Location: Ba Be District, Bac Kan Province, Vietnam (about 250 kilometers north of Hanoi, about 70 km northwest of the provincial capital Bac Kan, and about 14 km west of the town of Cho Ra)
Established: 1977, as a national park in 1992
Area: 10,048 ha
Lake area: 500 ha
Coordinates: 22° 24′ 19″N, 105° 36′ 55″E
Agro-ecological zone: North-eastern
Biodiversity: The vegetation in Ba Be National Park mainly consists of limestone and evergreen forest. The dominating tree species of the lime stone forest are Burretiodendron hsienmu (Tiliaceae) and Streblus tonkinensis (Moraceae). Climbing bamboo (Ampelocalamus) is a regional endemic plant common on the hill slopes near the lake shore.
65 mammal species have been recorded in the park, among them: Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), Slow Loris (Nycticebus coucang), Rhesus Macaque, Stump-tailed Macaque, Francois' Langur, Asiatic Black Bear, European Otter, Owston's Palm Civet, Asian Golden Cat, Mainland Serow, Red Giant Flying Squirrel, Particolored Flying Squirrel (Hylopetes alboniger), Hairy-footed Flying Squirrel as well as 27 bat species.
Furthermore, 233 bird species, 43 reptile and amphibian species among them the King Cobra and the Vietnamese Salamander (Paramesotriton deloustali), have been recorded. In Ba Be lake, 106 fish species from 61 genera, 17 families, and 5 orders have been recorded. The park is also noteworthy for its diversity in butterflies for which 354 species have been recorded.
Established: 1977, as a national park in 1992
Area: 10,048 ha
Lake area: 500 ha
Coordinates: 22° 24′ 19″N, 105° 36′ 55″E
Agro-ecological zone: North-eastern
Biodiversity: The vegetation in Ba Be National Park mainly consists of limestone and evergreen forest. The dominating tree species of the lime stone forest are Burretiodendron hsienmu (Tiliaceae) and Streblus tonkinensis (Moraceae). Climbing bamboo (Ampelocalamus) is a regional endemic plant common on the hill slopes near the lake shore.
65 mammal species have been recorded in the park, among them: Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), Slow Loris (Nycticebus coucang), Rhesus Macaque, Stump-tailed Macaque, Francois' Langur, Asiatic Black Bear, European Otter, Owston's Palm Civet, Asian Golden Cat, Mainland Serow, Red Giant Flying Squirrel, Particolored Flying Squirrel (Hylopetes alboniger), Hairy-footed Flying Squirrel as well as 27 bat species.
Furthermore, 233 bird species, 43 reptile and amphibian species among them the King Cobra and the Vietnamese Salamander (Paramesotriton deloustali), have been recorded. In Ba Be lake, 106 fish species from 61 genera, 17 families, and 5 orders have been recorded. The park is also noteworthy for its diversity in butterflies for which 354 species have been recorded.
Highlights and Activity: Trekking through the park and visit villages of ethic minority people , boat tour around lake to visit cave and waterfall, and whitewater kayaking on lake or river.
Getting there: Take bus from Hanoi to Phu Thong town via Thai Nguyen and Bac Kan city, and from there take another bus to Cho Ra, arrange a motorbike taxi from Cho Ra last 18km to the park. (or by car: It takes about 6-7 hours to drive to Ba Be National Park from Hanoi. Follow the route Thai Nguyen - Bac Kan - Cho Ra and then on to the national park.)
Accommodation: The national park has a range of comfortable accommodation to choose. It costs from 10 to 20 USD per room. All rooms have en-suite bathroom facilities and air-conditioning. (Include: two blocks of standard guesthouse (A1 & A2); Standard Bungalows area has 07 double rooms; VIP Bungalows area has 10 double room ). Homestays in Pac Ngoi / Bo Lu villages within the national park, prices range from 4 to 5 USD per person per night.
Nearest Town: Cho Ra
Climate & Weather conditions: Temp: 14 c to 32 c; Rainfall: 1,800 cm; Elevation: 1,098m
(photo source: Ba Be National Park Management)
