Introduction
Ha Long Bay (or Halong Bay) - a
magnificent scenic spot located in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, is famous for
its mountains, water, clouds, caves and grottoes. Ha Long Bay is the center of
a larger zone including Bai Tu Long to the northeast and Cat Ba islands to the
southwest. It was recognized as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1994 and
listed in the New 7 Wonders in 2012.
Geography
Situated northeast of Vietnam, Ha Long
Bay is located in Quang Ninh Province - a part of the Gulf of Tonkin of
Vietnam, is 165 km from the capital of Ha Noi. It is consisted of the sea area
of Ha Long City (one of four cities of Quang Ninh Province), Cam Pha Town and a
part of Van Don island district. It is bordered with Cat Ba Island to the
southwest, Bai Tu Long to the northeast and China to the north and the mainland
to the west with a coastline of 120 km. With a total area of 1553 square
kilometer, Ha Long Bay possesses 1,969 lime-stone mountains and islets in
various sizes and shapes, of which 989 islands named and 980 islands unnamed.
The area recognized as World Heritage is 434 square kilometers including 775
islands , such as a triangle with three vertices is Dau Go Island (in the
west), Ba Ham Lake (in the south) and Cong Tay Island (in the East).
History
Hạ Long Bay has experienced at least 500 million years in
various geological states of orogeny, marine transgression and marine
regression. During the Ordovician and Silurian periods (500-410 million years
ago), Hạ Long Bay was deep sea. During the
Carboniferous and Permian periods (340-250 million years ago), Hạ Long Bay was at shallow sea level.
The dominated uplift movement of
tectonic and recent tectonic influenced deeply on topography of this area, and
the present landscape of sea-islands was formed around 7 or 8 thousand years
ago by the sea invasion during Holocene transgression begun at about 17-18
thousand years ago. Particularly from the Holocene time, from about 11,000
years ago Cat Ba - Hạ Long area has much
archaeological evidence connecting variations in sea levels with the
development of ancient cultures such as the Soi Nhu and Ha Long cultures.
Population
Ha Long Bay possesses nearly 2000
islands but nowadays there are only about 40 inhabited islands which having an
area between tens to thousands of hectares. Most of these islands located in
the east and southeast of Ha long Bay. Recent decades, many fishing villages
that drift on the water, begin to settle
on some islands and turn these pristine islands into populous and rich ones as
Sa To island of Ha Long City, Thang Loi Island of Van Don island district.
According to the result of 2009 Viet
Nam population and housing census, Ha Long's population is 215,795 people and
number of fisher living in Ha Long Bay is about 1,540 people who mainly live in
Cua Van fishing village, Ba Hang fishing village, Cap De fishing village of
Hung Thang ward, Ha Long city. Most of the Gulf’s residents live on boats or
floating houses to facilitate fishing, aquaculture and hybridization of aquatic
and seafood breeds. Today, living standard of the locals has been improved by
the development of tourism and service industry. However, floating fishing
villages with their aquaculture are still the highlights in the culture of Ha
Long Bay and the feature in almost tours operating there.
Sightseeing
Dau Go cave: Floating on the emerald water, Dau Go
Island is amongst the most famous tourist attractions in Ha Long Bay. Into the
cave, a massive system of stalagmites and stalactites resembling stony
waterfalls would make anyone feel like being one with the nature.
The cave has three main compartments.
The first area has a curved shape which is filled up by natural light. The
ceiling of this area is a giant oil painting describing primitive landscapes
with rows of stalagmites and stalactites changing their color upon the
intensity and angle of the light. Many tourists love letting their imagination
go wild with all the light reflecting on those stalagmites and stalactites.
Passing the first area by going through
a narrow entrance, tourists will get to the second part. It is a little bit
lack of light, but it has a more intriguing ambiance of fuzzy picture formed by
the harmonious combination of light and stalactites that stimulate your
curiosity but also be a little bit creepy.
The adventure continues with a sudden
discovery of the last massive. Here, there is a sacred fairy well that is said
to be used by beautiful fairies descending from the heavenly kingdom.
