
Ba Be Lake is a great place to visit and nowhere near as crowded as places such as: Ha Long, Sa Pa, Ninh Binh etc… You can make a visit to the lake itself or make it part of a larger loop to Cao Bang or a stop off on the way back from Meo Vac, Ha Giang.
Some people choose to stay two nights so that they can spend a day either chilling in a hammock, on a boat to see the sites around the lake (Ba Goa Island, Fairy Lake, Dau Dang Waterfall, Puong Cave), Kayaking to one of the small islands for a picnic, or driving on the several small loops around the lake.
Perhaps the only down side is that the lake is quite a long way away from Hanoi. It will take the whole day to get there or back and there are not any decent places to stop over along the route. Of course Bac Kan or Thai Nguyen are options but they are not very good ones.
There is a huge range of accommodation options for all budgets and guest types. The only time I would say be wary is vietnamese national holidays as the place will be packed out and it is hard to find somewhere to stay unless you book in advance.
As you will see below, I recommend taking the back road route from Hanoi and not the ‘tour bus route’ as I call it. It is marked in a brownish colour for a reason.
Note: It IS possible to get to/from Ba Be in one day’s drive, but it is 240km, which is a looooong way. You either have to start early and suck it up, or consider an overnight in Bac Kan, which would then give you lots of time to get to the lake and explore a little in the afternoon.
This is a long route and it takes the whole day to get to the lake from Hanoi. You will see on Google Maps that it is marked at about 4 hrs driving but this will not include any late departures, traffic, pit stops or just general goofing around. therefore, Leave early, before 9am if you can, or earlier.
The first leg of the trip up to Thai Nguyen is often busy with traffic and very dull. You need to be careful not to take the CT07 as no motorbikes are allowed on this highway. You can easily set Google Maps to ‘motorbike mode’ or ‘avoid tolls / highways’ to achieve this. It is probably a good idea to regroup at Thai Nguyen so you don’t lose anyone. You will hit a roundabout and that is a good spot with a lot of cafes nearby.
For this route we suggest you head further North past Thai Nguyen to Yen Do. This is where I advise you to turn off the QL3 and onto the QL3c / DT268 as it is a much more interesting and quieter route up to the lower end of the lake. NOTE google maps may route you on the new highway up to Bac Kan (brown route)
After Yen Do it is a straight run following the DT254 and I suggest you take the quieter DT254B for a stretch to get on the smaller road. Then you head up to Bang Lung, better known as Cho Don. There are plenty of little cafes and eateries here as it is a fairly busy junction town.
Then, you just head for the lake as the road becomes quieter and quieter.
The second route of choice from Hanoi is to go via Bac Kan. Your first real choice comes just as you are leaving Thai Nguyen. You will see that there is the new route to Bac Kan. This is a fast and clear stretch of highway and you will make good time on it. There is something to be said for taking this route and then turning West as Bac Kan. With a quick pit stop in Thai Nguyen and then again in Bac Kan, you will find that this route is pretty fast and easy.
After Bac Kan, you head towards Bang Lung, Cho Don on the DT 257 which is a great road. After this you head North on the DT254 just like the route above.
You could opt to take the QL3 up to Yen Do and then further up to Bac Kan but this would not seem logical. The QL3 and the DT254 are similar even though the QL3 has a little more traffic. You would be making your journey longer for no real gain.
Around 5km before Cho Don there is a small back road that will take you to the lake
There are a variety of other route options from different destinations that you might be coming from as part of a loop of the North. I have listed some ideas and comments below and ordered them by the likelihood that you will be using them.
Cho Ra is about 15km from Ba Be National Park. You will pass through this small town if you are coming from Cao Bang, Tinh Tuc or Bao Lac. The road is easy to follow and well signposted, if you plan to go direct. It is a quick and easy route.
There is a detour that will take you off the DT254 and on a much quieter road that I have heard is a good drive but I have yet to take it myself. This would be good for the adventurous but the 254 is quite a pleasant drive in itself. This road will link up with the back road from the DT257 and then lead you to the lake.
There are two routes that will take you from Na Hang to Ba Be Lake. The longer and easier is marked in light purple and take you on the DT176 and then eastwards on the DT187. Once you cross the border of Tuyen Quang Province to Bac Kan Province, this becomes the DT255 and continues on to Cho Don.
