3 / 5 - 2 reviews
How to get there
4 hours by road from Hanoi or 5 hours by train to Yen Bai
When to go
From March to May and from August to November
Minimum stay
1 to 2 days
Hồ Thác Bà (Vietnam)
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Claire GUERIN
Practical information on Hồ Thác Bà
Reviews of Hồ Thác Bà
Thac Ba is a big artificial lake situated close to Yen Minh and is the water reserve for Vietnam's first hydroelectric power station.
My suggestion:
It's not worth seeing!
My review
We went to Thac Ba by motorbike and the road there gave us a mind-boggling view of the deforestation of Vietnam. In addition, it wasn't easy to find the lake because there were few signs to it.
When we got there I was very disappointed...the lake was nothing special! We were assailed so aggressively that we didn't want to take a trip on the lake. There is luxurious vegetation around Thac Ba and we wanted to go round but it was impossible to find a route. The people were met weren't inclined to talk to us and all wanted to show us where to find an hotel. So, Thac Ba lake was not one of my favourite places from my trip to Vietnam.
The area surrounding the lake, Yen Minh province, which we toured by motorbike afterwards, is really authentic. The wooden houses on stilts are magnificent and we were lucky enough to cross paths with a young man who warmly welcomed us into his family for the evening!
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Claire GUERIN
Formed after the construction of a hydroelectric dam, Lake Thac Ba offers a uniquely beautiful landscape dotted with hundreds of small islands and is one of the country's largest bodies of water.
My suggestion:
There's nothing quite like swimming in the waters of the lake to discover the mysteries of its islands one by one. Another great experience is learning how to fish for crayfish, which is a widespread practice in the neighbouring villages.
My review
Having hired two motorbikes to explore a part of northern Vietnam, I made my way around the shores of this large artificial lake with two female friends. Considered by some to be a kind of Halong Bay of the mountains, Thac Ba Lake is in reality the result of the diversion of the course of the Song Chay river with the construction of a hydroelectric dam several years previously. To my mind, its major strength is its location, a reasonable distance from the capital (in Yen Bai Province), making it a pleasant destination to escape for a few days into the countryside of northern Vietnam.
The populations of neighbouring villages, who belong to diverse ethnic groups including the Yao and the Muong, often use the water for fishing. In places, it can reach a depth of 40 metres, and it's an excellent environment for farming crayfish. Leaving our bikes under the shade of a tree, my friends and I then rented a small bamboo boat to sail around the island and bathe: a really enjoyable adventure.
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VESTA Project
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VESTA Project
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