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Ba Be Lake is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Bac Kan. This place enjoys a very cool climate with locations such as rivers, lakes, mountains, and forests that provide beautiful scenery. You only need to visit this place once in your life to find it hard to take your eyes off the picturesque views. Let's explore right away!
Ba Be Lake is one of the 20 largest natural freshwater lakes in the world and is recognized by UNESCO as a famous scenic spot. The lake is about 230km north of Hanoi, located in Nam Mau commune, Ba Be district, Bac Kan province. However, with the latest Resolution 2025, this area has been merged and recorded in Ba Be commune of Thai Nguyen province. According to research, Ba Be Lake was formed by tectonic activity from the Southeast Asian continent about 200 million years ago.
The lake is situated at an altitude of about 150m above sea level, with a depth of about 20m. Surrounding the lake are majestic mountain ranges and lush tropical forests. The special geological structure has made this place even more unique, with locals commenting that "the lake never runs dry."
When visiting Ba Be Lake, tourists can choose to stay around the area in Pac Ngoi or Bo Lu villages. These are two villages with stunning scenery and convenient for transportation. If you enjoy a lively atmosphere, you can choose to stay in Pac Ngoi to learn about the cultural lifestyle of the Tay people. However, for those who seek tranquility and a sense of being one with nature, Bo Lu will be the ideal choice with many homestays located far from the central area.
Admiring the peaceful Ba Be Lake
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The area around the lake is surrounded by rocky mountain ranges and large green forests. Therefore, the climate around the lake is extremely pleasant, making it a popular choice for tourists to visit at various times throughout the year.
However, the perfect time to visit the lake is during the summer from February to April or in the autumn from September to October. This is when the water level in the lake is higher, and it is easier to navigate through rivers, streams, and waterfalls. With the rich river flow at this time, you will be able to admire the majestic and impressive waterfalls flowing around the lake.
The perfect time to travel to Ba Be Lake is summer and autumn
The area around the lake gathers many natural and simple scenic spots typical of the northern region. Therefore, for those who wish to immerse themselves in nature, you can visit these places to take photos and relax with your loved ones.
This is a waterfall area located right on the Nang River with an elevation of over 1000m. This site has 3 rocky steps varying from 3-4m, creating a majestic and wild feeling. Near the boat dock at the waterfall, there are several resting spots for tourists to relax and enjoy local specialties.
Dau Dang Waterfall with its majestic scenery
This is a famous cultural tourism area in Nam Mau commune and is home to the Tay ethnic minority. Pac Ngoi village is located near the Leng River and Ba Be Lake, with 40 households living there. You will see traditional stilt houses with yin-yang roof tiles that reflect Western architecture.
Most villagers earn a living through farming and animal husbandry, especially fishing for aquatic products around the lake. Therefore, if you have the chance to visit here, tourists will be able to enjoy delicious dishes such as five-color sticky rice, lam rice, grilled fish with sour meat,... and watch the locals rowing boats to catch fish, which is very interesting.
Pac Ngoi Village with the simple village of the Tay ethnic people
The cave is located right inside Ba Be National Park. You will walk about 300m from the foot of Co Don mountain to the cave. Notably, the cave entrance is about 3m wide and 5m high with many walls and stalactites. Inside the cave, the area is about 1 hectare, with some sections reaching 40-50m high.
According to folklore, this is the dwelling place of many spirits. Later, a court general heard the wailing of the souls and organized a large ceremony, slaughtered a horse, and used its head for offerings, causing the wailing to cease. Over the years, this site has developed many large stalactites and is considered a sacred area in folk beliefs.
Hua Ma Cave and interesting folk tales
This is a small lake with an area of about 3 hectares. This area is a spring connected to Ba Be Lake and the surrounding caves. Therefore, Ao Tien is always full of water despite being about 100m away from the lake. Surrounding this area are stone steps covered with moss, limestone mountains, and vast old forests.
Many tourists evaluate the space around Ao Tien as very peaceful and quiet, evoking curiosity and exploration in many people. According to legend, this is the place where fairies descended to the earth to bathe, hence the current name.
Ao Tien with picturesque scenery like a painting
This area is located in the heart of Ba Be Lake and is considered a natural island. This site is associated with the legend of a woman named Goa who saved the people from a great storm.
The image of Ba Goa Island appears with clear blue water, where you can wear a life jacket and swim freely around the cool water while admiring the beautiful mountain. Notably, many couples come here for the picturesque sunset scenery that creates an extremely romantic atmosphere.
The image of clear blue water around Ba Goa Island
Cuisine is an indispensable reason for travel when you visit. With the advantage of having many rivers and a rich ecosystem, diners will experience many delicious dishes typical of the local people.
Grilled fish is a must-try dish for the locals around the fishing village. The fish will be freshly caught, thoroughly cleaned, and seasoned with special spices before being grilled. The fish tastes better when eaten hot in the cool evening air of the mountains.
Sausage around Ba Be Lake is made from pork from the locals. The interesting point of the sausage here is that the locals marinate it with stone ginger. This type of ginger has a strong spicy aroma that only grows in limestone mountainous areas with a distinctive flavor.
After processing, the sausage will be smoked and hung to preserve. This dish is favored by many locals as it is commonly used in parties or to entertain guests.
When mentioning smoked meat, you will surely remember the flavor of smoked buffalo meat from the people of the Northwest region. This dish is used year-round by the Tay ethnic group as it can be preserved for a long time.
The longer the smoked pork is kept, the more flavorful and delicious it becomes. Currently, this dish is commonly used as a gift during Tet or as a famous dish in traditional Vietnamese restaurants.
Typical dishes when tourists visit Ba Be Lake
Getting to the lake area is quite simple with many different routes. Depending on the number of tourists visiting or individual needs, you can get here by the following means:
To get to this area, you will have a long journey of 150km from Hanoi to Bac Kan by motorbike or private car. Tourists can travel via QL 3 in Thai Nguyen. In the past, to reach Bac Kan, many people had to go through very narrow roads and it took more than 5 hours to arrive.
However, the new highway from Hanoi - Thai Nguyen - Cho Moi has been opened to shorten the travel time to only 2 hours. Thanks to this, you will have more time to admire the beautiful scenery around Bac Kan and not spend nearly half a day traveling as before.
Travel to the lake by personal vehicle
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From the My Dinh bus station area in Hanoi, you can choose to take a bus to Bac Kan with various price levels. Travelers should opt to go to Cao Bang as the bus often passes through famous locations in Bac Kan. For those coming from other provinces, you can stop by Hanoi and choose various means of transport to easily reach Bac Kan.
A simpler way chosen by many travelers is to join a tour to the lake, suggested by NVK Travel. You only need to spend a reasonable amount starting from 1,500,000 VND to have transportation, meals at the hotel, and a plan for the destinations. The important thing is that the tours have guides to share about the scenic spots around Ba Be Lake so that travelers can better understand the place they are visiting.
Travel to Ba Be Lake by tour
With the majestic natural scenery, you will have a wonderful experience when visiting Ba Be Lake. Especially, if you want to plan a perfect trip to Bac Kan, please seek the travel services of NVK Travel. This service belongs to Eagle Asia Co., Ltd., which specializes in providing tours both domestically and internationally. Therefore, just contact our website: nvktravel.com, and travelers will have complete experiences.
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