Thac Ba Lake

Thac Ba was created between 1962 and 1971 by damming the Chay river for the first large hydroelectric plant built in Vietnam, flooding a valley of some twenty-three thousand hectares and leaving the tops of the hills standing as islands - more than thirteen hundred of them, wooded, scattered across the water. Villages of Dao, Tay and Cao Lan people live around the shore and on some islands, with homestays in several. The Thac Ba pagoda and cave sites are on the lake, and boats go out among the islands.

What you'll find

• More than thirteen hundred islands - hilltops left by the flooding.
• Vietnam's first big hydro scheme - completed in 1971.
• Dao, Tay and Cao Lan villages - around the shore and on islands.
• Boats among the islands - the way to see it.

When to go

September to November and March to May. Two days.

Practical notes

Boat hire is informal and negotiated. Water levels change with the dam's operation. Homestays are simple. There is little organised tourism, which is either the appeal or the problem.

Nearby

Yen Bai is west; Nghia Lo and Muong Lo are further west.

Key facts