You will make an early start, leaving Hanoi at 07:30 in order to maximise your time in Ba Be. You will notice the landscapes changing as you leave behind the city and head into the mountainous provinces of Thai Nguyen and Bac Kan. Along the way, you will enjoy the marvellous views of rice paddies, tea plantations and bamboo paddle wheels on the banks of the river. You will have lunch en route in a local restaurant where you can try several local dishes. Upon arrival at Boc Lom Quay, you will transfer to kayaks and paddle down the Nang River towards Ba Be Lake. You will enjoy the dramatic landscapes of chalky cliffs, not bare, but with small wild gardens clinging to the flanks and lianas with their long roots seeking the earth. You will visit Puong Cave, studded with stalagmites and stalactites and home to thousands of bats (18 different species) before continuing on to Ba Be Lake and Bo Lu Village where you can check in and have dinner at Mr Linh's Homestay, the beautiful Tay stilt house where you will be spending the night.