Ha Long Bay is by far the number 1 tourist destination in Vietnam. Imagine a place with over 2,000 islets emerging from emerald waters on the Gulf of Tonkin, and you can understand the breathtaking beauty of this place. In addition, Ha Long bay is located at only 150km from Hanoi. In 1994, it was recognized as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.
The bay consists of a dense group of monolithic limestone islands covered by a thick jungle. The size, shape and structure of each islet can vary greatly, and many are blessed with enormous caves. Another unique feature of Ha Long bay is the abundance of interior lagoons, hidden in the center of limestone peaks. Otherwise, there are numbers of beautiful beaches on the smaller islands. A community of around 1,600 individuals live in fishing villages. These people live in floating houses and live off fishing and aquaculture farming, taking advantage of the 200 species of fish and 450 different kind of mollusks living in these shallow waters.
From January to March, the weather is cool and drizzly, while fog can appear and reduce the visibility but at the same time bring a mystical atmosphere to Ha Long Bay. From May to September, thunderstorms are frequent and sometimes cause the cancellation of junk cruises. What we usually call Ha Long Bay is in fact divided in two: Ha Long bay and Bai Tu Long Bay.
Ha Long bay is often visited following a conventional but incredible path, leading to sites such as the Surprise cave, Thien Cung cave, Titov beach, Soi Sim beach and many others.
On the other hand, Bai Tu Long bay, located northwest of the bay of Ha Long, spreads on 100km2 to the Chinese border. The cruise itineraries in Bai Tu Long bay are usually less frequented by tourists. Nonetheless, there are beautiful islands (Van Dong, Quan Lan and Ngoc Vung to name a few), wonderful white sand beaches and incredible wild and varied landscapes.