Dau Nguoi Islet is situated in the south
of the island range of Bo Hon, Halong Bay, about 13 kilometers far from Bai
Chay Tourist Wharf. It lies near Luon Grotto, Sung Sot Island and Ti Top
Island.
Dau Nguoi Islet is about 25 meters
high. The islet is famous for its special shape of a man’s head. From a far
position, it looks like the head of a Greek with a big hawkish nose and pointed
chin above the water surface. Some thought that it’s like a statue of the
Egyptian Sphinx. The most ideal time to gaze the islet is at the sunset. By
kayaking or from the cruise, tourists will see fantastic scenery of Dau Nguoi
Islet in red sunshine of late afternoon.
Situated on Bo Hon Island, 14 km south
of Bai Chay Beach is the Luon cave. In front of the cave is Con Rua Islet, and the Sky Gate is
on the right. Luon Cave is about 60 meters long and 4 meters wide. Height of
the ceiling ranges from 2.5 – 4 meters up on tidal level. Therefore, the small
boat or kayak can access it. Passing
through Luon Cave, tourists will reach a lake formed by an enclosed group of
lime-stone mountains. The lake inside seems like a stadium surrounded by high
podium. It’s a brackish lake with calm and green sea water. Size of the lake is
nearly 1 square kilometers. On the cliff are many fossilized freshwater snail
shells proving that place used to be a deep freshwater valley. Especially, it’s
highlighted with pristine setting of ferns, orchids and wild golden monkeys.
The perfect combination of lime-stone mountains and jade-green sea makes Luon
Cave a unique site to visit on Halong Bay. Furthermore, Luon Cave is a
preferred place of tourists for kayaking.
Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave) is
situated in the center of Ha Long Bay's heritage zone. It lies on Bo Hon Island
group, surrounded by the Bo Nau Cave, Me Cung Cave, Luon Cave and Ti Top
Island. The cave was found by the French in 1901 and called as Grotte des
surprises. Sung Sot Cave is a large cave with the size of 12.200 square meters.
The cave has three compartments and high ceiling with lots of stalactites in
various shapes. The ceiling’s maximal height is 30 meters. The first one is similar to a theater hall with many
stalactites hanging from the high ceiling. A narrow passage leads to the second
chamber, where a flow of natural light bathes the surfaces. The light is
filtering in from above, through a large opening creating a natural skylight,
this opening also serves as the exit from the cave. The deepest point of this
chamber a “royal garden” appears with a clear pond and a fascinating landscape
of small mountains. Many birds and plants here.
Tuan Chau Island which is a newly established tourism center of Ha Long City,
about 4 kilometers far from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf to the southwest. The island
is connected to the mainland by a 2 - kilometer road built in 1998. it now
covers an area of 4 square kilometers. On the island, the weather is cool all
around the year. It’s featured with 2-square kilometer green pine forest, white
sand beach stretching 6 kilometers. These all features make Tuan Chau Island an
ideal place for visiting and relaxing on Ha Long Bay. Beside the aesthetic
value, Tuan Chau Island also has historical value with many archaeological relics.
Archaeologists found many stone tools and pottery which are the evidences of Ha
Long Culture dating around 3.000 – 2.000 BC. In Tuan Chau, tourists might also
enjoy a variety of exciting activities like Jet Ski, canoes parachute, sea
fishing, kayaking, mountain climbing, camping, or lavish services and
entertainment such as dolphin show, seal show, circus, and martial art show 6
days a week (except Monday).
In French colonial period, Ti Top Island was called Cat Nang
Island. In 1962, the island was named after Russian cosmonaut Gherman
Stepanovich Titov, a hero of the former Soviet Union, to mark the historic
visit of President Ho Chi Minh and G.Titov to Ti Top Island on November 22nd
1962. Located in the heart of Ha Long Bay, which is only 8 kilometers from the
Southeast of Bai Chay Harbor, Ti Top Island is regarded as beautiful stop of
cruising on Ha Long Bay as well as a heaven of relaxation in Ha Long. Different
from other popular tourist sites in Ha Long, Ti Top Island does not only
possess breath taking romantic landscapes, but also has a heavenly beautiful
beach called Ti Top which is perfect for any beach activity. Ti Top beach is in
the shape of a crescent enclosing the island. It’s famous for scenic landscape
with quiet atmosphere, white sand and cool water that create a great ambiance
for tourists to relax. From the top of the mountain on Ti Top Island, tourists
can take a panoramic view to magnificent setting on Ha Long bay. Thanks to all
these, Ti Top Beach draws a huge amount of visitors during summer of special
occasion.
