 Situated on the south-west side of Ha Long Bay,
Ba
Ham Lake is found on
Dau Be Island (Calf Head
Island) in Lan Ha Bay. This island is part of the
range of islands at the farthest end of
Halong Bay,
bordering the immense zone Long Chau Sea. Ba Ham
Lake is situated in the middle of a narrow,
rectangular area, with the all four sides enclosed
by vertical cliffs.
The lake is a system comprising three wide and round
pits, linked together by a narrow and meandering
tunnel. Stalactites hang from the ceiling in a
myriad of strange, coloured forms. The silence is
disturbed only by the sounds of the boat's oars. On
the island are many species of plants such as
orchids, benjamin figs, banyans and cycads, which
blossom throughout the year. It is also the home of
yellow-haired monkeys, birds, flying squirrels and
bats. Under the deep blue surface of the water are
the animated lives of shrimp and fish.
Halong boat tour.
Although 25 km from the shore, it has long been
considered an ideal tourism zone. The entrance is a
open semi-circular hole in the flat stone wall on
the north-west side of the island, 4 to 5 m above
the sea.
Starting from the entrance, tourists enter the first
tunnel, which boasts a forest of stalactites and
stalagmites in different shapes and various colours.
They fall down the water surface like the roots of
banyan or ficus trees. The deeper one pushes into
the tunnel, the darker it becomes. The river is deep
yet so clear that one can see shoals of fish
swimming. Some 100 m from the entrance one finds a
shaft of light coming from the roof of the tunnel,
which reveals different kinds of orchids clinging to
the cliff, cycads growing here and there, Truc Duôi
Ga (a kind of reed with cock's tail-liked yellow
leaves) flourishing in clumps. In the southeast
cliff of the second tunnel there grows an old
carambola tree, which bears fruits all year round.
Tourists can find groups of monkeys, flying
squirrels, or silver-headed parrots gathering in its
branches. Lying one cliff away from the second one,
the third tunnel is home to various species of bats
and butterflies.
Amidst the tranquil atmosphere, you feel like
boating in an abyssal well walled by mountains. Ba
Ham Lake is one of the
beauty spots of Halong Bay.
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