As one of the 16 most beautiful lakes voted by MSN, Ba Be (Ba Be district, Bac Kan province) is the largest freshwater lake in Viet Nam, serving as an important source of water for people in the area.
Located 145m above sea level, with an area of 650 hectares and a length of 8km, Ba Be Lake is not only a natural wonder, but also a great geological and bio-diverse reserve. Just 230km from Ha Noi, the lake is now a famous tourist destination of Bac Kan province.
A tour to Ba Be should be at least 3 days long so that visitors have enough time to enjoy home-stay and eat special food caught right from the lake. Tourists should hire a boat, at a price of VND 300,000 per hour for a large group, and take a tour on the lake. More adventurous visitors may wish to take small boats. Another way to experience the lake is to hire a boat from Na Hang (Tuyen Quang province) and row along the Nang River, reaching Ba Be Lake in about 2-3 days’ time.
In addition to boat rowing, cycling along the zig-zag paths or pedaling through forests around the lake are also very interesting.