Hoa Binh Lake
A reservoir behind the dam that once carried Vietnam's largest power station, with Muong and Dao villages on its shores.
Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map
The Hoa Binh dam on the Da river was built between 1979 and 1994 with Soviet assistance and was for years the largest hydroelectric station in South East Asia; the reservoir behind it runs about two hundred kilometres up the valley and holds a great many islands, which are the tops of the drowned hills. Tens of thousands of people were relocated when it filled. The shores and islands hold Muong, Dao and Thai villages, several with homestays, and boats run from Thung Nai and other landings among the islands and to the Thac Bo shrine, a cave temple on the water.
What you actually see
- A reservoir about two hundred kilometres long - behind the Da river dam.
- Islands that are drowned hilltops - scattered up the valley.
- Muong, Dao and Thai villages - on the shores, with homestays.
- Thac Bo shrine - a cave temple reached by boat.
When to go
September to November and March to May. Two days.
Honest expectations
Water levels change with the dam's operation and can leave wide mudbanks. Boat hire is negotiated informally. The relocation of tens of thousands of people is part of the lake's history. Homestays are simple.
Nearby
Mai Chau is west; Hanoi is east.
What to pack for Hoa Binh Lake
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
