A/ Overview: Ba Be national park
Ba Be lake
B/ One day around Ba Be lake
C/ Where to stay
D/ Food and Drink
E/ Getting there
F/ Ba Be from newspaper
A/ Overview
Ba Be national park
Ba Be national park was established in 1992 in Ba Be district of Bac Kan province.
The center of the park is Ba Be lake which is often called “the blue mirror of Vietnam Northeast mountainous area”. And the surroundings are great limestone mountains, dense tropical rainforest, rice fields, rivers, waterfalls and caves…
In the park, there are many villages of Mong, Tay, Dao ethnic minority groups. Among them, some Tay people villages with traditional stilt houses located around the lake, are good choices for tourists who love experiencing homestay.
Thanks to its high biodiversity concentration with 1268 species of plant, 81 species of animal, 322 species of bird, 44 species of reptile, 106 species of fish and more than 300 species of butterfly…, Ba Be, in 2004, was recognized as the heritage park of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. And in 2011, it was recognized as the 1938th Ramsar site of the world by The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance
Attetion: Hunting is strictly forbidden in this 44,750ha national park but the Tay, Mong, Dao ethnic groups who stay around the park are permitted to fish. (In fact, the park is often invaded seriously!)
Ba Be lake
Having been formed approximately 200 million years ago at the end of Cambri era, Ba Be lake with 500ha, is the largest natural freshwater lake of Vietnam and is home to hundreds species of fish. In 1995, the lake was recognized as one of the 20 special freshwater lakes in the world that need protection.
Some other information:
• The lake is located at an altitude of 150m above sea level and surrounded by limestone mountains with green forests. The average depth of the lake is 20m. The deepest is 35m
• “Ba” means number 3. “Be” means lake. Ba Be actually is formed by three lakes of Pe Leng, Pe Lu, Pe Lam.
• The best way to discover/enjoy the lake is taking a motorised boat trip from Buoc Lom boat station which is about 4km from the park headquarter.
The most popular routes are: 1/ Ba Be lake - Puong cave - Fairy pond - An Ma temple (450,000VND or 23USD/boat); 2/ Ba Be lake - Puong cave - Fairy pond - Dau Dang waterfall (550,000VND or 27USD/boat)
The most popular routes are: 1/ Ba Be lake - Puong cave - Fairy pond - An Ma temple (450,000VND or 23USD/boat); 2/ Ba Be lake - Puong cave - Fairy pond - Dau Dang waterfall (550,000VND or 27USD/boat)
• Pac Ngoi, one of the Tay ethnic minority villages with traditional stilt houses, is located near the lake. Many houses in this village offer homestay service.
B/ One day around Ba Be lake
Arrived in the park after a long and tiring drive from Ha Giang city, I was warmly welcomed by Tru Dien guesthouse. After enjoying a delicious dinner with the guesthouse’s friendly owner, I came to rest in a basic small wooden room. And it was a great night with lovely sound of rain and fragance of forest and mountain...
The peaceful early morning came with thick mist. After having breakfast, I started a one-day trip around the park with motorbike.
From Tru Dien guesthouse, passed by green rice fields, a 4-km drive took me to Buoc Lom boat station. Paid 450,000VND for a 2-hour motorised boat trip of Nang river - Puong cave - Ba Be lake - Fairy pond - An Ma temple - Pac Ngoi village of Tay ethnic minority people (The boat accommodate to 12 people).
Green rice fields 
Buoc Lom boat station
My motorbike on the boat
Nang river had beautiful brown colour, surrounded by limestone mountains and green forests.
Entered a some 300m long Puong cave.
Out of Puong cave, buffalos were bathing
And some storks
After about 30 minutes, the boat entered the lake. The colour became green
Looked like Halong bay?! Really peaceful and relaxed.
Boat stopped at entrance to Fairy pond. From here a some hundred meters walk took me to the pond. For me, the pond was not really interesting. Saw a man fishing on the pond.
