The beauty of Ba Be National Park wetland reserve

1. Introduction to Ba Be National Park Wetland Reserve

In 2011, Ba Be National Park (Bac Kan) was recognized as the 1,938th Ramsar site in the world and the third in Vietnam - a wetland reserve of international importance. Ba Be National Park is considered a unique ecosystem, with Ba Be Lake at its center, located at an altitude of 178m, identified as the largest natural lake in the mountains of Vietnam, one of the 25 most beautiful freshwater lakes in the world. Ba Be National Park is home to a wide variety of freshwater habitats, including many small ponds and wetlands. The park is of great importance in the system of protected areas in Vietnam and is the only place that protects a natural freshwater lake ecosystem in a limestone area.
Ba Be Lake is the area with the most diverse freshwater fish fauna in the system of protected areas in Vietnam with over 100 species of fish. In addition, there are about 235 species of birds, including some threatened and globally threatened species such as the heron, hornbill, grey-headed fish hawk, etc.

2. Ideal times to visit Ba Be National Park Wetland Reserve

Tourists can visit 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 of the following year, the weather is very cold, many places drop to 0 degrees Celsius, there may be frost. However, the best weather to visit Ba Be Lake is from February to April, when the weather is cool, the temperature is from 25 to 30 degrees. Every year, on the 9th and 10th of the first lunar month, Bac Kan province organizes the Ba Be Spring Festival (Long Tong Festival) attracting thousands of visitors from all over to visit, enjoy spring and sightsee. At the festival, there are also folk games such as: Con tossing, stick pushing, cockfighting, bullfighting, tug of war, duck ring tossing, and dugout canoe racing.

3. Location of Ba Be National Park Wetland Reserve

Ba Be is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in Vietnam, part of Ba Be National Park, a famous ecotourism destination. Ba Be Lake is located 70km northwest of Bac Kan city, in Nam Mau commune, Ba Be district. The lake is made up of three lakes, Pe Leng, Pe Lu and Pe Lam. Ba Be is located at an altitude of 145m above sea level, more than 8km long, about 3km widest point, water surface area of about 500ha, average depth of 20m, deepest point of 35m, surrounded by limestone mountains and has many underground streams and caves. Ba Be has many species of freshwater fish, including extremely rare species listed in the Vietnam Red Book such as whale carp, green dam fish, and catfish.

In 1995, Ba Be Lake was recognized by the World Freshwater Lake Conference in the US as one of 20 special freshwater lakes in need of protection. In 1996, the lake was recognized as a national historical and cultural relic. In 2011, Ba Be was recognized as a Ramsar site - a wetland reserve of international importance.

4. How to get to Ba Be National Park Wetland Reserve?

Bac Kan is in the Northeast region, 165 km from Hanoi. From Hanoi to Bac Kan, there are two ways: following the old National Highway 3 (about 3 hours, can be traveled by motorbike) and following the Hanoi - Thai Nguyen expressway then continuing to National Highway 3, about 2 hours (can only be traveled by car). From Bac Kan city to Ba Be lake, there are two ways: taking Provincial Road 256, about 60 km or Provincial Road 257 to Cho Don and continuing to Ba Be, about 70 km.

Buses depart from My Dinh bus station (Hanoi). You can choose the bus companies that run the Hanoi - Bac Kan or Cao Bang route. These buses often pass through famous tourist destinations, including Ba Be Lake. For visitors from Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces, the most reasonable way to travel is to fly to Hanoi and follow the instructions above.

To help the process of traveling to Ba Be National Park Wetland Reserve be faster, more cost-effective, and more time-saving to suit your needs, you can take a taxi or choose the airport shuttle service, or rent a private car from iGuide.ai.

5. Places you can visit when you come here

5.1. Visit Ba Be Lake

When visiting Ba Be Lake, visitors can choose to rent a canoe, kayak, SUP (stand-up paddleboard) or dugout canoe. There are usually two starting points: Ba Be Lake and Nang River.

- Motorboat: 12 people per boat (Vietnamese guests) and 10 people per boat (foreign guests). Rental price ranges from 300,000 VND to 1 million VND depending on 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 for a day. Tourists will be provided with life jackets to ensure safety. The maximum number of people for 3 boats is 6.

In addition to renting services at the location, visitors can choose a tour departing from Hanoi that combines SUP, kayaking and trekking through the national forest, conquering nature in one of the most beautiful places in the North. The price of the package tour ranges from 2 to 3 million VND per person, going on two weekends.

