Ba Khan – a miniature Ha Long Bay hidden in the mainland hills

Any traveller who has trekked through the Thung Khe mountain pass knows enchantment; they know the sight of a vast plain that sits among mountain clouds and chilled fog, among the rocky mountain range and the Da River reservoir.

Looking from the mountain slop, Ba Khan looks like a miniature Ha Long Bay (Photo: diadiemdulich.com)

This gorgeous plain, known as Ba Khan, is the jewel of the drive from Hanoi to Mai Chau, the gateway to Vietnam’s Northwestern mountains.

Everyone who passes through Ba Khan remembers it, but its name and beauty are still unknown to many tourists and travellers.

Looking from the top of the Thung Khe mountain pass, the Ba Khan plain looks like a giant pan with rocks of all shapes and sizes emerging from the water surface. The whole scenery resembles a miniature Ha Long Bay. With a perimeter of over 20 kilometres along the Da River, the Ba Khan plain possesses an airy mountainous beauty.

The path to the Ba Khan plain is the one-and-only route that reaches the hydroelectric reservoir through the town centre. Below the Thung Khe mountain pass are villages, where Thai ethnic people have lived for hundreds of years. A unique landscape feature of these villages is the charming small ponds paved by the sharp flat stones, where water lilies grow and shine naturally.

Ba Khan consists of three villages: Khan Ha, Khan Ho and Khan Thuong. The plain is part of Mai Chau Commune of Hoa Bình Province, where Moc Chau is the focal point of local tourism. Ba Khan, therefore, becomes forgotten. Only a few tourism companies include Ba Khan on their itineraries for their clients.

Veteran travellers/adventurers want to keep Ba Khan a secret to keep it a pristine paradise, free of the common tourist crowd for as long as possible.

Villager Ho Tien Thai said that in the recent years Ba Khan has been included in some tourism itineraries offered by some family-run tourism businesses: tourists can enjoy kayaking in the Da River reservoir and relax a day or two on the boats. These services are still new, however. The plain remains fairly untouched and undoubtedly well-preserved - fairly free from the commercialization of the tourism business.

On the journey to the town centre, we had to get through the steep slopes that cut through the staggering rocky mountains and cliffs. The tortuous yet beautiful road runs through the middle of the mountain slope along the magnificent Da.

A particular 10 kilometre section is adorned by two rows of bamboo bushes and small houses that sit precariously on the hills.

Looking down from the mountain slope, the splendid Da River, the lush green forests, the deep blue water body, the slow movement of fishermen, and the mountains that emerge from the water make for an image uncannily like a landlocked Ha Long Bay. And like its ocean cousin, the scenery becomes even more spectacular at sunset.

Ba Khan possesses every feature of a peaceful countryside: the plain, the lake and ponds, the waterfall. It’s a perfect way to spend a hard-earned weekend: visiting the Ba Khan plain and relaxing at the Mai Chau town nearby.

One can visit the plain in spring, summer or autumn, but the plain is most beautiful during autumn, when the water in the Da River turns deep blue, and the bamboo bushes start shedding old leaves. One can visit Ba Khan in early summer to enjoy the view of the golden ripe rice fields and breathe in the subtle scent of the burning rice plants on the terraced rice fields after harvest.

With this range of options, you’ll get variety, but you’ll always get something peaceful, gorgeous, and - for now - untouched.

VNA