Vietnam Travel

Halong Bay Overview

With its thousands of limestone islets emerging from the South China Sea, Halong Bay is Vietnam’s premier natural attraction.

Now a World Heritage site the bay’s towering cliffs, jungle-topped islands, hidden caves, grottoes and calm waters are a must-see for any visitor to the north of Vietnam. Cruise this magical environment with Vietnam Royal Tourism, aboard a private boat that will carry you deep into the Bay’s more secluded inner reaches for a memorable experience of this unique seascape.

Majestic and mysterious, inspiring and imperious:words alone cannot do justice to the natural wonder that is HaLong Bay. Imagine 3000 or more incredible islands rising from the emeral waters of the Gulf of Tonking and you have a vision of breatheaking beauty. Halong Bay is pure art, a priceless collection of unfinished sculptures hewn from the hand of nature. In 1994 it was designated a World Heritage site. Visitors can’t help but compare the magical, mystical landscape of limestone islets to Guilin in China and Krabi in southern Thailan,but in reality Halong Bay is more spectacular.These tiny islands are dotted with and waves, and have sparsely forested slopes ringing with birdsong. Beyond the breathtaking vistas on a boat cruise through the bay, visitors to Halong come to explore the caves some of which are beautifully illuminated for the benefit of tourists and to hike in Cat Ba National Park. There are few real beaches in Halong Bay,but Lan Ha Bay (off the coast of Cat Ba Island) has more than 100 sandy beaches. Halong city is the gateway to Halong Bay but not the ideal introfuction to this incredible World Heritage site. Developers have not been kind to the city ans most visitors sensibly opt for tours that include sleeping on a boat in the bay.In short, Halong Bay is the attraction. From February to April the weather in this region is often cool and drizzly. The ensuing fog can make cisibility low, but this adds an ethereal air to the place and the temperature rarely falls bellow 10 dgree C. During the summer months tropical storms are frequent, and tourist boats may have to alter their itinerant's, depending on the weather. Halong Bay is the stuff of myths and naturally the Vietnamese have concocted one. Halong translates as 'where the dragon descends into the sea'. Legend has it that the islands of Halong Bay were created by a great dragon that lived in the mountains. As it charged towards the coast, its flailing tail gouged out valleys and crevasses. When it finally plunged into the sea, the area filled with water, leaving only the pinnacles visible. Dragons aside, the biggest threat to the bay may be from souvenir-hunting tourists. Rare corals and seashells are rapidly being stripped from the sea floor, and stalactites and stalagmites are being broken off from the caves. These items get turned into key rings, paperweights and ashtrays, which are on sale in the local souvenir shops. Obviously the fewer people buy, the less the local people will take to sell, so don't encourage the trade.

Sights & Activities

CRUISING THE KARSTS: TOURS TO HALONG BAY

Don't even think about a day trip to Halong, as the real beauty of the bay is best experienced from the deck of a junk over a gin and tonic as the sun sinks into the horizon. Many travellers to this part of the country book a one or two-night Halong Bay tour at cafes or hotels in Hanoi. While we don't usually promote the tour option. Halong Bay is hard to explore properly without the services of an experienced tour company. However, for those with a bit more money to spend, there are lots of specialised boat companies offering excursions in the bay. Tourists travelling on inclusive tours through Vietnam have the Halong experience aboard a luxury junk. There are also now some genuine sailing junks operating in the bay and these are able to explore further afield when the wind is up. Finally, there is the option of a luxurious replica paddle ship. Budget trips sold out of Hanoi or with some travel agencies online are reasonably priced , starting from US$40 per person for a dodgy day trip and rising to as much as US$100 for two nights on the bay with kayaking. Remember, you get what you pay for and the cheaper the tour. the more basic the boat. the meals and the service. We get heaps of complaints about poor service, bad food and rats running around the boats, but these tend to be on the cheapest of the cheap tours. Spend a little more and enjoy the experience a lot more. Most tours include transport, meals, the boat tour and, sometimes. island hikes. Drinks are extra and are generally more expensive than on the mainland. If you book a tour there is always a small chance that the boat-trip part may be cancelled due to bad weather. This may actually entitle you to a partial refund, but remember that the boat trip is only a small portion of the cost of the journey. Depending on the number of people in the group, you probably won't get back more than a handful of dollars if the boats don't sail.

CAVES

Halong Bay's limestone islands are peppered with caves of all shapes and sixes. Many of these are accessible only by charter boat, but some can easily be visited on a tour.
Hang Dau Go (Cave of Wooden Stakes). known to the French as the Grotte des Merveilles (Cave of Marvels), is a huge cave consisting of three chambers, which you reach via 90 steps. Among the stalactites of the first hall, scores of gnomes appear to be holding a meeting. The walls of the second chamber sparkle if bright light is shone on them. The cave derives its Vietnamese name from the third chamber. This chamber is said So have been used during the 13th century to store the sharp bamboo stakes that Vietnamese folk hero and war general Tran Hung Dao planted in the bed of the Bach Dang River to impale Mongolian general Kublai Khan's invasion fleet. It's the closest cave site to the mainland. Part of the same system, the nearby Hang Thien Cung has 'cauliflower' limestone growths as well as stalactites and stalagmites.
Hang Sung Sot is a popular cave to visit. It too has three vast and beautiful chambers, in the second of which there's an astonishing pink-lit rock phallus, which is regarded as a fertility symbol. ‘Penis rock' is the only way to describe it. It, too, requires a hike up steps to reach it, and a loop walk through the cool interior takes you back to the bay. Hang Bo Nau another impressive cave, can be visited nearby.
Hang Trong (Drum Grotto) is so named because when the wind blows through its many stalactites and stalagmites, visitors think they can hear the sound of distant drumbeats. Exactly which of the caves you visit will probably be decided on the day you travel. It depends on several factors, including the weather, number of other boats in the vicinity, and the number of people putting environmental pressure on the caves.

ISLANDS

Dao Tuan Chau (Tuan Chau Island), just 5km west of Bai Chay (western Ha long City), is one of the few islands in Ha long Bay that has seen any development. For many years the only accommodation was in Ho Chi Minh's former summer residence, an elegant but decaying structure. However, all this changed as the island rebranded itself Tuan Chau International Recreation Complex ( rom US$80-110;complete with aquarium. Circus, golf course and private villas There are more than 300 rooms in this vast complex, The beachside rooms are task-fill and the top rate includes steam baths and saunas in the rooms.
Dao Titop (Titop Island) is a small island in the middle of the bay with a small, somewhat scruffy beach. Ignore its dubious charms and make for the summit of the island, which offers one of the best panorama views of Ha long Bay. It's cheaper than a chopper. Cat Ba Island is the best known and most developed of Ha long Bay's islands.

KAYAKING

A leisurely paddle among the karsts is an activity that has taken off in recent years and Ha long Bay is now following hard on the heels of Krabi in Thailand as kayaking capital of Southeast Asia. Many of the boat tours to Ha long Bay include the option of kayaking into hollow karsts or through a floating village.

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