Lori A
Wrote a review 11 - 2023
Ba Be National Park
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
Super friendly guides providing a great experience. The scenery was beautiful and the local people so friendly. Would definitely recommend this trip!
Date of experience: 11 2015
Dear Lori A, I was delighted to have your sharing; it made me happy to know you were satisfied with the trip. Your compliments on our services as well as staff are the great encouragement forcing us moving forwards. You are always welcome and have good time traveling with us. Best Regards, Linh
Written 0/0/0
AlysFur
Wrote a review 4 - 2023
3 day 2 night Ba Be trip
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
I did the 3 day 2 night Ba Be trip in October and I thoroughly recommend it. It's an amazing place & everything was perfect. Very comfortable transport, delicious food, lovely accommodation & incredibly friendly guide (Long). Thank you so much for a wonderful experience!
Date of experience: 4 2023
eckh20
Wrote a review 4 - 2023
Great 5 day trekking trip to Ba Be!
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
While my husband was working in Hanoi, I decided to take the plunge and do some trekking further north in Vietnam before heading south from the capital once his conference was done. As a woman travelling alone, and with an immune disease that renders my capacity to do physical activity unreliable, I was definitely looking for a company who could provide me with a guide and a good itinerary. Kevin (Mr Hien) at the B-Tourist did just that!
ITINERARY
I can't find t...Read Morehe exact itinerary but it was:
Day 1: Pick up at my hotel in Hanoi in a private car. Drive to Ba Be, stopping for lunch at a local restaurant half way, plus a stop at the ruins of a French prison for Vietnamese POWs. In the evening a short walk to a nearby cave. Overnight at Mr Linh's homestay.
Day 2: 24km from Coc Doc via the school at Na Nghe for lunch, then via Dan May to Ta Ken where we stayed at a simpler but very comfortable homestay. Quick visit to the nearby Dau Dang waterfall. A long day for anyone not used to walking distances / in the heat / up and down hills. Incredible scenery though.
Day 3: 14km Short boat ride to avoid a difficult rocky patch, and then along the river to Ban Cam. Stop at a school to meet the kids. Quick stop for tea with a family before a steep hill climb for about half an hour (with regular stops) before lunch with the teachers at a school. Then onwards uphill (mostly concrete road from here though) to Cam Ban for an overnight at a very simple homestay (see below).
Day 4: 10km/16km Two hours down the concrete road, with it's amazing views, to Ban Tau, and then just 1km further to Khuoi Tang to catch the boat (also run by B-Tourist). From here a couple of hours visiting Phuong Cave, the Fairy Lake, An Ma Temple before either returning straight to Mr Linh's homestay by boat, or being ped off further along the coast for a final 6km back.
Day 5: Short walk along the bank of the lake through Pac Ngoi village until you ask to be picked up. Head for Hanoi via lunch at another local restaurant and a visit to the Ethnography Museum where the guide will walk you around the replica buildings outside to tell you about them, before leaving you to explore inside by yourself (exhibits are in English). Back to Hanoi and the hotel.
GUIDE
Overall this was a hugely well organised tour. Long, my guide, was incredibly reassuring, especially about stopping whenever I wanted. He maybe went a little overboard nagging me about eating more fresh fruit (like it would cure my incurable immune disease) which felt very patronising after a while. But in general he was friendly, respectful and judged very well my preference for walking without talking so I can take it all in. Long carried all the water for the trip, plus umbrellas for when it rained or was very sunny. He also translated along the route so that we could meet local villagers, give candy to kids at local schools, eat lunches with teachers, and converse with our homestay hosts. His organisational capacity was amazing, calling ahead to places to arrange food for us, including vegetarian for me. He always walked ahead of me in case it was slippery or dangerous, and there was always a hand waiting to help if it proved so. For someone who works several weeks without a break, and spending 5 days with me, he was incredible. He even made me another steam bath with local medicinal herbs when I got back to help me relax!
The driver didn't speak much English but his driving felt pretty safe. Can't really comment much more!
