river, 4km from Pac Ngoi village. The cave is in the middle of Co Don mountain with an altitude of 350m above sea level, covered by dense green trees. From Pac Ngoi village to Hua Ma cave is a favorite cycling route for tourists.
The road from the foot of the mountain to the mouth of the cave has been built stairs, visitors have to climb 300 meters to reach Hua Ma Cave. Outside the cave gate is a very beautiful and peaceful ethnic village scene with rustic stilt houses nestled in the immense green color of mountains and forests.
4.4 Fairy Pond
Ao Tien is a lovely small lake located in the middle of a limestone basin isolated from the Ba Be Lake. From the bank of Ba Be Lake, just a little walk you can reach the pond. The pond is formed by groundwater that seeps through the surrounding rock.
With a clear and calm blue water surrounded by majestic mountains, green trees, this place will give you a sense of peace as if you were in the middle of a fairyland. According to local legends, in the past, fairies used to descend here to bathe and play.
4.5 Pac Ngoi Village
Located in the core zone of Ba Be National Park, Pac Ngoi village attracts tourists by its peaceful scenery and unique Tay culture beauty. The village is located on quite flat land. In front of the village are fertile fields all year round, and a giant limestone mountain range behind. Pac Ngoi village still has a number of old stilt houses with unique architecture designs.
All people in the village are from Tay ethnic group. For generations, they have been living by growing rice and maize in alluvial areas along the river and fishing on Ba Be Lake. Currently, the majority of households in the village engage business in tourist service activities.
Coming to Pac Ngoi village, you will experience and enjoy delicious specialties of the lake area (Com lam, grilled fish, local vegetables, five colors sticky rice….); sleeping on stilts house; visiting the lake by motorboat; fishing on rivers and lakes; enjoy Tày girls dancing and singing performance, and visit the ethnic villages around Ba Be Lake.
The Pac Ngoi night market takes place every Friday and Saturday evenings. This is an opportunity for you to meet different ethnic groups, discover their unique typical local life, cultures and products.
5. What to do in Ba Be Lake?
5.1 Boat trip
Visiting the lake, of course, the main activity is boating. Sitting on a boat wandering on a vast lake with four surfaces of forests and rocky mountains, fully feeling the breath of nature and moments of real relaxation, isn’t it great?
In Ba Be, you can choose a dugout canoe or motorboat. Usually it will be a motorboat because it will be able to go more and further.
Motorboat:
You can start from the side of Ba Be National Park (Ba Be boat wharf) or from Pac Ngoi village. Each boat trip will last about 3-4 hours depending on the schedule of the visit.
Boat schedule and price for visiting Ba Be Lake
Depart from Ba Be boat wharf
- Ba Be Lake – Fairy Pond – Puong cave – Dau Dang waterfall: 800.000 VND
- Ba Be Lake – An Ma temple – Fairy Pond – Puong Cave: 750.000 VND
- Ba Be Lake – An Ma temple – Fairy Pond – Dau Dang waterfall: 600.000 VND
- Ba Be Lake – An Ma temple – Fairy Pond: 400.000 VND
- Ba Be lake – An Ma temple: 200.000 VND
Depart from Buoc Lom wharf for the route Nang river to Ba Be Lake
- Buoc Lom – Puong Cave – Dau Dang waterfall – Fairy Pond – An Ma temple – Pac Ngoi: 800.000 VND
- Buoc Lom – Puong Cave – Fairy Pond – An Ma temple – Pac Ngoi: 750.000 VND
- Buoc Lom – Pac ngoi: 700.000 VND
- Buoc Lom – Puong Cave – Fairy Pond – An Ma temple – The North wharf – The South wharf: 700.000 VND
Regulation for the number of people on the boat trip:
12 people/1 boat for domestic tourists
10 people/1 boat for foreign tourists
Dugout canoe
The dugout canoe is a unique culture feature in Ba Be Lake. Previously, as its name, the single tree (the only tree), the boat was made of only one wood. However, nowadays, people have built boats with the design of a single wood but made of iron to protect forests and limit deforestation.
