Where is Halong Bay located? Thousands of islands in Ha Long Bay

The popularity of the resort town of Halong, located on the shores of the bay of the same name, is growing from year to year. Tens of thousands of tourists come here to see with their own eyes the water surface of the Gulf of Tonkin, above which rises more than 3 thousand islands of varying heights and sizes. We will tell you about what a holiday in Ha Long is like in 2019, local attractions and entertainment in this article.

The resort town of Halong is located in the northern part of Vietnam, a 3-hour drive from the capital. The city is young and was founded on an artificial dam that connected two peninsulas. All beaches of the resort are artificial.

Ha Long Bay and city on the map

The climate of the resort is soft and warm. The average daily temperature is 27 degrees, with hot and cooler seasons throughout the year. The first occurs from May to the end of September, when temperatures can reach 33 degrees. From October to early April it is not so hot in Halong, the average daily value is 22 degrees.

Air temperature by month:

Halong experiences a distinct rainy season - from June to September, the wettest months being July and August, when the number of days with precipitation reaches 15.

As for the temperature of coastal waters, swimming is possible at any time, but from December to March the sea is cool by Asian standards.

How warm the sea is in a particular month can be seen in the diagram:

How to get there

Halong does not have its own airport, so the most convenient way to get here is from Hanoi. The transfer will cost about $100 per car. The journey will take approximately 4 hours.

Transport

In Ha Long, the main public transport is buses. The ticket will cost 5,000 dong. But for a tourist, such an option can hardly be called convenient, traffic is poorly organized, and the schedule is not followed.

As for more comfortable movement around the resort, the best option here is a taxi or a rented scooter.

However, it must be remembered that international rights are not valid in Vietnam, so you should avoid encounters with the police. To do this, be sure to wear a helmet and drive at a fairly slow speed of 30-40 km/h.

An interesting and very popular form of transport is water taxi. The drivers are mostly frail Vietnamese ladies, and each vehicle has its own license plate.

There is also a completely colorful type of transport - a bicycle taxi, which is more often used as an attraction than as a means of transportation.

Where to stay

There are a lot of accommodation options at the resort. They differ in price, distance from the coastline and the range of services provided.

The bulk of hotels and guest houses are located on the mainland of the resort, several on the neighboring island of Tuan Chau, which is connected to the coastline by a road bridge. Separately, it is worth highlighting those located in the Cat Ba National Park on a remote island.

A unique and, it should be noted, not a cheap accommodation option, which is suitable for spending 1-2 nights, is a cabin on board a comfortable liner.

Cabin room

The most popular accommodation options are:

1. On Cat Ba Island: LePont Bungalow Hostel (price - from 21 dollars, hereinafter the price is indicated for a 2-bed room), Cat Ba Sunrise Resort (from 116 dollars), Monkey Island Resort (from 81 dollars), Lan Homestay ($20), etc.;
2. In Ha Long: Song Loc Luxury Hotel (from $49), Novotel Ha Long Bay Hotel (from $79), Ha Long Coral Bay Homestay (from $35) and others;
3. Accommodation on board: Glamor Star Halong Cruise (from $234), Apricot Premium Cruise (from $251), Halong Apricot Legend Cruise (from $205) and others.

Where to eat

The basis of Vietnamese cuisine is rice. However, in Halong, a significant part of the dishes offered are seafood in various variations. There are plenty of restaurants offering similar dishes at the resort.

Local delicacy – Candied fish with a sweet and sour taste. Dishes made from seashells and squid are popular. The spicy squid balls are worth trying.

As for restaurants, there are many establishments here that are ready to serve tasty and inexpensive food.

Among the popular ones are: Ngoc Linh Restaurant, Cafe Trung Nguyen, Queen Vosa and many others.

You should definitely try the freshest seafood in floating restaurants.

Shopping

Ha Long does not have shopping centers similar to, for example, the capital Hanoi. The most you can buy here are various souvenirs and products of local craftsmen.