ACCOMODATION
The homestays were great. Mr Linh's homestay justifies the revues - welcoming, extremely comfortable and a great way to begin and end the trek. Mr Linh didn't help my anxiety about starting the trek by suggesting I change my plans the morning we were due to start walking, but I think that may have been prompted the nerves showing on my face. But the showers were hot, the beds huge and the duvets sumptuous. They kept my room for me the whole time so that I could store my stuff, which was nice. The second homestay is similar, though there hadn't been enough sun for a hot shower so I was provided with a large container to stand in and plenty of hot water. After such a long trek this was certainly good enough for me. The food and company was good and I slept well. The third homestay was more simple with a squat toilet outside and again it was a large container for a shower in a shed outside, but they gave me the steam bath with medicinal leaves in to use as washing water and it smelt and felt great! The toilet was clean and flushing so I had no problem using it, and while the bed was in a large dorm room (which I had to myself), I was warm and comfortable enough to sleep. Back to Mr Linh's for the last night, and back to luxury!
OTHER STUFF
- No problems if you're vegetarian (let them know before you go) but if you don't eat a great deal, prepare to be nagged and hassled. There were times I was really frustrated with being told to eat more like a child.
- You'll need to be able to carry enough stuff for the three trekking days and two nights away from Mr Linh's (changes of clothes and toiletries & medication etc.) so if you can't manage that, this isn't for you.
- You also need to be able to walk up hill a bit, though the pace is up to you to set. However, the plans are always adaptable so if you decide you can't do the full day, your guide will be able to change plans to shorten it for you.
- If you have questions or concerns, let them know. My husband emailed for reassurance that I'd be well taken care of and the reply did just that. It was also clear by my guide's manner that he had been briefed and was always keen to reassure me about our trek.
OVERALL
If you have time to take 5 days out of your trip, this is absolutely a trek to do. Yes, at times it is hard and tiring, but that's trekking! The views were breathtaking and it was such a different experience meeting and staying with local ethnic minority families, to the bustling cities and hotels I experienced on the rest of my trip. I felt amazing at the end having achieved something I (and apparently some staff) wasn't sure I could do. All with a dedicated guide and driver (the latter staying at the homestay for the entire time) and all for about £100 a day (my only additional costs were sweets for the school kids and tips).
There's not a huge amount I'd suggest to improve. The nagging over food I could have done without, but I reminded myself that my husband and I had wanted a tour company and guide who would take care of me, and this was that (if a little unwelcome/overboard). They hadn't made clear to me that I would be carrying my stuff, I had thought the driver would bring it to wherever we were staying, so that was a surprise but I managed it. I would also have happily skipped the museum at the end, as by then I was tired and ready to get back to Hanoi.
My huge thanks to the whole team, and especially to my guide Long for such an incredible trip.
Read Less
Date of experience: 2 2015
NOMADasaurus
Wrote a review 12 - 2023
Relaxing, Beautiful And Fascinating
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
We did some different tours with the B Tourist while we were staying at Mr Linh's Homestay and were blown away with the quality of the service. All our wants and needs were catered for in a very professional manner. Mr Linh is very knowledgeable and passionate about Ba Be National Park and he beams enthusiasm as he takes you to some of the places not normally visited by tourists. The food provided was delicious and the scenery was amongst the nicest we have seen in Vietnam. We'll...Read More definitely be back to do another tour with them, and will recommend staying in Mr Linh' Homestay to our friends and any travellers we meet.
Read Less
Date of experience: 12 2014
Mike Booker
Wrote a review 9 - 2023
Do it!
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
Wonderful hospitality, room and food at Mr Linh's home stay. It's at the authentic Vietnam experience end of the western tourist spectrum (which is what we wanted). The place was spotless and has all the facilities you REALLY need. Kayaking on the lake is a special experience - the surrounding hills/mountains are magnificent. The trek is an opportunity to get off the beaten tourist track and see the real Vietnam. We had a great guide who was an endless source of local knowledge a...Read Morebout local flora and fauna, local ethic peoples and their way of life.
Read Less
Date of experience: 9 2022
Hoang Tung (tunghm93)
Wrote a review 2 - 2023
Highly recommend!
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
We were recommended from a friend who traveled with Mr. Linh's Adventure. After few email which was fast and informative. We decided to take a 3 days tour in Ba Be Lake with a private guide. It was beyond our expectation. Ba Be lake is a wonderful place and ideal for those seeking an adventure and get away from the tourist trap. Our tour guide is professional and experienced about this area and always happy to share with us his stories. The car, homestay is great which is so much bet...Read Moreter than the other that we saw on the way.