Continued boat trip on the lake
The last destination was An Ma temple
After over 2 hours, the boat trip finished at a lakeside area. From here a short drive took me to Pac Ngoi village of Tay ethnic minority people who still live on traditional stilt houses. Excellent view and breathtaking scenery on the way
Pac Ngoi village with green rice fields
From Bac Ngoi, a 6km drive took me to Hua Ma cave. Paid 15,000VND for entrance fee and 10,000VND for the flash-light (I was only one visitor at that time. Economically, the light system of the cave was not turned on). Then walked about 300m up the mountain to the cave. Hua Ma is about 1ha wide and its vault is about 10m high. The below pictures of Hua Ma cave belong to VOV - The Voice Of Vietnam
After having lunch, I drove motorbike to Silver waterfall which was about 5km from Hua Ma cave. No entrance fee for this waterfall
The last drive was 5km from Silver waterfall passing through the park headquarter and back to Tru Dien guesthouse
Pics: vietnamguidebook
C/ Where to stay
If you look for a basic hotel/guesthouse, come to the park headquarter area
Pay 150,000VND (7USD), you will have a private room with fan in a basic guesthouse. Shared bathroom with hot shower.
With 350,000VND (17USD), you hotel is large and the room is big with hot shower, air-condition, Tivi, free wifi...
Those who would like to experience homestay in traditional stilt house of Tay ethnic minority people, come to Pac Ngoi village. Pay 70,000VND and you will have a sleeping place on a shared wooden floor. Shared clean bathroom with hot shower.
The Park Headquarter area 1/ (My stay) Tru Dien guesthouse
Address: Na Mam - Khanh Ninh - Ba Be (about 1km to the park headquarter and 4km from Buoc Lom boat station)
Tel: 0982 006 103 (Mr Tru) - 0281 3894 468
Room rate: 150,000VND (7USD)
Overview: This nice guesthouse has basic small rooms with fan, shared bathroom and hot shower. Mr Tru, the owner, once was an English teacher, is very friendly and helpful. His wife is a Tay people
Bonus: There is a big map of Ba Be national park in the ground floor and useful information of what to do in one or two days. Motorbike for rent (and sometimes for me!). Serve lunch and dinner (should order in advance. I loved the fish, tofu sour soup cooked by Tru's wife)From My Dinh bus station of Hanoi, there is one daily bus to Ba Be national park. The bus will let you get off in front of this guesthouse
Minus: Water pressure sometimes is quite week
Pictures:
2/ (My pick) Ba Be Post Office hotel
Address: Na Mam - Khanh Ninh - Ba Be (about 500m to the park headquarter and 4km from Buoc Lom boat station)
Tel: 02813 894 455 - 0943 916 684 (Mr Hoang)
Email: hoangbabe@gmail.com
Room rate: 220,000VND up (11USD)
Overview: This hotel has one building and one stilt house. Rooms are large, clean with hot shower, Tivi, free wifi. The 220,000VND (11USD) is with shared bathroom. The 350,000VND (17USD) is with air-condition and private bathroom
Pac Ngoi village area
There are many homestays in this village which is about 5km from the Park headquarter. Here are two of them
1/ (My pick) Dat Diem homestay
Address: Pac Ngoi village, Nam Mau ward, Ba Be district
Tel: 01676 591 853
Room rate: 80,000VND/person
Overview: Shared basic sleeping place on a wooden floor of clean stilt house. Shared bathroom with hot shower. Located at lakeside with green ricefields. Friendly
Cooking on stilt house
Pics: vietnamguidebook
2/ The Sang homestay
Address: Pac Ngoi village, Nam Mau ward, Ba Be district
Tel: 02816 294 106
Room rate: 70,000VND/person
Overview: Shared basic
sleeping place with fan on a wooden floor of clean stilt house. Shared bathroom
with hot shower.
Pics: vietnamguidebook
D/ Food and Drink
Most hotels, guesthouses, homestays serve lunch and dinner. Should order in advance.
If you stay in Tru Dien guesthouse, ask for the delicious fish tofu sour soup with a special sour leaf in purple colour. Just some steps from the hotel is a local eatery offer cheap breakfast with beef noodle and "banh cuon" made of rice powder and eggs used with fishsauce.
Fermented tiny shrimp from Ba Be lake, a speciality
Pics: vietnamguidebook
E/ Getting there
Ba Be national park is about 68km from Bac
Kan town and 240km from Hanoi city.
* From Hanoi
At present, Thuong Nga bus company has one daily bus running between Ba Be national park and My Dinh bus station of Hanoi city.
Give them a call, they will pick you up at hotels, guesthouses, homestay in and around Ba Be national park.
Coming from Hanoi, ask the driver to let you get off at Tru Dien guesthouse of the Park Headquarter
Tel: 0977 417 999
Travel time: 7hours
Bus fare: 120,000VND (6USD)
Departure time: 4:15AM from Ba Be national park. 1:45PM from My Dinh bus station
Note: Other bus operators in My Dinh bus station have many daily buses to Bac Kan town of Bac Kan province. From Bac Kan town, there are many local buses to Ba Be national park.