Bai Tu Long Bay occupies three quarters
of Ha Long Bay and many islands in Van Don, Cam Pha district. With long and
smooth sand banks and clear water waves, Bai Tu Long Bay is associated with the
graceful and sweet beauty of a teen-aged girl. The bay also attracts a growing
number of domestic and foreign visitors to its historical and cultural sites,
rare and precious specialties, and a pristine beautiful natural landscape.
Until now, Bai Tu Long still remains a wide unexplored area. Being as beautiful
as neighbor Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long has many attractions to visit: Cong Do
area, Vung Vieng fishing village, Da Xep Park, Cong Dam area, Thien Canh Son
cave, Tra Gioi beach… There are some islands that people living there: Quan Lan
Island, Ngoc Vung Island, Cong Dong, Cong Tay Island with many beautiful
beaches. In addition, Bai Tu Long bay national park is rich in biological
diversity, home of many different flora and fauna.
Situated at Hung Thang commune, Ha Long
City, 20 km away from the tourist boat wharf, the fishing village lies in a
calm bay surrounded by mountain, which is called Cua Van. Cua Van village has a population of 733 in 176
households. They mainly earn their livelihood by fishing. Their floating houses
look spacious and clean. The well-off families even have tiled roof houses with
radios, television sets, tables and chairs…Cua Van fishing village with the
majestic limestone mountains, fishing villages on the river float. The
landscape here is extremely romantic and leave a distinct impression of
visitors to the boat roof painted colorful pictures create a shimmering sea
floating on Ha Long. These things make Travel Website Journeyetc.com put Cua
Van fishing village on a list of a rarity in the 16 villages still retain its
beauty glamour world. The lives of the people here have not been disturbed by
modern life. Cua Van fishing village by appealing not only beautiful natural
scenery, bustling life activities but also by people of all environment
conscious effort to preserve. At Cua Van, floating all are very clean, tidy.
People took turns rotating scavenging sailing on the sea every day, water
savings reduce the amount of waste to the marine environment. Therefore,
Journeyetc.com said Cua Van worthy places that tourists should visit to enjoy a
once in a lifetime.
Vong Vieng (Vung Vieng) fishing village is a small fishing
village, beautiful and peaceful located on Bai Tu Long Bay. Vong Vieng was far
away land (a 1 and a half hours by boat from Bai Chay Wharf) with more than 62
households, the population is between
200 and 300 residents. This includes nearly 100 children. These families have
lived in this village for generations. The village is a "floating
village." The village is very poor so there are no structures built on
land.. Traditionally income for food and potable water (imported from the
mainland) came solely from fishing. Now, there is also some supplemental income
from tourism. Vong Vieng has gradually accessed to a professional tourism and
taken full advantage of their strengths. When going to Vong Vieng fishing
village, you can learn about fishing work and daily life of the local
inhabitants. These interesting things will attract tourists and make them come
back here in the near future.
Gastronomy
Ha Long Bay is famous because of many
kinds of seafood like not only lobster, squid but also snails. Besides these
sea products, there are the usual seafood specialties such as: shrimp, crab,
fish, pomfret fish, fish etc.
Ha Long Bay Lobsters, they have long been titled as King of
highly nutritious seafood. Lobsters’ meat is extremely firm and sweet. Once you
have tried it, you will never forget its taste.
Oyster: Like lobster, oyster is one of the
famous seafood in Ha Long. Oysters live on the sandy beaches, seaside quagmire.
Oyster, which is high nutritious food, has a hard-shell and the red bowel.