The highlight of local shopping is the large number of traders who offer their goods from compact junks.

From Halong it is worth bringing:

1. Silk, as in many Vietnamese cities, can be purchased simply as a piece of fabric or ordered to have various items of clothing sewn;
2. Wooden products, figurines and useful interior items;
3. Souvenir crafts made of stone or metal.

Don’t forget about inexpensive souvenirs depicting the main local attraction – Ha Long Bay.

What to see and do in Ha Long

Halong is, first of all, natural attractions.

Ha Long Bay

The main thing that attracts tens of thousands of travelers from all over the world to the resort is one of the most beautiful bays in the world. More than 3,000 islands of varying heights and sizes soar above the water surface of the bay, creating some kind of mystical and bewitching picture.

Here literally everything deserves interest: islands with wild bays and beaches, caves and grottoes, rocky shores overgrown with lush vegetation.

By the way, since 1994 the bay has been under the protection of UNESCO.

The best time to travel around the bay is from May to January. At other times, winds and piercing rain are common here. This not only affects overall comfort, but also significantly reduces visibility.

Exploring the Gulf of Tonkin isn't just a boat trip. One of the important components of a trip to Ha Long Bay is a visit to Cat Ba Island National Park. In addition to trekking and exploring the local caves, the island's beaches deserve attention, the best of them being Lan Ha Bay.

You can visit the bay as part of an excursion or on your own.

Worth knowing! An independent trip to Halong Bay will cost an order of magnitude more than an organized excursion.

The non-group itinerary is structured as follows: From Halong city you need to book a place on a boat going to Cat Ba Island. During its journey to the island, the boat will pass through all the main attractions. The final point is Ben Beo Bay. Travel time – 6 hours. The cost is 130,000 dong, which in addition to travel includes an entrance ticket to the national park, of which Cat Ba is an integral part. Additional expenses include the organization of overnight accommodation and meals.

Sea group excursions are most often booked in Hanoi, but in the resort town itself there are travel agencies offering similar cultural “expeditions”.

The program is most often designed for 3 days with two overnight stays. It includes: transition from one island to another, as well as land entertainment: exploring grottoes and caves, climbing to the top of Titov, cycling through rice fields, feeding monkeys.

Tourists are offered to spend the night first on the ship and then in a hotel on one of the islands, usually on Cat Ba. Meals are organized according to the "Half Board" scheme.

There are many floating shops along the route that surround the ship at every stop; they sell a variety of food: fruits, snacks, drinks.

It is worth considering that if you purchase alcohol from such a floating store, on board the ship you may be required to pay a kind of fine - the “right of cork” in the amount of 10 thousand dong per bottle.

A sea excursion with a rich cultural program will cost a traveler an average of 400 thousand dong (the price is indicated when traveling from Hanoi).

An alternative to a boat excursion, the most popular among tourists, is the opportunity to explore the bay from above.

Northern Airport Flight Service Company operates helicopter tours from Hanoi. Departure at 8am from Gia Lam. Cost – 180 dollars, maximum number of passengers – 6 people.

Video with views of the bay:

Other attractions

Bizarre grottoes are not only on the island of Cat Ba. Closer Tuan Chau deserves attention, as well as caves such as Dou Guo (cave of wooden pillars) and the Heavenly Palace.

And on the slope of Mount Bai Ho you can try to see carved poetic lines dedicated to the beauty of the 106-meter peak.

Things to do in Ha Long

In addition to the gastronomic pleasures offered by the many restaurants, here you can usefully spend time in one of the traditional spa salons.

Water activities and sports are not particularly popular here, since the main beach of the resort is artificial, so there are no conditions for snorkeling and, especially, diving. However, here you can also find the opportunity to surf and play beach volleyball.

As for nightlife, there is none at the resort as such. There are only a few bars that serve customers until late at night, including Blue Note, Flightless Bird and Noble House. All of them are located on Cat Ba Island.

