HALONG Bay

Halong Bay

With its spectacular islands and caves, Halong Bay-"Bay of Descending Dragons"-is one of Vietnam's top sights. If you've focused your trip on the extraordinary cities and monuments of urban Vietnam, a visit to Halong Bay leaves no doubt that Vietnam also has some of the most beautiful natural scenery in the world.

Getting to Know Halong Bay

Halong Bay, a UN World Heritage Site on the coast of northern Vietnam, is dotted with 1,969 islands rising dramatically from the bay's emerald green waters. The islands were formed from limestone sediments deposited at the bottom of an ancient ocean. As the seas rose and fell over millennia, the soft limestone was easily shaped into the towering monoliths--what geologists call karst formations--we see today. The forces of erosion also riddled the islands with caves, more than 20 of which are open to tourists.

Sailing among the limestone islands of Halong Bay is an unforgettable experience

Fishermen ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Often an island's shape determines its name, such as Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). Birds and animals, including antelopes, monkeys, and iguanas, also live on some of the islands. Cat Ba Island is a UN Biosphere Reserve and home to many rare species.

Archeological evidence reveals that humans have settled near Halong Bay since at least 3,000 B.C. Halong Bay is no stranger to conflict. In 1288 General Tran Hung Dao stopped Mongol ships from sailing up the nearby Bach Dang River by placing steel-tipped wooden stakes at high tide, sinking the Mongol fleet. Today General Dao is revered throughout Vietnam. You can visit the Do Go, or Cave of the Sticks, where legend says the sticks that sank the Mongol fleet were stored.

Sculpted by water over millions of years, the islands, tunnels and caves of Halong Bay are a UN World Heritage Site (flickr user kkinjo)

During the Vietnam War, Viet Cong forces used the caves as hideouts. Many of the channels between the islands were heavily mined by the U.S. military, and the mines sometimes pose shipping problems even today.

Halong Bay is ancient, but the name itself, literally translated as "Bay of Descending Dragons," is relatively new. As reported by the French-language Haiphong News, a huge sea snake was sighted by a French captain in 1898, and it wasn't much of a stretch to call it a dragon. Word of the sighting spread and the name stuck.

About Your Visit

Make no mistake: Halong Bay is a major tourist destination, but don't let the crowds discourage you. Peak season is May to October, when visibility is at its best (although it's also the hottest time of year).

The bay is about four hours' drive from Hanoi. Instead of taking slow and sometimes unsafe local buses, rent a car or take a special tourist bus. Most visitors do an overnight stay on a floating junk in the bay or in the town of Cat Ba on Cat Ba Island, but day trips are also possible. Boat tours usually include transportation to and from Hanoi.

Lush green fields line the road on the way to and from Halong Bay (flickr user Foraggio Fotographic)

The service and accommodations on boat tours ranges from bare bones to luxury, but paying more will give you a better experience. See below for more information about boat tours.

Things to See and Do

You can have a delightful visit to Halong Bay even if you never step foot off a tour boat, but you won't want to miss the extraordinary caverns within the islands. Here are some of the better known caves:

Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave): One of the largest and most impressive of the caves, the Surprise Cave was given its name by the astonished French explorers who discovered it in 1901. Fifty steps lead up to the cave entrance. From there you'll proceed through three progressively larger grottoes, each festooned with stalactites and stalagmites that take on different shapes, such as a dragon, tiger and penguin. Once you emerge from the caves you'll be rewarded with a spectacular view over the bay below.

No need for a flashlight in many of the larger caves--the interiors are floodlit in multi-colored hues (flickr user A. www.viajar24h.com)

Do Go (Cave of the Stakes): According to legend, the wooden stakes that General Tran Hung Dao used to stop the Mongol fleet were stored here. The cave consists of three chambers. The first features a massive pillar that appears to be a monk holding a cane. A second, narrow chamber leads to a huge third grotto, with spectacular animal-shaped rock formations. For good reason early French explorers called it "Grotte des merveilles"-the cave of marvels.

