Residential Trip | Year 9 heads to Thac Ba Lake

Thac Ba Lake is quiet by nature – but last week, our Year 9 pupils chose to challenge themselves within its calm surroundings.

Spending four days by the water at a local home-stay on the shores of one of Vietnam’s largest lakes, pupils stepped away from familiar routines and into a journey shaped by new experiences. In the openness of the landscape and the slower pace of life, each activity invited them to think independently, adapt, and take initiative.

They navigated trekking routes using compasses, shared meals with a local family, and paddled out on stand-up paddle-boards (SUP) to a small island, where they built a fire and cooked together outdoors. During the raft-building challenge, pupils gathered their own materials, discussed ideas, and made practical decisions to turn their designs into something that could float. Whether the raft held together depended entirely on how well each team listened, collaborated, and worked together.

Each experience offered a different kind of learning – more hands-on, more immediate, and more demanding in the best sense.