Bac Kan – Ba Be Lake
Bac Kan – Ba Be Lake Read more: Everything you need to know before leaving for Ba Be Lake
One of the most beautiful natural sites in Northeast Vietnam, an oasis of peace and freshness after the harsh, dusty tracks near the Chinese border. Limestone mountains cloaked in lush forests enshrine Ba Be Lake, which is 1 km wide and 9 km long, sitting 145m above sea level. It feels like being in the lower Alps, yet within a tropical setting reminiscent of a Chinese print. The peaks, sometimes shrouded in winter mist or silhouetted against a blue sky, aspire to be mountains, though they are actually lovely steep hills or mounds. On their rugged slopes, vegetation invades everything, with trees reaching right down to the water’s edge. Sharp vines and knotted roots devour the final rocks, at the risk of suffocating them. Two islets rise in the middle of the lake, which narrows in its central part. One resembles a harnessed horse crossing a ford, hence the name An Ma (Horse Islet).
There are no sandy beaches, no bungalows, or elegant villas. There is no windsurfing in sight, nor water scooters. Ba Be Lake is a virgin and wild place. Swimming is tolerated because the water is clean, but the people who take advantage of it can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Except for Ba Be, one cannot speak of a real settlement. No recent construction distorts this ecosystem unchanged for centuries and there is no possibility of lodging. You can spend the day there and then return to sleep in the village of Cho Ra (18km).
Local boatmen offer two types of excursions: short duration ones from the Ben Ho Ba Be pier, the end point of the road on the eastern shore of the lake, and longer ones that involve navigating the Nang River to the lake.
