Bac Kan is a province in the Northeast mountainous region of Vietnam, this is a province with rich natural tourism resources that are not yet known to many people. Traveling from Hanoi to Bac Kan is only by road with a distance of 165km.

With complex mountainous terrain located in the heart of the Northeast provinces, Bac Kan is blessed by nature with many unique landscapes. This is the home of many ethnic minority groups living together. Summer from May to July is the best time to visit Bac Kan when the weather is dry, the temperature is 3 to 5 degrees Celsius lower than the plains and big cities. Hanoi Green Tour would like to suggest some places to explore for your reference.

Ba Be Lake
Speaking of Bac Kan, it is impossible not to mention Ba Be, one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in Vietnam, belonging to Ba Be National Park. Ba Be Lake is 70 km northwest of Bac Kan city, in Nam Mau commune, Ba Be district, and is made up of three lakes, Pe Leng, Pe Lu and Pe Lam. Ba Be Lake is located at an altitude of 145 m above sea level, more than 8 km long, about 3 km wide at its widest point, with a water surface area of ​​about 500 ha, an average depth of 20 m, and 35 m at its deepest point, surrounded by limestone mountains and many underground streams and caves. Ba Be Lake has many species of freshwater fish, including rare species listed in the Vietnam Red Book such as green dam fish and catfish. On Ba Be Lake, visitors can visit by motorboat, kayak, SUP, and dugout canoe. In addition, trekking in the forest is also an experience worth trying. In Nam Mau commune, on the 10th of January, there is the Long Tong festival, an opportunity for people to meet and exchange. This is a festival to pray for luck and rain, expressing people's desire for prosperity and happiness.

Dau Dang Waterfall
Also located in Ba Be National Park, Dau Dang Waterfall is formed by the flow of the Nang River through the multi-shaped rocks in Hua Tang village. With a length of more than 1000m, this waterfall is divided into 3 sections with different water strength and terrain. No matter which section you look at the waterfall, you will see beautiful white foam, especially on summer days when natural sunlight covers everywhere. Surrounding Dau Dang Waterfall are primeval forests with many green tree branches weaving through the rocks. The best time to explore this waterfall is in March when schools of fish enter the spawning season. At this time, schools of fish will swim upstream to lay eggs and find food, creating a very interesting scene.

Kim Hy Nature Reserve
Kim Hy Nature Reserve is located in Na Ri district, about 80 km from Bac Kan city. The entire area has an area of ​​over 14,000 hectares, with a rich flora and fauna ecosystem. There are white-cheeked langurs, squirrels, and monkeys that are at risk of extinction. Kim Hy also preserves some valuable genetic resources of endemic plants such as the false ironwood tree (also known as limestone du sam or stone pine), which in the world is currently only found in the mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam and the two provinces of Guangxi and Guangdong (China).

Tham Phay Cave
Tham Phay Cave is considered the "Son Doong" of Ba Be district, about 2 km from the center of Hoang Tri commune. In 2016, a group of Vietnamese cave explorers and representatives of the British Royal Cave Association first explored Tham Phay. In this limestone cave, there is an underground river system, stalactites that were formed 5 million years ago. Deep inside, more than 1km from the cave entrance, two branches of the cave appear, the left branch goes deep into the mountainside, the right branch goes deep into the mountain, the water level is quite deep. The deeper you go, the more complex the terrain is, many stalactites appear. According to locals, the cave is about 5-6km long. Currently, Tham Phay cave is being assessed by authorities to be able to plan for tourism exploitation. This location has not been widely opened to visitors.

Lung Zeng Cave
Lung Zeng Cave is located behind the canyons and was first discovered in 2015. It is a system of water caves that are still forming and many animals and plants live in the cave. Lung Zeng Cave has not been measured for its length and is currently under field survey. Visiting is very dangerous (needs the help of local people and authorities). Your trip will not be complete without enjoying the specialties.

In Bac Kan, you can experience some of the following delicious dishes:
Khâu nhục (also known as (nam khau): This is a special dish of the Tay people, which is processed very elaborately with a total time of more than 5 hours. You must choose good pork belly, after boiling, it will be roasted with honey until the skin is golden and crispy, then the meat is arranged in a bowl with shiitake mushrooms, potatoes, wood ear mushrooms, etc. and steamed. The delicious flavor of khâu nhục will definitely satisfy you.
Ba Be Lake Grilled Fish: Fish caught directly from Ba Be Lake still retain their freshness. After being cleaned, the fish are arranged in bamboo splints, each splint from 6 to 8 fish and smoked. Enjoying grilled fish on a charcoal stove while sipping some corn wine will be wonderful. In addition, after being smoked, the fish is also dried in the sun for 2 or 3 days and used as an ingredient for many other dishes.
Bitter bamboo shoots: Or Vầu bamboo shoots are a specialty wine famous in Bac Kan. Because of its characteristic bitter taste, dishes made from this ingredient are all carefully prepared. Thinly sliced ​​bamboo shoots stir-fried with garlic, boiled bamboo shoots with shrimp paste, boiled bamboo shoots rolled with meat are two of the many attractive dishes made from bitter bamboo shoots. When enjoying, you should chew carefully to feel the characteristic sweet, slightly spicy taste.