* From Ha Giang city
The new bus station of Ha Giang city has some buses leaving for Thai Nguyen city of Thai Nguyen province. In Thai Nguyen city, there are many daily buses to Ba Be national park (Ask the driver to let you get off at Tru Dien guesthouse of the Park Headquarter)
Travel time: 9 - 10 hours (The bus departs from Ha Giang city bus station at 8:00AM, arrive in Thai Nguyen city about 2:20PM. Then take another local bus to Ba Be national park and arrive in the Park headquarter at about 5:30PM)
Bus fare: 95,000VND (Ha Giang - Thai Nguyen) + 75,000VND (Thai Nguyen - Ba Be national park)
Tel: 0986 968 569 - 0916 999 602 (Ha Giang - Thai Nguyen bus. The driver is friendly. Tell him you want to go to Ba Be, he will show you the bus at Thai Nguyen city)
Eat your world: I would like to go to Ba Be national park = Toi muon di vuon quoc gia Ba Be (Tôi muốn đi vườn quốc gia Ba Bể)
I would like to go to Tru Dien guesthouse in Ba Be national park = Toi muon den nha nghi Tru Dien o vuon quoc gia Ba Be (Tôi muốn đến nhà nghỉ Trữ Điện ở vườn quốc gia Ba Bể
I would like to go to Pac Ngoi village = Toi muon den thon Pac Ngoi (Tôi muốn đến thôn Pác Ngòi)
F/ Ba Be from newspaper
VietNamNet Bridge – The largest natural
lake in Vietnam, which is
located in the northeastern province of Bac
Kan, is being threatened by
untreated waste water from a mining company. Experts have warned that the lake may disappear in several dozens of years.
On April 27, the association of people who love
Ba Be Lake met to discuss the threats to the lake. Earlier, residents who live around the lake sent hundreds of letters of petition to relevant agencies accusing a mining company that has discharged waste water to the lake since 2008.
Last week, poet Duong Thuan, from the association of people who love Ba Be Lake, Prof. Pham Vinh Cu, Prof. Duong Hao and Prof. Dang Hung Vo made a field trip to the lake.
“The Ba Be Lake is dying,” said poet Duong Thuan after the trip.
Thuan said that miners have blocked streams and are pumping water up to mines to wash ores, causing a shortage of water for irrigation. Wastewater is then discharged to rivers and streams that flow to Ba Be Lake. When it rains, wastewater and mud from the mines runs into the lake, resulting in an underdevelopment of rice.
Prof. Chu Hao, former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, said that if trees continue to be chopped down and ores continue to be exploited in the current way, Ba Be Lake will disappear in several decades.
Prof. Dang Hung Vo, former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment said: “If you go to Ba Be Lake the moment, you will feel great anguish. To get rich, we have to exchange, but this exchange is absurd!”
Prof. Vo said that mining activities in this area have affected the cultural characters of ethnic minority groups in this region. “To do business, Bac Kan can develop tourism or forestry, not develop regardless of environment destruction,” he said.
The association of people who love Ba Be Lake is about to report the case to the Prime Minister.
Last week, poet Duong Thuan, from the association of people who love Ba Be Lake, Prof. Pham Vinh Cu, Prof. Duong Hao and Prof. Dang Hung Vo made a field trip to the lake.
“The Ba Be Lake is dying,” said poet Duong Thuan after the trip.
Thuan said that miners have blocked streams and are pumping water up to mines to wash ores, causing a shortage of water for irrigation. Wastewater is then discharged to rivers and streams that flow to Ba Be Lake. When it rains, wastewater and mud from the mines runs into the lake, resulting in an underdevelopment of rice.
Prof. Chu Hao, former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, said that if trees continue to be chopped down and ores continue to be exploited in the current way, Ba Be Lake will disappear in several decades.
Prof. Dang Hung Vo, former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment said: “If you go to Ba Be Lake the moment, you will feel great anguish. To get rich, we have to exchange, but this exchange is absurd!”
Prof. Vo said that mining activities in this area have affected the cultural characters of ethnic minority groups in this region. “To do business, Bac Kan can develop tourism or forestry, not develop regardless of environment destruction,” he said.
The association of people who love Ba Be Lake is about to report the case to the Prime Minister.
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