Beaches

The main coastline has pebble beaches, not equipped, dirty and unsuitable for swimming. Within the city limits, you can go to the artificial beach in the Bai area, but the coastal waters here are muddy. Those wishing to swim should go to the island of Tuan Chau.

Other interesting beaches are located on the various islands of the bay:

• Wan Chai on Koto Island;
• Lan Ha Bay, located east of Cat Ba and a number of others.

In total, the Bay Area has more than a hundred secluded beaches suitable for swimming.

What else you need to know about holidays in Ha Long

1. Safety. The resort is quite calm. The most unpleasant thing that can happen is pickpocketing or petty theft. Therefore, it is not recommended to carry large sums of money or documents with you. And even more so, you shouldn’t store all this in your back pocket.
2. Vaccinations. Before traveling to Halong, it is recommended to get vaccinated against tetanus, rabies, malaria and dengue fever. This point is especially important if there are children among the travelers.
3. When traveling with children, it is important to choose the right hotel. It is necessary that there be a play area and other useful services, since at the resort itself there is nothing that could entertain a young traveler.

Ha Long City is an excellent starting point for exploring a unique natural attraction of global scale, the bay of the same name with thousands of picturesque islands. And the actively developing infrastructure of the resort makes holidays in Ha Long more varied and comfortable.

It is impossible to imagine or describe in words what an impression Ha Long Bay makes. This is an amazing natural heritage that is shrouded in mystery. Each island is unique, the caves and grottoes are picturesque in their own way, and the flora and fauna add more color to the surrounding area. And although the Vietnamese government is not particularly trying to improve this resort area, there are countless tourists here during the favorable holiday season.

Ha Long Bay and its geographical features

Few people know where the interesting bay is located and how to get to these virtually uninhabited places on their own. The islands that are part of the harbor belong to Vietnam. They are located in the South China Sea, in the Gulf of Tonkin. Halong Bay is understood as a cluster of almost three thousand islands, caves, rocks and reefs. Most of them do not even have specific names, and there are probably still some areas of land that have not been touched by humans.

The accumulation of thousands of small plots of land among the sea surface occupies no more than 1,500 square kilometers, so from different angles you can see unusual landscapes formed by layers of limestone and shale. Most of the surface is covered with various plants. A third of this area is designated as a national park, which has been a World Heritage Site since 1994.

If you want to visit these places, you should give preference to a calmer time of year. The climate here is tropical, so the weather may vary slightly from month to month. There are two main seasons: winter and summer. In winter, from October to May, there is a low temperature, about 15-20 degrees, and cool, dry air. Summer is longer and more favorable for recreation; however, during this period it often rains, but mainly at night. It is not recommended to visit the bay from August to October, as typhoons are common during these months.

Where and how best to relax

Ha Long Bay is very popular among tourists, although the authorities do not develop this recreational area adequately. There is practically no civilization here, and only a few islands can boast of places to live, eat and entertain. To enjoy your vacation to the fullest, it is better to go to Tuan Chau, where you can soak up the beaches, get a massage, and rent diving equipment.

Tourists also praise other places, for example:

• Daugo Cave.
  

Truth and fiction about the history of Ha Long Bay

Many unusual stories are associated with the wonderful world of the South China Sea islands. Some of them have documentary evidence, others are retold as fascinating legends. Every local resident will tell the story of the origin of the bay, connected with the dragon living in the local waters. It is believed that he lived in the mountains that used to be on the site of the archipelago. When the dragon descended from the peaks, with its powerful tail it divided the land into small parts, which turned into rocks, cliffs and small hilly areas. The water quickly flooded everything around, causing a picturesque bay to appear. Ha Long translates to “where the dragon descended into the sea.”

However, it cannot be said with certainty that there was never a dragon in these waters. There are stories from sailors about the mystical inhabitant of Halong Bay, whose size is frighteningly large. According to various descriptions, it looks like a giant eel, peeking out of the water from time to time, but it was not possible to capture it in a photo. Similar reports appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but since 1908 no one else has been able to meet the mysterious inhabitant of the depths.

