Ba Be National Park has long acquired its reputation for being a special-use forest, combining famous ecotourism with a diverse system of rivers, lakes, caves and vegetation in Bac Kan province.
There are various trekking trails all around Vietnam and of course Ba Be is not an exception. Coming to Ba Be National park you can not only challenge yourself in conquering the mystical trekking trails inside the park but also enjoy your time to relax while boarding on a boat trip around
Ba Be lake. This is definitely a perfect combination between physical activity and relaxation.
Below are the list of 5 best trekking routes in Ba Be National park that should not be missed on visiting Ba Be.
1. Trekking to An Ma Temple: 7 – 10km
An Ma is a limestone island, located in the second basin of Ba Be lake (Pe Lu), about 30m above the lake’s surface. The island itself is shaped like a cambered turtle shell, covered with green trees all over the island. It is a convenient point to observe the landscape of the lake. On top of the island is An Ma temple, worshiping Buddha, Mau Thuong Ngan, Chua Son Trang, Duc Thanh Tran ... This is an ancient temple made of wood and restored and rebuilt in 2007, with 9 meters in length and 6 meters in width.
To start the trekking tour, we will depart from the North Wharf, trekking along the small trail that leads to the top of the mountain where you can enjoy the panoramic view of Ba Be Lake. The trail will lead you to a high hut from where you can admire and get the best pictures of Bo Lu and Pac Ngoi villages of Tay people.
From here, we will continue to trek through a rather dense trail which is hidden by the primeval forest canopy to reach a pontoon-bridge connecting with An Ma Island where
An Ma Temple is located.
After visiting the temple you can either choose to return via the old road you took or take a boat to get back to the starting point.
2. Dau Dang waterfall: 7 – 10km
Being formed when the Nang river flows into a H’Mong village then descends from the large rocky slopes, Dau Dang waterfall is one of the most majestic waterfalls within Ba Be which is about 16km away from Cho Ra town.
If you trek from Ba be National park gate you can travel by boat from Buoc Lom boat station then stop at the Nang river bank and walk to the waterfall for around 2 - 3 km.
The waterfall is surrounded by the evergreen forest on rocky mountain so it is very cool here all year round.
The trees’ roots creep up the rocky mountains creating an unbelievable sight that you can hardly see elsewhere. To preserve beautiful memories with this place, visitors can stand on the safety cliffs to take pictures.
From here you can continue your hike through the thick rainforest while keeping an eye out for local wildlife. Eventually, you’ll reach the summit which offers amazing panoramic views of the countryside below, before visiting some Hmong villages followed by our destination for the day, a Dao ethnic minority village which is around 5 – 7 km away.
Then you can choose a homestay to stay overnight to experience the daily life of local Dzao people here or follow the old road to get back to the starting point.
3. Trek through Ba Be National Park to Khau Quan – Nam Dai: 12 – 15km
To start this journey you should go with local people to avoid getting lost because the road is very long and hard to go.
This trek route will take you from Bo Lu village, Ba Be Tourism Centre office towards Coc Toc village. You will have the chance to explore the diverse and beautiful landscapes of Ba Be as you trek through the National park. To begin with, your local guide will take you to visit Coc Toc Village where the Tay people make a living through fishing in the lake. You will cross Pe Lu Stream and navigate some steep terrain, but as you gain height you will begin to see the beautiful views of the mountains. Then you will trek through the vast mountain ranges and valleys to see the stilt houses and schools of the Dzao people and along the trail to visit another H'mong ethnic village. You will then return to your homestay where you started this morning.
4. Trek to Lo Mo Cave: 7 – 10km
Lo Mo Cave is a major new discovery in Northern Vietnam and another great reason to visit Ba Be National park, an area of limestone karst mountains surrounding spectacular lakes where you’ll spend about three hours exploring this 4km deep river cave, so far uncharted by geologists.
You should sign up for a tour package to be provided with the necessary use as helmets and headlamps and guided navigation for you.
You can either choose to transfer by motorbike or car to the Vang village, then hike for about 5km to reach the cave entrance. The trail leading to the mountain is quite dangerous, there is only one unique road that has been exploited by the local people for a long time, thus forming a path around dense trees. The location of the cave is in the middle of the mountain, so there is no access road for motorbikes or cars so hiking is the only way to reach the cave.
Surrounding the cave entrance are rocks shaped like the teeth of a giant monster, below is the underground stream in the cave with a shallow and moderate flow, but the deeper the cave is, the deeper the stream is, some parts even reach chest-deep sections.
As you descend deeper into the cave for more than 1 km, the route will be divided into 2 parts in which one branch is deeply embedded in the mountain on the left-hand side with a length of more than 1.5 km - this branch has a fairly flat terrain with clear streams of water and pure white pebbles on the bottom of the stream; The second branch ate into the mountain on the right, but the group could not determine the length of this branch. So, we should go to branch 1.
5. Ba Be lake boat trip and trek to local ethnic villages along Nang river: 5 – 7 km
This will be an ideal choice for those who want to take part in a boat trip but still want to combine with some trekking activities.
You can book a boat and explore the whole landscape of
Ba Be Lake. After the visit, the boat will stop at the Nang river bank from where you will start your trek deep into the forest to visit and learn about the daily life of the local people here. These are the houses of the Tay, H'Mong and Dao ethnic groups. They lived in separate villages along the Nang River. So it is very easy for you to recognize and understand the difference between cultures and their way of life.
You will be surprised by the friendliness and enthusiasm of the local ethnic people here.