Bac Ha Hotels and Restaurants

Bac Ha doesn’t have a great range of accommodation on offer but you will find something that will satisfy your needs. The places that we stayed at were clean, spacious and had adequate facilities including wifi and TVs. The best thing to do is to head to the main road as this is where you will find the majority of the hotels.

Budget

We don’t advise this one due to reviews but for purely being the cheapest option in Bac Ha, Tan Nguyet Guest House offers small and basic rooms with prices under USD10.

A better option in this category even though maybe slightly more expensive is the Hoang Vu hotel, which has basic fan rooms with TVs and mossie nets and prices are around USD10.

We saw a good rise in quality between the budget and midrange choices and we believe Ngan Nga Hotel offers great value for money. The rooms are large and include big TVs, good sized beds, desks, wet rooms and if you can get a room that looks out from the front you will also get a balcony. The prices of these rooms start from USD10-20, though you can get a room sometimes cheaper when you just walk in compared to internet and there is a restaurant connected up with the hotel.

Mid-range

The Congfu Hotel is one of the newest places in Bac Ha with large rooms that have lots of light as well as having double beds, baths, satellite TVs and balconies. The price is around USD25 and this includes breakfast served in the restaurant downstairs.

One of the most expensive hotels in the town is the Sao Mai Hotel and we heard that it is a popular choice with tour groups so do beware. The prices vary between USD20-50 and you can tell that it has been well looked after from the outside with its wood panelling on the outside. It has great furnishings, wifi, TVs, balconies, typical Vietnamese showers and bathrooms and the price includes breakfast. Also, the hotel boasts a sauna and offers massage services.

Where to eat in Bac Ha

In terms of food, we recommend your first stop being the market if you are there on a Sunday as you can get various local dishes for very cheap prices. Our favourites included men men, which is a traditional Mongolian dish and is made of corn, nuts, spices, herbs and beans and is under USD1.

Another famous dish to try is actually called Bac Ha (USD2) so it’s easy to remember and we fell in love with this noodle based dish, which is mixed with pork, peanuts, soy sauce, chilli sauce and pickles. Check out Papa Russe, which is the only brick building in the market and offers local dishes at good prices.

If the market isn’t on, your best bet is to go to the main square in the centre as this is where the majority of the restaurants are found. Our favourites included the Spring Fair restaurant for the best spring rolls (starting from USD2), Hong Hai for its local dishes but be careful as the menu is mostly in Vietnamese and we played some hand signal games to guess what dishes were. Hong Hai ranges from USD2-10 and you can get beer here as well as being the cheapest place for coffee.

Restaurant 36 has quite a few Vietnamese dishes including the delicious barbeque options but also has a good choice of European dishes including pasta and pizzas with prices from USD5-15.

Hoang Yen is another restaurant that serves various cuisines including European and Asian food (USD 5-15) and is the main bar in the town.

The main hotels have their own restaurants, too, and offer a good choice of different foods but can get very busy during Sunday lunch because of the market being on.