Ha Long squid sausage is well-known not only in all three parts inside the country
but also for international tourists. True to its name, the main ingredient is squid.
However, it is said that no kind of squid can make the squid sausage as
wonderful as Ha Long Bay's squid. It must be fresh squid that is newly caught.
The dish, hence, will get the sharp.
Fried Sea Snails with Chili Sauce, Ha Long Bay Vietnam
Apart from lobsters, squids, Ha Long has a less expensive food but sharing the
same appetizing taste: Sea Snail. Sea snails vary widely in breed and cooking
process; and fried sea snails with chili sauce seems to be the most common.
Climate
Ha Long Bay has a tropical climate with
four distinctive seasons: spring,
summer, autumn and winter.
Spring happens from the middle of March
through June. Temperature during the spring season ranges from 19º C to 31º C.
The bay becomes more inviting in April and remains attraction to tourists
through October. There is still the possibility of rain and foggy conditions
during the spring months. March is considered an ideal time of year in Ha Long
Bay.
Summer from June to August is
humid and warm. Temperatures in June range from 21º C to 30ºC. In July,
temperatures range from 22º C to 32º C and in August they range from 24º C to
34º C.
It is also the time when tropical
storms break out in the area and bring heavy rainfall.
Autumn runs from September
through November and brings cloudy weather with rain. September is still
pleasant with temperatures from 22º C to 30º C. The weather gets cooler with
more rainfall in October, with temperatures ranging from 20º C to 29º C, and in
November temperatures go down to 18º C to 30º C.
Winter extends from November through February
and sometimes as late as the middle of March. This time is referred to as the
low season. January and February are the most chilly months, with temperature
going down as low as 10º C and up to 30º C. The weather becomes quite cool in
the winter. There is low visibility with overcast conditions in December,
January and February.
Get it
Thanks to its
popularity, Ha Long Bay is quite accessible from just anywhere in Vietnam and
neighbouring countries. Many
visitors get to Ha Long Bay on a larger international cruise ship which dock in
Cai Lan International Port (about 10 minutes from Halong Bay). Others choose to
fly to Hanoi (180km) or Hai Phong (80km) airport and take a road trip to the
Bay.
By car
Travelling by
car considers the best choice as its flexibility, safety, quality and valuable
rates. First, you follow Highway 18 to pass by Tuan Chau Island, Bai Chay Road
and Hon Gai Bridge. If you travel from Hanoi, an average trip without traffic
will take at least 4 hours for one way.
By air
From Da Nang,
Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City, you can fly either to Hanoi or Hai Phong
Airport and then get a car transfer to Ha Long Bay. From other Southeast Asia
countries, you also need to fly into one of these two airports to get access to
Ha Long Bay. From Cat Bi International Airport in Haiphong is roughly 2.5 hours
away to Ha Long city by road.
By helicopter
You can also
travel to Ha Long Bay on helicopter which takes about 1.5 hour and it is only
possible from Gia Lam, Hanoi. Moreover, it only runs with a minimum of six
guests. This service is exclusively run by Northern Vietnam Helicopter Company
and it is quite a costly option to reach Ha Long Bay.
By bus
The best way to
go to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi is by bus. It is cheap and comfortable and the
buses to Ha Long Bay are new, have air conditioning and come with a safe
driver. The road quality from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay is acceptable, not too
bumpy. However, this type is more suitable for those who are more familiar with
Vietnam conditions or has adventurous streak; for first time tourists, it is
not recommended.
By
motorbike
Once you are in
Vietnam, you can reach basically everywhere by motorcycle, even at the most
remote places. This type is the utmost adventurous and thrilling of all. Since
Ha Long bay is only 170 km away from Hanoi and the road is quite straight
forward, this is a good choice. However, it is advisable that you should go
with a small group of friends to support each other on the way, especially in
case a bike breaks down. Careful inspection of bike before the trip is crucial
to ensure a safest trip. It will take slightly longer than bus or car to reach
Ha Long and is certainly more tiring. Thus you need to have a detailed plan
before reaching Ha Long by motorbike.
