4 - バ・ベ国立公園のデイジャングルトレッキング

Magnificent experience and stay. Heartwarming welcome. Superb room. A part of Vietnam not to be missed.

My father and I had a wonderful experience in Ba Be, thanks to the very well planned and executed tour organised by Mr Linh's Adventures and led by our marvellous guide, Giang. Helen was helpful during planning. We exchanged a few emails to determine what I was looking for and ultimately she suggested Ba Be for a mix of hiking, kayaking and caving. Her recommendation was spot on! I was impressed in equal measure by (i) the locales we visited, (ii) the food we enjoyed; and (iii) the way in which the tour was run. Though the tour is somewhat pricey by Vietnamese standards, the experiences it gives you are priceless. Ba Be is wonderful and the itinerary takes you off the beaten path in a far more authentic way than I expected. There were no signposts during most of our hikes and the contours of the incredible Hua Ma Cave are known only to the villagers in the area. Many of the routes are unnavigable without a guide. While we met a few other visitors at the homestay, we encountered no other tourists while kayaking, hiking and caving. It was so peaceful! The itinerary is perfectly paced. The first day entails the most hiking. The second day has some light hiking, but since you spend a few hours on a boat, you get a bit of a rest. The third day (the caving) is true adventure. Over the course of 3 full days in Ba Be, we trekked through the jungle, passed several villages (and had a meal in a couple of them) and met the locals. At times (particularly in the Hua Ma Cave), we felt like intrepid explorers, exploring parts that (thanks to the low water levels in the cave that day) even the local guide hadn't seen before! Though we accomplished much, we never felt rushed and were assured that we could take our time enjoying the scenery and proceed at our own pace. Owing to heavy rain, we weren't able to hike to Mr Hung's homestay. Instead, we spent 4 very comfortable nights at Mr Linh's homestay, which is actually run by Mr Linh's father. The staff treated us with great hospitality and the food and drink were both delicious and plentiful! We were also lucky enough to cross paths with and spend some time with Mr Linh himself, a warm, energetic and gregarious spirit. Our guide, Giang, deserves special mention. Giang shepherded us throughout and went out of his way to make sure we were always well taken care of. He was solicitous of our needs but never intrusive; on the occasions where my dad retired early for the evening, Giang would invite me to join the staff table at dinner, where I was made to feel like part of the family. Thank you Giang! I would strongly recommend this trip to anyone who wants a great mix of hiking and adventure with no crowds in sight.

We were extremely fortunate to be guided by Mr. Hung, a Dao village farmer who was charming, well informed and spoke good English. He led us up a steep hike to his remote village where we stayed overnight in his comfortable homestay. His family joined us for dinner that had good vegetarian and meat dishes. The following day we walked through more minority group villages to a waterfall then travelled by river boat into a large cave, then across Ba Be Lake to Mr. Linh's homestay. The scenery and variety of experience was everything we would wish for. This tour was more authentic then one would get around Sapa, and certainly much more peaceful. Mr. Linh's homestay on Ba Be Lake is in a perfect location and has very good facilities. The communication with the office in Hanoi, with Kevin was prompt and unambiguous. We would strongly recommend Mr. Linh's tours to anyone who seeks an adventure away from overcrowded destinations in Northern Vietnam.

We wanted something authentic, and something in the nature during our 2 weeks vietnamese trip. We booked than a 4 day-3 night trip with Mr. Linh. I picked them because the Ba Be national park website directed me to their site. Kevin was very eager and helpful during the booking through emails. We wanted Babe and not Sapa, which is infamously touristic. There were 5 of us, so it was a bit cheaper per person, but we have to admit that it was still very pricy (comparing to other local touristic activities), around 310 usd per person. BUT the program was kinda flexible, and we got a 12 seater van for 5 of us so it was kinda comfortable. The way to the north is really long, full of with serpentines, those who can get sick of it it is better to take some pills in advance. Driver was very fast, yes sometimes it looked dangerous, but very effective, and fast:D The trekking was the best part, our guide Lhoan told us many things among the tribes, and we can see them living in their villages. Our first homestay was excellent, the host family was very adorable. Good food, and strong rice wine:D Second homestay, the mr. Linh Homestay is the best, very well equipped. our third homestay was good too, with friendly host family. But unfortunately we had to ask for a normal hotel this time, because some of us had already been sick, caught cold, and the homestay had no heating. Inside temperature was 4 celsius. It is very important thta those who pick this trip have proper clothing against cold, and rain. It was unusal cold that time, 4-6celsius degrees during the morning. It was just something we would not expected. We have also watched Ben gioc waterfall, and Tiger cave. It 's all very beautiful, not so turistic, so you can have it for yourself, but we had to travel a lot . Summing up: If you want some authentic experience far from the cities far from the other tourists, dont mind having to sleep in simple homestays, wish to travel a lot and hike a lot than this is for you!