Ba Be Adventure Race 2023
The first Ba Be Adventure Race was held from November 16 to 19, 2023, in the territory of the Ba Be National Park in Bac Kan province, North Vietnam. Returning to a sporting, tourism, and humanitarian event.
The first Ba Be Adventure Race ! Photo : Mr Linh's Adventure
Ba Be Adventure Race, what is it?
The Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Kan officially approved the
Ba Be Adventure Race 2023, a long and carefully prepared event. Its goal was fully achieved: to promote the beautiful natural beauty of Ba Be while creating an exciting, stimulating and human sporting event for sports enthusiasts.
There were two different races in the competition: SUP or kayak and trail (trail marathon). One of the most fascinating aspects of the race was that each stage offered the opportunity for cultural challenges related to the daily life of the local Tay community, such as crossbow shooting or rice shelling.
The competitions took place in the
Ba Be National Park, a wild natural area with trails rarely witness the passage of the home. While taking up the challenges, participants were able to appreciate the view of the Nang River, visit the Puong cave or appreciate the freshness of the Dau Nang waterfall.
Ba Be lake, a jade pearl set in a karst setting with wild beauty, was the highlight of this competition. The athletes also had the opportunity to visit the An Ma temple and the village of Cam, a Tay community with rice fields and corn fields. The objective of this event was to combine tourism (especially sports) with local cultural identity in a harmonious way.
The proceeds from the race tickets were used to purchase school materials and supplies that were distributed to the most troubled schools in the
Ba Be district.
Racecation is the new sports tourism - Photo : Mr Linh's Adventure
Ba Be Adventure Race, a predecessor of a new type of travel
Ba Be Adventure Race follows this new trend called race-cation (a neologism composed of the combination of the words "race" and "vacation"), while many running, swimming competitions, trails or a combination of these disciplines take place in Vietnam in recent years. Fans of this new type of sports tourism say that it is not only about physically challenging themselves, but also about calming down and balancing themselves mentally. Participants in our adventure race were also able to participate in charitable activities, bringing a social and human dimension to the 5 local communities of Ba Be.
But the most striking point of this race remains in its concept:
If there are more than a hundred races a year in Vietnam, only Ba Be Adventure Race takes place both on the water and on the ground of a National Park. Combining kayaking, trekking and cultural challenges, Ba Be Adventure Race facilitates discovery and intercultural exchanges, in a sporting spirit, respectful of everyone. On the water or in the jungle, and even in the H'mong, Dao and Tay villages, athletes and spectators have enjoyed unique moments that no other competition can bring..
And, detail that has its importance, the race takes place in autumn, a season called here Golden Season because of the spectacle of mature rice fields. This period of harvest takes place under a compoice and comfortable weather, a real added value to this event definitely not like the others!
With its experience of Channel Manager, Trusted DMC was able to propose, elaborate and concretize such an event, epaule by the precious resources of Saigontourist and the local teams of Mr Linh’s Adventures.
What was envisioned as a test run proved to be a masterstroke: Trusted DMC will intervene again for the 2024 edition of Ba Be Adventure Race.
Ba Be Adventure race 2023, who is it?
Organizers:
- • Saigon-Ba Be Joint Stock Company belongs to Saigontourist Group, one of the main players in the Vietnamese tourism sector. Founded in 1975, the group is currently in charge of more than 100 hotels, resorts and other restaurants, as well as travel agencies, amusement parks and tourist training centers.
- • Mr Linh’s Adventures Co., LTD was established in 2012 and specializes in adventure travel, especially along the wild tracks of North Vietnam. Having very old and close ties with Ba Be, Mr Linh wanted to share his love for this corner of Vietnam with his people and culture through this event co-organized with Saigontourist. For some participants, it provided rooms at Ba Be Jungle Houses, a traditional homestay with stunning lake views. He also made available his knowledge of the field and his experience of logistics.
- • Umove Joint Stock Company was born from the passion of its founders for tourism, dreams and travel. Umove wants to be a reliable point of contact for Vietnamese tourism products and services in a mainly domestic market.
Competition Date: November 16-19, 2023
Number of teams: 15 teams of 6 members each
Traditional Crossbow Shooting - Photo : Mr Linh's Adventure
Ba Be Adventure Race 2023
Day 1 – November 16 – Pick up at the Hanoi Opera Roundabout – Transfer to Ba Be – Arrival and installation at Saigon-Ba Be Hotel where participants received their BIB and RaceKit – Meeting for all
Day 2 – November 17 - Opening of the 2023 Ba Be Adventure Race Ceremony – To determine the starting order, participants worked hard to complete a "cultural challenge" – First stage of the race.
Day 3 – November 18 - Based on the results of the previous day and after receiving a sealed envelope with instructions, the teams embarked one after the other along the route from An Ma Temple to Dau Dang Waterfall, then to Long Tong. They had to solve puzzles throughout to earn their lunch. After arriving in Long Tong, the teams faced a final challenge: finding the right boat to lead the whole team to the finish line.
Gala dinner followed by the closing ceremony.
Day 4 – November 19 – Participants had a highlight at the community support activities, personally handing out gifts to the district’s most troubled schools.
TSee you again in 2024 Ba Be Adventure Race ! Photo : Mr Linh's Adventure
Ba Be Adventure Race 2023, horizon 2024
Ba Be Adventure Race, the first competition of its kind, aimed to inspire other sports tourism competitions. A new edition is already planned for fall 2024!