Halong Bay (or Ha Long Bay), legendary “descent of the dragon”, is located in northeastern Vietnam, in the Gulf of Tonkin and is located 165km from the capital, Hanoi. Classified as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1994, Halong Bay is one of the seven wonders of the world.
Halong Bay has about 1969 islands and islets that create a magnificent and spectacular landscape of limestone rocks. It offers a picturesque panoramic view of an exceptional beauty. Thousands of sugar loaves of varying shapes and sizes have risen like a paradise between the sea and the sky. This fairy bay is not only a romantic destination, but also an ideal point for every traveller. It is one of the most important sites in Vietnam.
When to go?
Halong Bay is recommended to travel to in May / June and / or September / October, to enjoy the sun, heat and when there’s less tourists. In these two best times, you can discover charming landscapes and enjoy swimming.
How to get there ?
From Hanoi: take the bus / car on the RN18, RN5 (around 5h round trip) or R10 (around 6h round trip);
From Haiphong (much closer to the bay): take a car / bus on the RN18 (approximately 2.5 hours return) or cruise (from Cat Ba Island to Halong Bay) but it depends on weather.
From other cities: fly to Haiphong Cat Bi Airport, then cruise or bus / car.
Places to visit:
Not to be missed: Cave of Wonders, Cave of Surprise and countless other caves of Cat Ba Bay.
Bay of Bai Tu Long: Located north of Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay is a huge national park to discover, with karstic relief (typical of the region) and a tropical forest. The caves are visited by boat.
Cat Ba Island: Located 48km east of Haiphong, Cat Ba is the largest of the wonderful islands that make up Halong Bay. It can be discovered by motorcycle, or bicycle for the more athletic. This formation of natural karsts is bordered by some sandy beaches northeast of the Cat Hai harbor and is subject to preservation of its territory and national park.
Fishing villages: These are typical Vietnamese rural places where you can discover the life of fishermen and experience the skills of net fishing or paddle boat basket.
Co To Island: To admire the beautiful coral reefs, you can go by boat to the island of Co To. Here, the beach and the sea still retain their wild characters despite the increase of tourists to Haiphong.