Ba Be (Vietnam)

Visiting Lake Ba Be means walking along challenging trails past little waterfalls, and going out and meeting the local population. The price of entry is insignificant compared to what you will experience here.

The main activities on offer involve short boat trips, but for my part, I got around on foot and on a scooter. Nature lovers, this destination is made for you! As soon as you embark on the trail, following locals as they return to their homes, you find yourself in the middle of wild landscapes where entire families live off nothing but agriculture. Be brave and explore: to my mind, these encounters are golden moments that you share with another human being!

In the national park, you sleep in houses on stilts, with the residents in occupation, and everything is arranged for tourists with only the most basic comforts. I didn't always eat with the host family because the price wasn't always right, so I also ate in some of the little stalls on the waterfront that don't look like much but which filled me up! 

I got up early each morning and had the chance to see the locals at work in the fields, and watch the landscape as the morning mist gradually cleared.