Ba Be Lake, Bac Kan Province - Vietnam - June 2023

 Ba Be Lake is our last stop before returning to Ha Noi. It was a very pleasant day and Ba Be Lake was not too far from the hotel. 

Ba Be means Three Oceans. Thus, it is appropriate to call this largest natural lake in Vietnam Ba Be (Lake).  The lake is in Ba Be National Park, home of the Tay, the Dao and the Hmong ethnic minorities. The park, a national heritage site, considered by many, the best trekking areas in the north of Vietnam and still much protected from mass tourism. The variety of scenery is impressive with rich vegetation, fertile rice fields, towering mountains and the spectacular Ba Be Lake. The best way to explore the breathtaking beauty of Ba Be Lake is by small boat. We can get up close to the karst mountains and slip into small caves. 

With a Tay villager

Ba Be Lake entrance

The pier at Ba Be Lake where we caught a boat for lake sightseeing.

Small cave 

A shrine on an island we visited

We were back to Ha Noi the same evening. The next day was our last day in Ha Noi before leaving for Saigon . 

One of my favorite breakfast, Thanh Tri rice rolls

Paul's favorite breakfast, Pho.

 

A fruit peddler in front of our hotel 

Hang Hanh street. Our hotel on the left.

In front of the hotel. We stayed on the 7th floor. the first floor is an optical shop.

The front of our hotel and Hang Hanh street had a different sight in the early morning the day we left Ha Noi. The Spa unit, second door to our right had an electrical fire around 3:00am. We were evacuated from our building. 

 

Fire trucks to the rescue!

Ha Noi domestic airport. 

It was a short flight back to Saigon from Ha Noi. We had a nice visit to Ha Noi and to see many changes in the last fifteen years. We also enjoyed the trips to Ninh Binh, Cao Bang and Bac Can for the first time. We picked the right place to spend some time before Andrerw and family arrived.