The first
Ba Be Adventure Race took place from 16 to 19 November 2023, in the region of the
Ba Be National Park, Bac Kan province – North Vietnam. Back on an event at the same time sporting, tourist and humanitarian.
Welcome to the first Ba Be Adventure Race! Photo : Mr Linh's Adventures
Ba Be Adventure Race, what is it?
Carefully prepared for a long time, the
Ba Be Adventure Race 2023 has been officially approved by the Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Kan province. Its goal – fully achieved – was to create an exciting, challenging and humanitarian sporting event for sports enthusiasts, while promoting the beautiful natural beauty of
Ba Be National Park.
The competition included 2 races with 2 different contents: SUP or kayak and trail (trail marathon). One of the major interests of the race was that each step was an opportunity for cultural challenges related to the daily life of the local Tay community, such as crossbow shooting or pounding rice.
The events took place in the heart of the Ba Be National Park, a wild natural area, with paths little frequented by man. While taking up the challenges, participants were able to admire the spectacle of the Nang River, discover Puong cave or enjoy the freshness Dau Nang waterfall. The highlight of this competition not quite like the others was
Ba Be Lake, a jade pearl set in a karst setting with wild beauty. The athletes also had the opportunity to visit the An Ma temple and stop at the village of Cam, which hosted a Tay community and overlooks rice fields and corn fields. One of the goals of this event was achieved here: harmoniously mix tourism (sports tourism, in this case) and local cultural identity.
All proceeds from the sale of tickets to participate in the race were used to purchase school materials and supplies that were redistributed to the most troubled schools in the
Ba Be district.
A new sprts tourism, the race-cation - Photo : Mr Linh's Adventures
Ba Be Adventure Race, a new form of tourism
If, in recent years, Vietnam has seen many races, swimming competitions, trails or a combination of 2 or 3 of these disciplines, Ba Be Adventure Race surfs on this new trend called race-cation. A neologism formed by the combination of race and vacation. According to aficionados of this new type of sports tourism, it is not only about challenging yourself, physically speaking, but also about calming and balancing your mind. As for our adventure race, participants were also able to participate in charity, bringing a social and human dimension to the 5 local communities present in Ba Be.
Ba Be Adventure race 2023, who is it?
Organizers:
- Saigon - Ba Be Joint Stock Company – An offshoot of Saigontourist Group, one of Vietnam’s leading tourism players. Founded in 1975, the group now manages more than a hundred hotels, resorts and other restaurants, not to mention travel agencies, amusement parks, tourist training centers…
- Mr Linh’s Adventures Co., LTD is a company founded in 2012, specializing in adventure travel and especially along the bushy tracks of North Vietnam. Having very old and close links with Ba Be, Mr Linh had a heart to share his love for this corner of Vietnam, with its peoples and their culture, through this event co-organized with Saigontourist. It has made available to some participants rooms at Ba Be Jungle Houses, a traditional homestay offering all comfort and breathtaking views of the lake.
- Umove Joint Stock Company, a child born from the passion of its creators for tourism, crazy dreams and travel. With a mainly domestic market, Umove wants to be a reliable point of contact for Vietnamese tourism products and services.
Competition Date: November 16-19, 2023
Number of teams engaged: 15 of 6 members each
Crossbow shooting, a traditional sport in Ba Be - Photo : Mr Linh's Adventures
Ba Be Adventure Race 2023, the unfolding
Day 1 – November 16 – Pick up at the Hanoi Opera House – Transfer to Ba Be – Arrival and installation at the Saigon-Ba Be Hotel where participants received their BIB and RaceKit – Meeting for all
Day2 – 17 November - Opening of the 2023 Ba Be Adventure Race Ceremony – Participants worked hard to complete a “cultural challenge” to determine the starting order – Stage 1 of the race.
Day 3 – November 18 - Based on the results of the previous day and after receiving a sealed envelope with instructions, the teams embarked one after the other along the route from An Ma Temple to Dau Dang Waterfall, then to Long Tong. Throughout, they were led to solve riddles to earn their lunch. Arriving in Long Tong, the teams faced each other in a final challenge to find the right boat that will take the whole team across Lake Ba Be to the finish line.
Closing ceremony and gala dinner.
Day 4 – November 19 – Participants shared community support activities, with a highlight: they personally presented gifts to the district’s most troubled schools.
Thank you Ba Be Adventure Race! See you next year... Photo : Mr Linh's Adventures
Ba Be Adventure Race 2023, the last word
As the first competition of this kind, Ba Be Adventure Race 2023 was envisioned as an impetus for future sports tourism events.
Guess what… Appointment is already given for a new edition, in autumn 2024!