5.2. Visit Pac Ngoi Village

Pac Ngoi village or Pac Ngoi cultural tourism area, Nam Mau commune, is home to the Tay ethnic group, located close to the banks of the Leng River and Ba Be Lake, with about 40 people. Most of the accommodation areas are located in this village. The village has ancient stilt houses, roofed with yin-yang tiles, typical Tay architecture. The villagers mainly live on farming and raising livestock, catching seafood from Ba Be Lake. Here, visitors can enjoy local specialties such as bamboo rice, grilled fish with sour meat, five-color sticky rice, and participate in activities with the locals such as fishing, rowing dugout canoes, and watching Tay girls sing Then.

5.3. Visit Hua Ma Cave

Hua Ma Cave is located in Ba Be National Park. From the foot of Co Don Mountain to the cave is about 300 m, there are stairs so it is convenient to move. The cave entrance is 3 m wide, 5 m high, the inside is about 1 ha wide, up to 40-50 m high with many walls and stalactites. According to legend, this is where ghosts reside, later a general of the royal court went on patrol and heard the howling of the ghosts, so he held a big ceremony, slaughtered a horse, and took the horse's head to sacrifice. After the ceremony, the howling disappeared. Over the years, stalactites have grown here and is considered a sacred destination.

5.4. Visit Dau Dang Waterfall

Dau Dang Waterfall is located on the Nang River, between Bac Kan and Tuyen Quang. The Nang River flows through Lung Nham limestone mountain to form Puong cave, and when it reaches Hua Tang village, it 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 where the catfish appears, one of the rare fish species, some weighing up to several dozen kilograms.

5.5. Visit Ao Tien

Ao Tien is a small lake about 3 hectares wide, with underground water streams connecting to Ba Be Lake and nearby caves, so even though it is located about 100 meters away from the lake, Ao Tien is always full of water. Surrounding the pond are moss-covered steps, limestone mountains and old forests. The space around the pond is quite peaceful, quiet and mysterious, arousing the curiosity of visitors.

6. Discover the unique cuisine here

6.1. Grilled fish

Grilled fish is a familiar dish of the local people. The freshest fish caught by fishermen are cleaned, marinated with special spices and then grilled on hot coals. The fish tastes best when eaten hot, along with other local dishes.

6.2. Sausage

Ba Be Lake sausages are made from local pork. A unique feature is that the sausages here are marinated with rock ginger, a spicy and aromatic ginger that only grows on limestone mountains, giving it a unique flavor. After processing, the sausages are smoked or hung to dry in the kitchen to preserve them for a long time. This is a favorite dish of many people, and tastes even better when served with local wine.

6.3. Smoked meat

Similar to the buffalo meat hung in the kitchen of the people in the Northwest highlands, the Tay ethnic people also consider this a method to preserve meat for use all year round. Pork hung in the kitchen not only can be preserved for a long time but also has a richer flavor. Nowadays, the people here still make the meat hung in the kitchen to entertain distinguished guests or have Tet gatherings.

7. Accommodation

To make the trip to Ba Be National Park easier and more memorable, visitors should choose a quality place to stay. Currently, in the Bac Kan area, there are many hotels built with different scales and qualities. Therefore, choosing a Bac Kan hotel becomes easier and you can refer to information and book in advance through apps or websites, in which the accommodation service page of iGuide.ai is a reliable source of information that you should refer to.
There are many hotels and homestays in the area around Ba Be Lake with prices ranging from 300,000 VND to 3 million VND for a double room. Accommodation prices at hotels in Ba Be National Park have many options with different levels:

- Average price for a double room: weekdays 300,000 VND/room; weekends, holidays, peak season: 500,000 VND/room. Room includes 02 single beds 1m2, private, air-conditioner, wifi, hot and cold, TV.

- Family room rental price for 1 day 2,000,000 VND - 3,000,000 VND (The above price does not include the service of snacks during break time). Family room includes 02 rooms with 01 large bed and 01 small bed, air conditioning, wifi, hot and cold water, TV.

Community houses cost 70,000-100,000 VND per person. Accommodations near Ba Be Lake, with balconies or rooms overlooking the lake, are all homestays run by locals, often including communal rooms. Amenities here are only basic. If visitors want to stay in a more fully equipped place, they will have to choose accommodation 1 to 2 km away from the lake, in the area of the national park gate.

Camping by the lake is a new experience that has recently become popular with many tourists. Some recommended locations include: the alluvial land at the end of the Leng River in Pac Ngoi village, Hoi Xuan beach, Lac Nga garden, and Puong cave. Prices range from 1 to 2 million VND per person, depending on the full package or individual services.