However, around 15km after turning off the DT176 there is a back road that will take you over to the DT254. This is a small winding road that is easy to pass and is a bit of a shortcut.
This used to be a very difficult route route to follow and only recommended for those who like adventure but it has been rebuilt over the last few years and it much easier to pass. However, you will still need to ask and check that you are on the correct route at times. The scenery is wonderful and it is really worht taking this road if you can. However, it can mean for a long day in the saddle. You will pass through some fairly remote areas so a degree of self sufficiency is needed and you end up passing the suspension bridge near Pung Cave on Ba Be Lake.
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Engine Type
air-liquid cooled, twin cylinder, DOHC, boxer engine
Displacement
1255 cc
Bore X Stroke
102.5 mm x 76 mm
Ignition
FI
Fuel System
fuel injection
Compression Ratio
12.5:1
Starter
electric
Gearbox
6-speed
Front Suspension
BMW Motorrad Telelever; stanchion diameter 37 mm
Rear Suspension
single-sided swing arm with BMW Motorrad Paralever
Front Brakes
dual disc brake, floating brake discs, diameter 305 mm, 4-piston radial calipers
Rear Brakes
single disc brake, diameter 276 mm, double-piston floating caliper
Front Tyres
120/70 R19
Rear Tyres
170/60 R17
Wheelbase
1514 mm
Seat Height
850 mm
Ground Clearance
790 mm
Kerb Weight
249 kg
Fuel Capacity
20 litres
Dimensions
2207 mm (L) x 952.5mm (W) x 1430 mm (H)
Engine Type
air cooled, OHC, single cylinder
Displacement
149 cc
Bore X Stroke
57.3 mm x 57.8 mm
Ignition
CDI
Fuel System
20 mm piston valve carburettor
Compression Ratio
9.5:1
Starter
electric with kick starter backup
Gearbox
5-speed
Front Suspension
telescopic fork, 180 mm axle travel
Rear Suspension
single shock swing arm, 150 mm axle travel
Front Brakes
dual piston caliper, 240 mm disc
Rear Brakes
mechanical drum
Front Tyres
90/90 19
Rear Tyres
110/90 17
Wheelbase
1362 mm
Seat Height
825 mm
Ground Clearance
243 mm
Kerb Weight
129 kg
Fuel Capacity
12 litres
Dimensions
2091 mm (L) x 811 mm (W) x 1125 mm (H)
Engine Type
liquid cooled parallel-twin four stroke
Displacement
470 cc
Bore X Stroke
67 mm x 66.8 mm
Ignition
PGMI – FI
Fuel System
fuel injection
Compression Ratio
10.7:1
Starter
electric
Gearbox
6-speed
Front Suspension
41 mm SFF-BP USD Forks
Rear Suspension
Prolink Mono with 5 stage pre load adjuster
Front Brakes
dual 296 mm discs with 4 piston calipers; ABS
Rear Brakes
240 mm disc; ABS
Front Tyres
110/80R19M/C (59H)
Rear Tyres
160/60R17M/C
Wheelbase
1445 mm
Seat Height
830 mm
Ground Clearance
180 mm
Kerb Weight
199 kg
Fuel Capacity
17.7 litres
Dimensions
2,155 mm (L) x 830 mm (W) x 1,410 mm (H)
Engine Type
single cylinder, DOHC, liquid cooled
Displacement
286 cc
Bore X Stroke
76 mm x 63 mm
Ignition
Full Transistor Digital
Fuel System
PGM-FI electronic fuel injection
Compression Ratio
10.7:1
Starter
electric
Gearbox
5-speed
Front Suspension
43 mm telescopic upside down
Rear Suspension
Prolink Mono with 5 stage pre load adjuster
Front Brakes
Rear Brakes
220 mm disc, single piston caliper
Front Tyres
80/100 21
Rear Tyres
120/80 18
Wheelbase
1455 mm
Seat Height
880 mm
Ground Clearance
285 mm
Kerb Weight
142 kg
Fuel Capacity
7.8 litres
Dimensions
2230 mm (L) x 820 mm (W) x 1200 mm (H)