Since the bay is a collection of thousands of islands, it is an ideal place to hide. It was for these purposes that it was often used in different historical eras. Ancient tribes preferred to hide among uninhabited islands from attacks from enemies. Later, pirate ships often landed on local shores. Even during the Vietnam War, guerrilla troops successfully carried out their operations, localizing forces in Ha Long Bay. And today you can retire here on the beaches, because many of them are not included in excursion tours, despite their attractive scenery.

Halong Bay is located in the north of Vietnam in the South China Sea and has an area of ​​more than 1,500 square meters. km. It contains several thousand islets, caves and cliffs - unique natural attractions.

Translated from Vietnamese, the name Ha Long means “Cove where the dragon descends.” In the mid-90s of the last century, it was included in the famous UNESCO list and today is under state protection.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Ha Long Bay was recognized as a natural wonder of the world. It has an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind landscape, which is most interesting to observe while walking on a boat between the rocks.

Brief description of Ha Long Bay

Almost all the islands in the bay were formed from rocks. Countless caves have appeared in them over many millennia. Each of them has stalactites, stalagmites, waterfalls, etc.

The most interesting and famous caves in Ha Long Bay are equipped with multi-colored lighting, thanks to which they turned into fabulous underground palaces. Such natural artifacts are extremely popular with tourists.

There is no serious tourist infrastructure here so you can have a good rest. The bay is solely an object of inspection and exploration for one or several days.

You can stay in a hotel on one of the most interesting local islands, Cat Ba, and spend several days near the bay, enjoying the surrounding nature and the mysteries hidden in the caves.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW! When going to Halong Bay, remember that accidents with tourists quite often occur here, including deaths. This is due to the old, broken down boats that take tourists around the bay.

1. Cave of Surprises. This is the best cave in the entire bay. Tourists visiting it are completely delighted. As you move deeper, it becomes larger, more beautiful and more diverse, delighting guests.

The ceiling of the cave is decorated with stalactites, like colored chandeliers. There are rocks of various shapes on the floor. Here you can see various animals, trees, flowers, etc. The further into the cave, the more interesting it becomes.

2. Monsters. In Vietnam, many are convinced that a large mysterious animal lives in the depths of the Ha Long Caves. Some saw a giant snake with large eyes, at least 20 meters long, covered with scales.

At the beginning of the last century, French sailors noticed a creature near Ha Long Bay with a turtle head more than a meter long and a huge body with a crest. He managed to escape from his pursuers in the depths of the sea.

Like all of Vietnam, Ha Long Bay has a distinctly tropical climate. The whole year is divided into two seasons: a hot and very humid, rainy summer, and a cold and very dry winter.

It is best to go on a trip to the bay in April or May, or in September or October. In principle, you can come to Halong at any time of the year. But a special pilgrimage occurs in the months indicated above: the end of spring and the beginning of autumn.

Of course, there are no frosts here in winter, but very cold, piercing winds are possible. And in the summer there are often downpours, from which you can get wet through and through in a minute. Therefore, prepare for the trip in advance, take warm clothes or an umbrella.

At the beginning of March it becomes warm here, the water in the sea warms up, and you can start swimming. The favorable season for visiting Ha Long Bay is approaching. It's hot all summer and it rains heavily. In the first half of autumn you can go to Halong again.

Most tourists travel to Ha Long from Hanoi. The Chinese come here from Nha Trang by bus. To get to the bay from Ho Chi Minh City, you will have to fly to Haiphong. You can also order a taxi transfer from Hanoi to the bay.

From Hanoi to Halong by bus

The easiest and most convenient way is to get to the bay by bus. From Hanoi to Halong city, a tourist bus ticket costs about $10 and takes at least 3 hours. A trip by regular bus will cost less: 50,000 Vietnamese dong or $2.16.

