Halong - Places of Interest

Place of Interest

Halong Bay

Recognized by UNESCO (United Nation  Education Science Culture Organization) as the world heritage, the bay has been considered as the most magnificent place of interest in Vietnam.  Located in Quang Ninh province abundant in open coal mines. It looks like a paradise; the bay comprises of 3000 islands and islets an area 1500 km2. Water color is emerald. Ha Long appeared in the first epoch as the huge limestone scattered in the delta of the delta of the Red River full of alluvium. It is a mysterious, magnificent and unique bay in the world.  There are many remarkable grottoes like the Pelican cave, Dau Go, Tam Cung, Thien Cung, and tunnels like Hanh built up by wind and tide.

The islets of strange shapes own different special names: Cockfight Islet, Islet of Toad, Dome Islet. They all have been covered by green and dense vegetation. Legends said that a huge dragon and its children descended there to help the Vietnamese fight against Northern invaders.  After the victory, these dragons decided to stay with the local people.  Since then this area has been called the "descending dragon" region.  Sightseeing tours and tourist activities continuously go in the bay.  The local junks move gently along the islets in the sunset  brings a strange experience.  Ha Long is a city of fishing people and coal miners.   Nearly half the city is on the other side of the ferry. 

The Huong Pagoda



Take a boat ride on the Yen stream through rice fields up to the mountain and the end is a complex of worshipping areas.   Most temples were built amidst a chain of blue mountains, forests, lakes and grottoes.  Pilgrims from different parts of the country pour into the Huong Pagoda in Spring time.  The highest cave situated on the top of the mountain.  Thousands of stone steps easily challenge tourists adventurous desires.  Even the elderly women devoutly are wearing long kerchiefs while murmuring their prayers between their lips in the belief that it would lessen the arduousness of the climb.

Halong Bay, Hai Phong

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Halong Bay, tourist boat

In Hanoi you will find plenty of agencies that offer tours to Halong Bay. Usually they offer one, two and three days trips. One day is not enough to visit the bay. The trip from Hanoi to Ving Ha Long will take you almost five hours. With the one day excursion you will only be able to do a small boat tour. Two days is the minimum stay recommended. If you add a third day, you will be able to sleep in one of the islands in the bay, Cat Ba Island for instance.

The trip from Hanoi is done on bus. Your guide will bring you to the halong Bay port, where you will get on one of the boats.

Halong Bay, limestone islets

The best time to visit the Halong Bay area is in Spring and Summer. In fall and winter the sea is not very clear because of the muddy waters the rain in the region brings to the sea. In summer, days are clearer and temperatures can be somewhat high. In winter the area may be visited, but you won't be able to swim.


Halong Bay, fishing boat

For the two and three (or more) days tours there are two options of accommodation. One is sleeping in one of the boats. The other is sleeping in one of the islands in the bay. Tourism is developing in the area. New hotels are being built in the bigger islands. I recommend sleeping one night on the boat, but if I were you I would not sleep a second night on board. Boats are small, noisy and do rock a lot. If you want a tip, sleep in a hotel the second night.

Halong Bay, grotto
Some of the bigger islands have grottoes. They are open to the public. Most of the organized tours will stop in one of these islands, and take you on a guided tour of a grotto. The visit to these caves lasts around an hour. Some of them are in better conditions than others, but it is always a magical experience to get inside the mountains, and see how powerful water is.

Halong Bay, cave

The tour guide will give you some explanations about the geological origin of the formations. He will also show you some stalagmites and stalactites that resemble animals and plants. This is an experience that will amuse kids and grown ups alike.


Halong Bay, view from the cave

In this picture you can see the view from one of the grottos in an island in Halong Bay. The boats you see are tourists boats.

Halong Bay is a paradise for photography lovers. Each of the rock formations is unique. If you visit the area in Summer, the air will be clearer. In Autumn and winter, the air is almost always misty.


Halong Bay, floating village

Locals live mainly from the sea. Most of the rock islands in the area are too poor to be cultivated. Halong Bay is very rich in fish and sea food. In this picture you can see some floating houses. Locals live in these houses. Every morning they go fishing. They sell their catches to bigger boats, that bring the fresh fish to markets in the continent.


Halong Bay, boat flag

On the way to the island where you will spend the night, most probably your boat will stop in front of a nice rock karsts in order for you to go for a swim. Bring you swimwear and a towel.

Click on the picture to see a panorama I shot on the deck of my boat.

Halong Bay, floating houses

Van Don Island is the name of an archipelago of more than 600 islets. The two main islets in
this archipelago are Van Hai and Cai Bau islets. During the Ly and Tran dynasties, the local port of Cai Rong Town was very prosperous.

Nowadays Van Don Island is very popular among tourists. The island has some nice sandy beaches. Tourism is developing fast in Van Don. New restaurants have already opened their doors in the island. New tourist facilities are being planned.