Highly recommend!
Read Less
Date of experience: 2 2018
Bart V.
Wrote a review 5 - 2023
highly recommended
Review of: Randonnée au parc national de Ba Be - 3 jours
We did the 3D2N tour to Ba Be national park and had a great time! The nature there is beautiful and quite different from other places in Vietnam we had visited before Ba Be. The lake itself is gorgeous and the surrounding nature is breathtaking; foggy and eerie in the morning, shimmering and fantastic in the afternoon, when the sun comes out. We went in the downseason so not many (barely any) tourists around but the tradeoff was that the rice fields are barren because the water level is ...Read Morelow. Still, it adds to the mysterious aura this place has so it didn't bother us too much. Mr Linh's homestay is also quite nice. You can use the kayaks there for free and go out on the lake by yourself. The rooms, while clean, are not very noise proof; it is best to not go to bed too late because the noise (roosters and dogs as well as people) starts quite early in the day. The food at the homestay is very, very tasty, among the best food we have had in Vietnam!
Our guide, Loi, spoke English well enough and could answer all questions that we had during our treks. Finally a special thank you to the van driver who picked us up and ped us off in Hanoi: his driving style was quite relaxed which was a nice and unexpected change of pace.
This was one of the highlights of our four week Vietnam trip, highly recommended!
Read Less
Date of experience: 5 2023
Tanya S
Wrote a review 12 - 2023
3D2N Ba Be Lake with trekking
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
We went on the 3 day 2 night tour to Ba Be Lake and we’re so glad we did. Not many tourists go to Ba Be Lake so it felt like we had the place to ourselves. We just about never ran into any other tourists so it felt like we were fully immersed in the local Tay village life. While the drive is long from Hanoi (about 4hrs and with lunch and breaks, takes about 5.5hrs), the scenery and the glimpse of real Vietnamese countryside life is great. The actual tour, with Mr. Long as our guide...Read More, was very well planned and communicated. The lake itself is beautiful and kayaking on it is a treat and Mr. Long took the time to have his friend show us how local fishing on the lake is done. We also went on a 6hr trek to the H’mong villages and views were amazing! After the initial uphill climb, it was all downhill from there and the view of the mountains, terraced farms, and ethnic houses were so much more stunning than we expected. My mother who is 72 did the trek and thoroughly enjoyed it. The homestay itself was also incredibly comfortable, with great lakeside views and places to relax, had a small capacity so did not feel crowded at all, and the food throughout the trip was possibly the best part. Definitely go with Mr. Linh’s Adventures if you want to visit Ba Be.
Read Less
Date of experience: 12 2018
Angelo G
Wrote a review 4 - 2023
Stop looking and book Mr. Linh's
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
Don’t hesitate to book an excursion with Mr. Linh’s Adventures. Our reservation and plans were handled professionally by Trang who was patient and extremely helpful with all of my questions. Trang explained how everything would work and even helped arrange our pickup at a location other than Hanoi. We did the three day in Ba Be National Park which was incredible. We were paired with Mr. Long (guide) and Mr. Thanh (driver). At first I was thinking - “why would we need a ...Read Morededicated driver…” That question was answered almost immediately. If you’re not yet familiar with driving in Vietnam - just wait. Having a skilled professional at the wheel is essential. They picked us up at the hotel in a very nice van - we were expecting a car and this was a nice surprise. The first day was great and Long kept us informed about everything we saw. We stopped at an amazing cave and a gorgeous waterfall - and the scenery all along the way was breathtaking. The room at Mr. Linh’s Homestay was very nice and the food was great. The highlight of the trip was a 10 mile trek through rice paddies, Hmong Villages, and the surrounding mountains. On the trek we also had a local guide named Mr. Hauou (I have no idea how to spell it) - who seemed to know absolutely everyone on the way. We visited several Hmong homes and the scenery was out of this world. There is no way we could have ever found these trails or been welcomed in to the local homes along the way without Long and the local guide. As always Long kept us well informed about everything we saw. After the hike we did some kayaking in Ba Be lake and visited a temple on an island. The third and last day we ended the trip with a fantastic boat ride through Ba Be Lake ending at an enormous cave. There were very few tourists at any of our stops and we never felt hassled by anyone. We had a great time and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Mr. Linh’s Adventures to anyone - it’s an extremely professional outfit. They really know what they’re doing and the people on their staff are all professional, knowledgable, and a pleasure to hang out with. Thank you Trang, Mr. Thanh - and a special thanks to Mr. Long!
