Ba Be Lake

Ba Be, in the mountainous far north of Vietnam, is the country's largest natural lake, a long, tranquil sheet of jade-green water hemmed in by forested limestone peaks at the heart of a national park. It is a place of deep quiet, far off the usual tourist trail, where the main activity is to drift across the lake and along the connecting rivers by boat, past caves, waterfalls and the occasional fisherman. On its shores and in the surrounding valleys live the Tay, an ethnic minority whose stilt-house villages welcome visitors for homestays, offering a window into rural highland life, with meals of local produce and evenings of song. Trails lead into the forest and to viewpoints over the lake, and the Dau Dang waterfall and the Puong cave, a great river tunnel through a mountain full of bats, are highlights of a boat trip. It is a destination for calm, nature and culture rather than sights.

What you actually see

• A boat trip on the lake - drifting the jade water between forested limestone peaks.
• Puong Cave - the river tunnel bored through a mountain, home to thousands of bats.
• Tay stilt-house homestays - staying with the ethnic-minority villages on the shores.
• Dau Dang waterfall - the cascade reached along the river from the lake.

When to go

October to April is drier and cooler, the best time for boating and trekking; the summer brings heat, humidity and heavier rain. The far-north location makes it a genuine escape year-round. Roads can be slow, so allow time for the journey and to settle in.

Honest expectations

It is remote, around six hours from Hanoi on winding roads, so reaching it is a commitment and it works best as an overnight or two rather than a day trip. Facilities are basic homestays rather than hotels, which is the appeal for some and a limitation for others. The pace is very slow and there are few conventional sights; the reward is quiet, scenery and rural culture. English is limited, so a guide or tour smooths the way.

Nearby

The tea hills and karst of the wider northern highlands surround it; Hanoi is the distant gateway to the south.