12 December, Da Vi to Ba Be by boat
Quynh Mai Homestay 200,000VND

The village of Ba Be lies on the shores of Ba Be Lake in the Ba Be National Park. Ba Be Lake is Vietnam’s largest and highest fresh water lake. Interestingly, the surface area of the lake fluctuates from three to five square kms depending on whether it is the dry or wet season. The park is mountainous and heavily wooded and home to several indigenous tribal groups. We opted to take a 20-minute flat-bottomed boat ride from Da Vi to the upper end of the Na Hang dam. From there we pushed our bikes for 1km along a narrow cement path through the forest, climbing beside un-navigable rapids to the river which feeds the dam. There we took a second boat (45 minutes) up the river and into Ba Be Lake, our boatman dropping us in Ba Be village with its several guest houses and limited restaurant options. Our “homestay” room was chilly, being open at ceiling height to neighbouring rooms and the outside world. It had mattresses on the floor, but bedding of sufficient quality and thickness to keep us warm through the night.

Between Da Vi and Ba Be

Between Da Vi and Ba Be

Between Da Vi and Ba Be

Ba Be

Ba Be