Location and Transportation:

Situated in the West of the Gulf of Tonkin, Ha Long Bay is only 165 kilometers far from the capital of Vietnam and 35 kilometers far from the Port City-Hai Phong. Placed in Quang Ninh Province, this famous destination is surrounded by Cat Ba Island in the Southside, Ngoc Hung and Van Canh Island in the Eastside and Vietnamese coastline in the North and West side.

Due to its convenient destination, people can easily go to Ha Long Bay. From Hanoi, it only takes 3.5 hours by cars or buses. Another way is to book an airplane ticket to Van Don airport (in Quang Ninh Province), then you can rent a taxi or catch a bus to Halong Bay. In addition, visiting Halong Bay with a cruise is also a favorite option.

Nowadays, tourists can visit Ha Long Bay by a seaplane

Halong Bay in details:

Designated as a World Heritage in 1994, Ha Long Bay is highly appreciated by visitors with its diverse landscapes and natural beauty that hasn’t been affected by the human. With over 1600 limestone islands and islets combining with the area of 45.000 ha, Ha Long Bay is a complex of natural architectures and an ideal attraction to visit. Specifically:

Ha Long Bay is the area that has a tropical climate with 2 distinguished seasons: the Summer and the Winter. The Summer begins in April and ends in October with the average temperature of 27 to 29 Celsius Degree.

On the other hand, the Winter time is from November to March with the range of temperature from 16 to 18 Celsius Degree. Since the average temperatures for the year range from 15 to 25 Celsius Degree, Halong Bay is considered as a year-round destination for visitors.

Ha Long Bay at night

Beauty of Ha Long Bay

Coming to Ha Long Bay, travelers will have a chance to witness the surrealistic beauty of Nature. Surrounded by the picturesque and precious nature, there are thousands of islands and islets rising from the sea. Apart from its diverse shapes and sizes, the best thing about these islands and islets is that they’re mostly undamaged and definitely haven’t degraded seriously.

In addition, Ha Long Bay also possesses a lot of beautiful beaches with golden sand and crystal clear water. Combining with spectacular limestone pillars and a various range of caves, Ha Long Bay is definitely a masterpiece of Mother Nature.

Not only be known as a fairyland, Ha Long Bay also attracts a lot of tourists by its rich marine life. With its beneficial geology and a wide range of caves which are well-developed, Ha Long Bay has become the home of many species and plants. Visiting Ha Long Bay, people can rent diving suits and observe rows of coral or different groups of fishes with their own eyes.

Cruising on Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay – a land of tales and legends

Visiting Ha Long Bay, visitors are likely to enter a land of tales and legends. It seems like every island, islet and cave in this area is associated with a myth or a story. Besides that, Ha Long Bay is also considered as a historical witness since it has been accompanied with so many events from the day Vietnam was found through so many dynasties and periods till present. For examples, the famous Poem mountain is the place that has archived the Han script poem of King Le Thanh Tong since 1468 from his royal progress to the East Sea.

Bai Chay area is associated with the historic event of Tran Khanh Du, who at that moment is a Commander of Vietnam. In Bai Chay area, he and his soldiers had burnt down until the last Mongolian ships that were carrying food, which had a huge part in the battle against Mongolian invaders.

Sung Sot Cave – one of most attractions in Ha Long Bay

Cultural elements of Ha Long Bay

Moreover, Ha Long Bay also have a beautiful culture. Many people who are living in this area still keep their ancestors’ customs and traditions. Coming to Ha Long Bay, you will have a chance to enjoy the folk-songs that the boys and the girls often sing to flirt each other. In addition, when visiting fishing villages, you can also hear the fishing chanty as well as witnessing their wedding traditions.

The cuisine in Ha Long is also a memorable experience towards visitors. Besides fresh seafood dishes, visitors will also get a chance to enjoy traditional dishes in Ha Long Bay, for examples, the famous grill chopped squids, Ngan dishes, Sipunculus dishes, Horseshoe Crab dishes, etc…. This promises that these speciaties will leave you with a tasty satisfaction.

Ha Long Bay, a land of wonders, not only amazes visitors by its  beautiful scenery and natural landscapes, but it also is a wonderful cultural experience. Always in the Top 1 most famous place in Vietnam, Ha Long Bay is definitely a must visited destination that anyone needs to come once in their life. I guarantee it will give you precious memories.