Buses move very slowly and often stop, so getting from Hanoi to Halong will take 5-6 hours. The final stop on this route is called Bai Chai Bus Station.

If you want to get to the pier where pleasure boats depart for Ha Long Bay, then you need to stop at the pier in Ha Long. There you should buy a tour of the bay and immediately go on a trip.

Halong Bay or Halong Bay is located in northern Vietnam 170 km east of the capital Hanoi. This is one of the main attractions of the country, just type the word “Vietnam” into Google and look at the pictures - 5 out of 10 photos will be from here. So the importance of this place for Vietnam can hardly be overestimated.

Ha Long Bay is home to almost two thousand islands, bizarre rocks, caves, grottoes, picturesque beaches... It is not for nothing that UNESCO has included Ha Long in its list of World Natural Heritage, and some parts of the bay are protected; any construction or tourism is prohibited there.

But in those areas where there is no such ban, it is full of tourists. The place is very touristy, perhaps the most touristy in Vietnam. You can arrange a cruise around the bay on a so-called junk - a traditional ship (or on a more conventional ship).

If you have already been to the islands in the Andaman Sea near Phuket (for example, Phi Phi, James Bond Island and other small ones) and Krabi in Thailand, then Halong will not particularly surprise you, except perhaps for its scale. Personally, I wouldn’t make a special trip from Nha Trang.

But if you plan to visit Hanoi and northern Vietnam in general (and the places there are cool!), then it’s definitely worth dedicating a day or two to Ha Long Bay.

In this post I will tell you in detail how to organize a trip to Ha Long Bay, what you can see there and where to go.

Traveling to Ha Long Bay: on your own or in a tour?

What is the best way to visit Ha Long Bay: on your own or with an organized tour?

• you have a lot of time
• you want to explore the area thoroughly and visit lesser known places
• you are ready to travel with transfers on not the fastest local transport

I advise you to choose a tour if:

• just want to look at Ha Long and get an impression
• time is running out
• you don’t like local transport and don’t want to understand logistics

We almost never go on tours or book excursions (we did a couple of times); we like to travel everywhere as independently as possible. But this time it turned out that we decided to take a tour from Hanoi. Firstly, it’s simply cheaper than traveling on your own (if the goal is just to see for one day), and besides, we only had one day left.

Excursions and tours to Ha Long Bay

There are several types of excursions to Ha Long Bay. They differ in duration (1, 2, 3, 4 or more days), time spent directly on the water, cruise ships (the better the ship, the more expensive), included options (food, activities, transfers) and a list of visited places and program .

The standard program for a one-day tour is as follows: you are picked up from your hotel, then you drive 170 km to the pier. There you transfer to the ship, and then the most interesting thing begins: karst rocks in the sea, overgrown with tropical vegetation, caves, lunch on the ship :). Along the way you visit several interesting places and return to the shore, from where you take a bus back.

Thus, a round trip from Hanoi takes 8 hours, and you spend 4-5 hours in the bay (for a one-day tour).

Usually, even the cheapest options include entrance fees, an English-speaking guide, transfers and some snacks on the ship. With the most budget option, you will get to the pier on a not new bus, sail on a rather old “liner”, perhaps there will be no chairs and tables on the upper deck, but just some pillows.

Simple ship

The ship is more expensive

On more expensive tours, you will sail on a newer and fresher ship with a dining area on the lower deck and a relaxation area on the upper deck (with tables, chairs), lunch will be hearty and quite tasty, kayaking will probably be included. This is exactly the tour we chose, we just sorted out the cheap ones :)

Although our lunch was quite simple (rice with vegetables and fish, juices, beer and water), it was filling! And with such views from the window. Additionally, you can buy all sorts of drinks and snacks on deck.

Lunch on the ship

Expensive excursions include an overnight stay on a junk or in a decent hotel on the shore, an intense program for several days, food, and so on.

