Ba Be's draws are almost entirely natural: the lake, the river, the caves, and the forest. Boat trips are the classic way to see it all. You hire a wooden motorboat from the park jetty or from your homestay host, and the standard day circuit takes in Puong Cave, Dau Dang Waterfall, and a float around the main lake. Trekking trails into the national park offer a quieter alternative for those who want to get off the water.
The Tay minority villages on the lakeshore — particularly Pac Ngoi — are as much an attraction as the scenery. Staying overnight in a stilt house gives you the lake at dusk and dawn, when the mist sits low on the water and the karst peaks are silhouettes above it.