From a means of transport and fishing of the local people, now dugout canoe has become a favorite tourist means of transportation for many tourists. Sitting on a small boat rowing by a Tay girl in traditional costumes amidst the nature beauty, you will have strange feelings mixed with a little thrill and excitement.
Price: 300.000 VND/2hours/2pax
5.2 Kayaking
Kayak is the best activity to enjoy the beauty of Ba Be Lake. You can reach to the place that is hard-to-reach places by motorboat, visit small islands, rocky outcrops and caves.
Must wear a life jacket when kayaking. You should bring a swimsuit, swimming shoes, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
Price: 8 USD/hour/2 pax
5.3 Walking – Trekking
Ba Be is also an ideal destination for those who love walking. Around the lake are the villages of Tay, Nung, Dao, and Hmong ethnic groups. You have many options: trek 1 day, 2 days, 3 days … Usually you will have a full day in Ba Be for boat trips combined with walking in the lakeside villages.
5.4 Biking
Cycling in Ba Be is an activity that young people are interested in. The most popular cycling route is from Pac Ngoi to Hua Ma Cave. This 4km journey takes you through beautiful and peaceful villages, green forests and gentle stream.
Almost all homestays have bicycles for rent. The bike quality in Ba Be is not as good as in other tourist destinations but we don’t have many options in this remote area.
Price: 50.000 VND / person
6. Where to stay in Ba Be Lake?
The main accommodation service in Ba Be is to sleep in the local stilts houses. In Pac Ngoi and Bo Lu villages, the stilts houses have brought a new appearance with fully equipment to serve tourists from all over the world. In other places, homestay in Ba Be has been rated really good. There are large houses that divide into separate bedrooms. The mattress is quite good, so guests with back problems do not need to worry too much.
Sleeping in a homestay is always a recommended experience for all types of tourists because you will have unforgettable moments with indigenous people to better understand their daily life: cooking with the host, have dinner and chat with them with the translation of your tour guide, have fun and participate in a traditional music show with the villagers…
Price for overnight with dinner and breakfast in stilts house is only 15 USD/pax
Hotel: Besides the homestay, you can stay in hotel in Ba Be for better accommodations:
Saigon Ba Be resort 4 star
Add: Na Khieng village, Ba Be district, Bac Kan Province
Price: from 60 USD/room/night ( 2 persons in room included breakfast)
Ba Be Resort
Add: Buoc Luom, Khang Ninh Commune, Ba Be
Price: from 30 USD/room/night ( 2 persons in room included breakfast)
Ba Be Lakeside Bungalow
Add: Toc Coc village, Nam Mau commune, Ba Be district, Bac Kan Province
Price: 30 USD/room/night ( 2 persons in room included breakfast)
Ba Be Ecolodge
Add: Na Khieng village, Khanh Ninh, Ba Be, Na Khieng, Bac Kan
Price: 25 USD/room/night ( 2 persons in room included breakfast)
7. What to eat in Ba Be Lake?
Ba Be has rustic local dishes but has a special appeal to visitors.
If you don’t mind, you can try a little grilled fish, grilled shrimp, grilled crab … all caught in Ba Be Lake. This is favorite dishes of Vietnamese tourists.
Besides, roasted suckling pig, chicken in the garden, sticky rice, fresh bamboo shoots … will also bring you special flavors in your meal.
8. How to organize a trip to Ba Be?
Usually, tours in Ba Be will be combined with the Northeast trip or Northeast trip. Depending on your time schedule, you can choose from the following schedules:
- Hanoi – Ba Be Lake – Bao Lac – Dong Van – Ha Giang – Hanoi: 7 days
- Hanoi – Ha Giang – Dong Van – Bao Lac – Cao Bang – Ban Gioc waterfall – Cao Bang – Ba Be – Hanoi: 9 days
- Hanoi – Ba Be – Thac Ba – Bac Ha – Sapa – Hanoi: 6 days
>>> Reference tours in Ba Be Lake, please click here for detail and price
Source: https://traveland.com.vn