Important: I don’t see the point in overpaying several times to spend the night on a ship. It will be dark and you won't be able to see anything. Therefore, think twice before booking a tour with an overnight stay on the water, even though in theory it looks tempting (except to watch the sunrise and see the sunset on a one-day trip).

Other important additions:

• Check several times what exactly is included in the tour program
• Find out what the rules are for canceling a cruise if the weather turns bad
• Upon arrival on the ship, make sure that you have life jackets and other life-saving equipment.
• It’s better not to book the cheapest tour (exception if you choose a specific company based on reviews from other travelers)
• If you approach it thoroughly, then read the latest reviews about cruise companies, because the agencies do not organize tours themselves, but resell them (maybe not all of them).

Where to buy tours and excursions?

Any agency in tourist places in Vietnam will offer you a tour to Ha Long: in Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other cities. The backpacker area in Hanoi has the most offers, literally at every turn. I recommend ordering in advance, at least a day or two in advance, so that you have a choice. We arrived in the capital late in the evening, when the agencies were no longer open, and ordered through the reception at our hotel. There were no more places left for the cheapest tours, so I had to overpay (maybe for the better).

Cost of excursion to Ha Long from Hanoi for one day: In the capital, street agencies sell tours for $25-30 per person. We bought it for $45.

The prices are approximately the same if you book a tour on the island of Cat Ba, which is located right in the bay.

The cost of a two-day excursion with an overnight stay on a ship from Hanoi is from $100-$150, but prices vary (depending greatly on the level of the ship). Excursions are conducted in English; I have not seen any offers from a Russian guide from Hanoi.

Price for an excursion to Halong Bay from Nha Trang: $250-$350 (for a two-day tour, plus plane or train tickets).

As a rule, two-day or three-day excursions are organized from Nha Trang with an overnight stay on a ship (or ship + on the island of Cat Ba). The plus is that they are conducted by Russian-speaking guides, but the minus is that in any case the tour starts from Hanoi, and you have to get there, which takes time and money.

If a Russian guide is not important to you, then in my opinion it is cheaper to book an excursion to Hanoi yourself.

Independent travel to Halong

Traveling to Ha Long Bay on your own is entirely possible, but local logistics can make it a bit challenging.

The closest major city to the bay is Haiphong, and there are flights from many parts of Vietnam, trains and buses. And the coastal city from where most ships depart is of the same name, Halong City.

There are two main points from which it is convenient to start traveling around the bay: the pier at Bai Chay (on the outskirts of Halong City, package tourists also depart from here) and Cat Ba Island (for trips to more secluded places).

Ships depart from the pier at Bai Chay (Bai Chay Tourist Wharf) on two routes. The first costs about $5 and includes visits to nearby islands and two caves, the second costs about $8, which will take you to places a little further away. These will be the simplest local boats. Plus you will have to pay $5 for entrance to the national park and $1-2 for entrance to each attraction separately.

The second option is to get to Cat Ba Island, stay there for a few days (otherwise there is no point in sailing) and from there take a cruise around the bay. I recommend going here, it’s calmer, there are gorgeous places, and you have the opportunity to leisurely enjoy the surroundings.

For information on how to get to Halong Bay on your own, see the end of the post. In short, you will have to make several transfers and spend a lot of time. Transport (ferries in particular) is irregular.

In total, for an independent trip (if you go through Bai Chay), according to my calculations, you will spend $35-40, which is equal to or even more than the cost of the excursion. You decide.

The ideal format for an independent trip to Ha Long Bay is to take your own or rented bike to Cat Ba Island.

Weather in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is located in the northeast of Vietnam and has two seasons: hot and humid summers and dry and cold winters.

The best time to travel to Halong is during the months of March to May and October to November. In winter it can be too cold and there will probably be a piercing wind, in summer it is too hot, humid and rainy. And while the weather in Ha Long can be great on any given day, these months are the easiest to catch a sunny, warm day.