Read Less
Date of experience: 4 2018
Eoanna
Wrote a review 3 - 2023
Discovery Adventure 11 days 10 nights (tour package with motorbiking, mountaineering, kayaking, cycling)
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
100% reliable, professional and trustful agency! Best choice of people. We arranged a customized package with the agency with multiple activities. We combined three packages: "Motorbiking from Hanoi - Vu Linh to Be lake 4 days 3 nights", "3-day Kayaking and Trekking in Ba Be National Park" and a 3-day Cruise, Trekking and Kayaking in Cat Ba . The communication during organizing the tour was immediate and professional. We believe that we had the best guide, who was wit...Read Moreh us all days. We felt safe all the time for everything. We had support for everything we needed. The food was excellent. Staying homestay was a fantastic experience. Following their advice we avoided most of the days the touristic places and it was the BEST choice! We had the opportunity to live the nature and the people from inside as much we could. Our guide open to us the "doors" and riding and walking was nice way to that. We wish to come back and definitely we RECOMMEND the MR LINH'S ADVENTURES!!!
Read Less
Date of experience: 3 2018
Marco Pan
Wrote a review 1 - 2023
I love Nga, the receptionist, because she is wonderful and she helps the visitors very well to find what to do
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
I love Nga, the receptionist, because she is wonderful and she helps the visitors very well to find what to do
Date of experience: 1 2018
Claire G
Wrote a review 4 - 2023
Unique and special experience
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
Our trip to Ba Be with our guide Dai was way beyond our expectations. The scenery is breathtaking and for the most part we enjoyed it on our own away from the crowds thanks to our guide who knew the area incredibly well. We were able to enjoy kayaking with only the company of some geese, buffalo and local fisherman. We learned all about the ethnic groups living in the area and how to identify their local dress. Mr Linh homestay is luxurious without breaking the budget. Dai spoke perfect ...Read Moreenglish and was patient, kind and funny. We learned a lot from him that we would not have known if we had gone alone. Thank you for a very memorable experience!
Read Less
Date of experience: 4 2023
Dutchvisit
Wrote a review 4 - 2023
Good service & magnificent trekking
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
I went on a 2 day, 3 night trekking around Ba Be Lake. Our guide, Hung, was lovely and funny, he told us good stories. We stayed at his place, which was a great experience. On the way in from Hanoi I had some problems catching the right bus and the language, and Tung from Mr Linh in Hanoi helped me out by phone several times. The trekking was great, far away from all the tourists. You really get to see the unspoilt parts of Vietnam. Magnificent!
Date of experience: 4 2023
Wuffx13
Wrote a review 4 - 2023
A great experience
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
We went on a 3 day 2 night tour which included walking, a boat trip and kayaking. As two middle aged women travelling together we wanted an adventure and something we'd never done before and this exceeded our expectations. Planning the trip was a breeze and we did this easily and efficiently via the internet. We could have customised our own tour but we wanted to be part of a group. You get to see the real Vietnam far away from the tourists in a beautiful unspoilt area. We were part ...Read Moreof a group of 7 people who had never met before and had a brilliant time.
The Homestay is in a village near the Ba Be lake and it is basic yet clean, comfortable, welcoming and the food is traditional Vietnamese. Like camping but in a wooden hut.
Our guides were knowledgeable, polite, friendly and great fun to be with. We loved it!
Read Less
Date of experience: 4 2023
Linda G
Wrote a review 4 - 2023
A short visit to the Ba Be Lake
Review of: Ba Be National Park trekking & kayaking 3 days 2 nights
I visited this place at the beginning of the months. Trying to find a way to get there I went to the office of Mr Linh, where Tung - the Terrible Tourist Guide 😉 was very helpful and provided me with all information about possible public transport. Even when I was on the bus, and had problems talking to the driver about where to me off, I texted Tung and they phoned and sorted it out. If you get the chance to do a tour with him, do it, he is really helpful and funny!
The...Read More Homestay is popular and well managed. Food was good, staff speaks English and is friendly and helpful. We did a boat tour on the lake having perfect weather and it was well worth doing 🙂
Read Less
Date of experience: 4 2023