Tropical light sneaks into a Halong Bay cave, illuminating a huge chamber and its dimpled roof (flickr user kkinjo)

Hang Trinh Nu (Virgin Cave): A story is told that rather than marry an old king, a beautiful local girl fled to this cave and committed suicide by turning herself into a rock formation within the cave. Virgin Cave tunnels through the island above for more than a mile, with numerous beautiful chambers on either side.

Your tour boat will likely stop near Virgin Cave for the night. It's a good place to see fishermen at work.

Thien Cung Grotto (Heavenly Cave): Climbing steep stairs through thick forest, visitors to the Thien Cung Grotto enter a huge chamber adorned with stalactites and stalagmites of all kinds.

This is a popular cave for day trippers on their way to Cat Ba Island.

Appearing like subterranean icicles, stalactites--which form from the top down--and stalagmites--which form from the bottom up--are striking features of the caves, including Thien Cung (flickr user kkinjo)

Other caves you may want to visit include:

• Luon Cave (Tunnel Cave)
• Trong Cave (Drum Cave)
• Tam Cung Cave (Three Palace Grotto)
• Bo Nau Cave (Pelican Cave)

Floating fishing villages

A community of around 1,600 people lives on Halong Bay in several floating fishing villages. You can see them from boat tours or on your own by kayak.

The residents of the floating fishing communities are intimately connected to the sea throughout their lives

Cat Ba Island

Cat Ba is, at 87 square miles, the largest island in the bay and the main overnight hotel stop on inexpensive package tours.

Approximately half of the island's area is covered by a national park-also a UN Biosphere Reserve--which is home to the highly endangered Cat Ba langur. This golden-headed langur is rarely seen, as fewer than 100 specimens are thought to survive in the wild, although it is the subject of a well-organized conservation program. Other mammals in the park include civet cats and oriental giant squirrels. The park faces the constant challenge of protecting its biodiversity while encouraging tourism.

Although there is much beauty to explore on the island, Cat Ba town itself (pop. 8,000) has less to offer visitors. Many of the tours of Halong Bay include Cat Ba, so getting to the island is easy.

On Cat Ba Island you can take a break from the spelunking and enjoy the beach (flickr user fletchy182)

Boat tours

Halong Bay can be visited in a very long day trip from Hanoi, but instead of squeezing your sightseeing into a single day, consider staying overnight on a boat. There are dozens of boat tours to choose from-we've listed some of the more popular options below. Ask your travel agent for more information or contact these companies directly.

Seeing Halong Bay by boat is a fun, relaxing way of getting close to the islands, the caves and the people who live here. Take time to shop around and get the tour that fits your budget but still gives you a quality experience (flickr user exfordy)

Emeraude: http://www.emeraude-cruises.com

It's not cheap, but sailing the Emeraude offers an elegant introduction to Halong Bay. The Emeraude is a replica of an early 20th century ship, and at 180 feet long it's the largest vessel in the bay. The 2-day, 1-night tour includes fine dining, tai chi, and luxurious cabins. If you've been saving for a splurge, the Emeraude might be the way to go.

Floating food and drink vendors such as this family will keep you well supplied during your cruise on Halong Bay (flickr user Keith Bacongco)

The Jewel of the Bay: http://www.buffalotours.com/Vietnam+Tour/Kayaking/Overnight+Cruise+on+Jewel+of+the+Bay

Limited to just 16 passengers, the tours offered by Buffalo Tours on their boat The Jewel of the Bay are a cheaper but still excellent alternative to the Emeraude. Buffalo Tours includes kayaking as part of the trip.

Handspan: http://www.handspan.com

This company offers a variety of tours of different lengths on different kinds of vessels.

Your boat may look something like this, depending on which service you sail with (flickr user kkinjo)

Kayaking: A great way to see the bay is by kayak. You can choose where you want to go, and the bay's waters are smooth and suitable for beginners. Ask locally for places to rent kayaks, if your tour doesn't include kayaking.

For an up-close look at the bay and its communities, the kayak is ideal. It's also great for paddling under low-hanging rocks to discover the tunnels and coves beyond the reach of the tour boats (flickr user globallives)

Glorious sunsets are a common sight at Halong Bay

According to vietnam.com