Weather in Ha Long Bay at the end of March

Attractions of Ha Long Bay

In this part I will tell you how our excursion went and what we managed to see.

We left at 8 am (while everyone was being collected from their hotels), then we overcame Hanoi traffic jams and arrived at the bay only at 12 o’clock (on the way we stopped once at some souvenir shop).

After lunch, it’s so cool to go out on the upper deck and either sunbathe in the sun or sit in the shade in the pleasant breeze, watching the fancy rocks float by.

After lunch we sail to cave Hang Dau Go. It is beautifully illuminated, and sunlight penetrates inside, so you can see all its enormous size. This is impressive!

There are a lot of people :)

Dao Titop Island

Everyone is brought here to watch the sunset in the late afternoon. It's funny that the island is named after the Soviet cosmonaut German Titov, who visited the bay in 1962. There is also a good beach and an observation deck with stunning views.

Monument to Titov on the island

Beach on Titop Island

View of the bay from the observation deck

Beach view on Titop island

This is what a typical day trip to Ha Long Bay looks like, although the locations may vary slightly.

If you are traveling to the bay on your own, then keep a description of how to get there from Hanoi and Nha Trang.

How to get to Ha Long from Hanoi?

There are two points where it is convenient to start your trip to Ha Long - these are the piers near Ha Long City and Cat Ba Island.

You need to leave Hanoi as early as possible if you want to see something on the same day!

To Ha Long City:

Buses

There are several bus stations in Hanoi, and you can get to Halong City from Gia Lam Bus Station ($5, three and a half hours). Buses run frequently, approximately every half hour. The inconvenience is that they will only be delivered to the bus station, from where you will still have to take a taxi or local transport to the pier.

How to get to Ha Long Bay?

Open-bus

Tourist bus companies will take you to the bay in their own, more comfortable buses. It costs $8 and from Sinh Tousist (office in the center near Hoan Kiem Lake), the bass departs at 07:45 and takes you straight to the pier on Tuan Chay island. In my opinion - the best option.

Taxi from Hanoi it will cost about $85 per car one way.

How to get to Cat Ba Island?

Buses

From Luong Yen Bus Station in Hanoi, buses to Cat Ba depart at 05:20, 07:20, 11:20, 13:20. The cost is $11, tickets already include the cost of the ferry.

Open-bus

The same Sinh Tourist, for example, offers combined tickets to Cat Ba from Hanoi. Buses depart at 07:30, 10:30 and 14:00. The cost is about $8.5.

You can also get to Cat Ba Island from Tuan Chay Pier in Ha Long City ($3 per person, $1 per bike, hour travel). Ferries depart at 08:00 and 15:00.

From Haiphong there is a hydrofoil directly to Cat Ba ($10, hour trip). Departs at 07:00, 09:00, 13:00, 15:00.

How to get to Ha Long Bay from Nha Trang?

There is no direct transport from Nha Trang to Ha Long; even package tours are organized through Hanoi. Therefore, you first need to get to the capital, and then act as described above. You can do this by plane, train or bus.

Local airlines They are very cheap, the usual one-way price is $40-50, but on sale you can get them for half the price. Flights are frequent, several times a day, so plane is the best option. Another big plus of the plane is that you can fly to Haiphong; it is much closer to the bay than Hanoi.

Train- also a comfortable option, at the same time take a look at local life. You will be on the road for about a day, you will have time to get a good night's sleep before heading to the bay. Tickets can be bought at the railway station, it is not far from the center of Nha Trang.

It is considered one of the most beautiful bays in the whole world, and in 2011 it even became one of the modern seven natural wonders of the world.

One of the ancient legends says that the picturesque Halong Bay with its numerous islands arose in ancient times. According to legend, the gods sent down a family of dragons to the Vietnamese people to protect them from enemies. When dragons spat gems, picturesque islands appeared in the sea, on which enemy ships crashed.

The wreckage of destroyed ships turned into rocks of unique shapes. When the battle was over, the dragons decided to stay in this bay, and therefore it was named Ha Long, which translated means “the place where the dragon descended to earth.”

