Halong bay Travel Guide

Halong Bay is one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam and is the top tourist destination in the Northern part of the country.

A United Nations World Heritage Site, Halong Bay is characterized by thousands of beautiful limestone mountains rising out of the water. Apart from the fact that this is an amazing natural wonder, Halong Bay also plays a main role in the legend of the origins of the Vietnamese.

Halong Bay is about 170 kilometers north east of Hanoi and is about a 3,5-hour bus ride from the capital. Most trips ( day trip or overnight cruises) which costs from $56 USD – $400 USD can be arranged in the travel agents in Hanoi:

http://www.indochinasails.com , the trips value also depending on the budget standard boat or on luxury facilities wooden junk.

Trips to Halong Bay can last from 1 to 3 days which are spent exploring the many islands on a traditional junk boat. If you prefer, you can also just be on the boat by day and then stay in a hotel in Halong city at night. Be aware though that this city does not really offer much night life.

At nearby Cat Ba National Park you can see monkeys explore caves and swim over coral reefs. The park also includes part of Cat Ba Island and adjacent waters. At nearby Yen Tu Mountain there is a Buddhist temple in a lovely setting.

The bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Wooden stakes Cave is the largest grotto in the Halong area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century French graffiti). There are two bigger islands, Tuan Chau and Cat Ba, that have permanent inhabitants. Both of them have tourist facilities, including hotels and beaches. There is a number of wonderful beaches on the smaller islands.

Local legend says that long ago when the Vietnamese were fighting Chinese invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend the land. This family of dragons descended upon what is now Ha Long Bay (hence the name “Bay of Descending Dragons”) and began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form barriers against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam.

This myth is in line with the Vietnamese myth of their origin Con Rong Chau Tien. This myth describes the union between a king (representing the dragon) and his bride (representing a goddess) giving birth to 100 children which are the ancestors of the Vietnamese people. The Ha Long myth illustrate the Vietnamese belief of their origin and the fact that throughout their history, they are aided by their ancestors, the dragon and the gods, in the defense of their land.

Now Halong have not enought Hotel in summer. Many luxury junk now arrange to stay on the bay at the junk cabin. You should booking three month before have travel.

GETTING THERE

The best way to get to Ha Long Bay is to rent a car from Hanoi from a tour opganizer as Kayakhalongbay.com. It costs approximately US$100-US$120 return. There is also a tourist open bus service offered by travel agencies around the Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi. Cost is around US$8 net/person/way.

Public buses leave from Long Bien Station to the Bai Chay Station (other side of Red River, 5km from Hoan Kiem Lake) every 30 minutes from 6AM to 6PM and cost 50,000 dong/person each way. This is not recommended for foreign travelers, as these buses are often crowded, slow and unsafe.

THE POPULAR TRAIL (starting from Hanoi)

Day 1: You leave Hanoi for Halong Bay at 8.30am with a short break for refreshment at a handicraft centre. Upon arrival in Halong City you will board a Chinese-style wooden boat (locals call it “Junk”) for a fine seafood lunch and a short cruise to one cave. After a short exploration of the cave you start the kayak exploration of the bay, paddling through an amazing area of limestone islets, passing a floating village to reach Luon Cave, which is a tunnel thrusting through a mountain. Paddling through the tunnel to explore a beautiful secluded lagoon. End of the first with dinner and overnight in AC, private junk’s cabin.

Day 2: This kayaking day starts from Van Chai Floating village and then continue paddling to Dark Cave. The cave is a 200m long, dark tunnel thrusting through a limestone mountain. The tunnel is the only entry to a secluded and beautiful lagoon. You can also explore some other caves nearby. After lunch you paddle to Ba Trai Dao Lagoon, along a stunning and fairly rough sea channel, to explore its beautiful beaches. Then continue paddling to Lan Ha Bay, which is smaller than Halong Bay but much more interesting with lots of secluded beaches.

Day 3: Breakfast is served on the junk and you will enjoy the sundeck while the Junk navigates amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay to get back to Halong City. Lunch on the junk before heading back to Hanoi by bus.

WHEN TO KAYAK

You can do kayaking on the bay all year around but great time is between October and June. A typical kayaking day starts at about 8.00 am after breakfast. Lunch will be served on support boat. At the end of a kayaking day, we would return to the junk by 5 pm or 5.30 pm.

TRAVEL GEARS

On this trip Kayak Halong Bay use hard-cell, tandem kayak. Paddle, life-jacket and dry bag are available. We recommend you to bring some extra gears such as Sun block, hat, anti-insect repellent, sunglasses, rain coat. The kayak tour with well-trained and experienced tour guide is always recommended for a best exploration.

More information at http://www.kayakhalongbay.com