Ba Vi National Park

Aimee and I had another two-day road trip planned; this time to Ba Vi National Park, about two hours west of Hanoi. We set off at 10.30am and had a really nice relaxing drive out in to the countryside.

We arrived at a restaurant which had been recommended by Aimee's friend. In a few little towns near the park we saw dozens of signs for "Gà Ri" and although we knew it was something to do with chicken, we didn't know what. It was on the menu and it was translated as chicken curry, so we ordered it along with rice and fried corn. When it turned up, it definitely wasn't curry. It was a plate of various parts of chicken, deep fried. However, the meat was really quite tough and chewy. It wasn't great. The corn was tasty though!

Next we headed up Ba Vi mountain and found the half-way point with the guesthouse we hoped to stay at. We'd read that the swimming pool was more like a lake but the water was a disgusting green colour and you'd have to be very brave to get in. We continued at to the very top and started the walk to one of the three peaks. The steps (600, apparently) were very steep and the altitude meant it was hard to breath, so it was a fun challenge. The views at the top weren't particularly great but it was still worth it. Along the walk we saw an old rail cart, most likely used for transporting building materials to the temple at the summit. It looked like something from Indiana Jones.

We drove back down to check in to the guesthouse but there didn't seem to be a reception desk anywhere. We asked around and we were told a price that was four times what we'd read online, so either we were unwelcome or there was some confusion. There didn't appear to be any other options in the park so we had to go back down the mountain. We stopped off at this lake and drove around it, finding some spooky deserted resorts and nothing much else.

Finding accommodation was easier said than done as the area isn't exactly touristy. We found one homestay which was far too basic and a guesthouse with the rock-hard Vietnamese beds. We needed a break from searching so we stopped at a Bia Hoi and had a couple of 5,000d beers and some peanuts while I looked online for hotels. There was just one result for a hotel in the area so we hoped it was suitable and affordable. Luckily it was both and we got a massive room.

It was another cold night so we opted for the "phở coat" effect. The region around Ba Vi is famous for dairy products, although we weren't aware of it until we started to see endless enormous signs for "Sữa" (milk). Along with fresh milk, almost every store sold yoghurt, creme caramel, ice cream and some little milk cakes/biscuits. We bought some creme caramel (probably the best I've ever had) and yoghurt to have while we binge-watched the recent episodes of QI in our room. Bliss!