Quite real historical events are also hidden in the echoes of ancient legends. At the end of the 13th century, the army of the Mongol Khan went to Ha Long Bay with the goal of conquering Vietnam. But the Vietnamese came up with a military trick: wooden stakes with metal tips were driven throughout the bay, which were hidden under water during high tide. So the enemy ships fell into the trap of the Vietnamese, who once again defended the bay and their native land from the invaders. One of the karst caves in the bay, Hang-Dau-Go, which means “cave of wooden stakes,” is also reminiscent of these events, because, according to legend, it was there that they were kept.

The Vietnamese themselves sometimes call this unique place “The Bay of a Thousand Islands.” In fact, in Ha Long Bay, whose total water area is about 1,500 sq. km, there are about 2 thousand islands. Most of them are uninhabited and little explored, many do not even have a name. Covered with dense vegetation, they create the illusion of forests growing directly from the water. On many islands, picturesque lakes have formed in karst sinkholes.

One of the most famous islands of Halong Bay is Tuan Chau, since it was on it that the residence of Ho Chi Minh was located. The Grotto of Pillars is another striking attraction of the bay. It was even visited by the Emperor of Vietnam in 1917, about which a commemorative note was left on a stele specially built for this visit inside the grotto.

All islands in the bay are rocky formations or small areas of land surrounded by rocks overgrown with bushes and mosses. Due to the numerous vegetation of the rocks and islands, the water in the bay seems to have an incredible emerald hue.

The local cliffs hide numerous caves of various shapes and sizes, with impressive stalactites and stalagmites. Equipped especially for sightseeing tours with unique lighting, they resemble luxurious underground palaces created by nature itself.

The rocks, cliffs and caves in Ha Long Bay have been formed over millions of years by waves and wind erosion. All this contributed to the formation of the unique shapes of the rocks, which could not but be reflected in their names. For example, two 12-meter rocks rising straight out of the water are called Fighting Roosters because they really look like the profiles of two disheveled birds, and the Kissing Rocks really resemble lovers ready to merge in a kiss. Such picturesque landscapes could not help but find a place in cinema. Well-recognized panoramas of Ha Long Bay can be seen in one of the James Bond films.

Exciting boat trips on traditional Vietnamese boats allow you not only to admire the picturesque views of Ha Long Bay, but also to visit its unique attractions, including various limestone caves.

The “Cave of Surprise” impresses with its bright colors, in which natural beauty is harmoniously complemented by artificial multi-colored lighting. The “Drum Cave” surprises its visitors with the fact that when there is wind, sounds reminiscent of drums can be heard in it, and in the “Grotto of Miracles” you can see wall recordings left by French explorers of these places in the 19th century.

While traveling around Ha Long Bay, it is also interesting to admire the floating fishing villages built on rafts. The people living in this bay of Vietnam do not live on the islands themselves, but in bamboo houses that form entire floating villages.

Such nomadic water settlements in this Vietnamese bay are at least 300 years old. Modern residents of these villages are engaged not so much in breeding, which are raised on floating farms specifically for sale.

Halong Bay is of greatest interest to connoisseurs of underwater diving and exploration of coastal caves. is carried out here, so it is worth observing during such dives.

Despite the many rocks, this is not the best place for it, since sharp peaks are often hidden under the water. But there are still daring daredevils who try to try cliff jumping in the bay. But the more common entertainment here is rock climbing.

If you want to stay in Ha Long Bay, then the best place to stay is Cat Ba Island, on whose territory there is a natural reserve and there are several excellent ones.

The weather in these places is quite capricious, so it is best to travel to Halong Bay either in the spring (April-May) or in early-mid-autumn. It is too rainy in summer and very windy in winter. It is worth remembering that during the typhoon season, Halong Bay is not the best place for, because there is almost no reliable harbor where you could wait out the bad weather.