Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

The history of Vietnam is deep and painful, but when you get to witness the spots of paradise that still retain the beautiful and natural landscape, it will leave you appreciating the opportunity of seeing old Vietnam, as it’s of a quality quite like nothing else. One such location is Ha Long Bay, and whether you see it in rain or shine, on foot or by cruise, it remains a consistently inspirational destination to wander.

If you’ve never heard of Ha Long Bay, it’s pretty much the picture-perfect scene of an ancient wonderland that adorns the majority of postcards you’ll purchase to send home to your mum. Not only do the pictures hold the essence of ancient Vietnam, they’ll also inject a pure shot of envy into any of your mates left back at home. The limestone cliffs, like mystical islands, spring out of the waters from the deep from 500 million years of natural formation.

The sheer phenomenal sights of the bay attract thousands of sightseers every year, boosting the much-needed tourism of the area. The Vietnamese waterway is on the Gulf of Tonkin in the Quang Ninh Province, about a three-hour drive from Hanoi in North Vietnam. The World Heritage Site is made up of a collection of islands that are dotted with wind and wave-eroded caves and nooks to explore. The legend that shrouds the two thousand islands is that great dragons from the mountains created them. The gods sent the family of dragons to protect the Vietnamese from invaders, which was the inspiration behind Ha Long Bay’s name – ‘where the dragon descends’.

Many flock to Cat Ba to launch off for a cruise as there are a few beautiful beaches in this area. Travellers choose to stay on Cat Ba Island and there are three Cat Co beaches (Cat Co 2 being the prettiest) but Cat Ba also makes for a bit of a good time! A few watering holes litter the town, including Rose Bar, which has $2 cocktails and Shisha. The Flightless Bird and Oasis bar are also game for a cold beer and a great sea view.

The amount of tours on offer keeps the Ha Long Bay area pumping, especially in the peak sunny periods between September and January. However, even if you visit the area between February and April, the drizzly fog makes the scene real enigmatic. The traditional Chinese-style Junk boats can take you for a day trip or overnight stay on the waters. After launching from Ben Bao Harbour, you can cruise along the waters and enter the bay to get the full impact of the scene. The Junks slowly approach the island, allowing you to snap more photos than your camera can cope with before entering the bay.

Tours generally have a fixed itinerary that include mass amounts of Vietnamese food on deck and the option to try out some kayaking around the semi-submerged caves. The floating fishing villages live on fishing and marine aquaculture, and the Junks dock amongst the communes of which house 1,600 people. During the Vietnam War, the Americans heavily mined the waters which still present a threat to fishermen, but aren’t within Ha Long Bay. However, similar to the legend of the dragons, the bay (not dragons) did indeed help stop invaders as its position halted the Chinese Navy from repeatedly invading northern Vietnam.

An overnight tour allows you to catch the sunset and sunrise, and really is a whole lot less exhausting than cramming the trip into one day. But if you’re short on time (and cash), the day trips can be done at a reasonable price of $37AUD, and perhaps $43AUD if you want transport from Hanoi. Urban Adventures do day trips from Hanoi, which make for a long day but are action packed and include lunch.

If you want to really take your time, two-night tours will cost you around $160AUD. HandSpan tours offer a two nights stay on their traditional Treasure Junk, and includes kayaking among the dramatic karst formations. Be sure to check that you can get a refund if the weather is too bad to sail.

Lots of the islands in this area get their names from their formations; for example, Voi (“elephant”) Islet is named after its animal shape, as is Khi (“monkey”) Islet. Many of the islands are untouched due to their dangerous steep edges, and contain archaeological sites of ancient prehistoric humans that date back to the monolithic period. The grottos on land also have 19th century French graffiti from the first tourists to the area.

Fully immerse yourself in this environment by splashing out on a Dragon Pearl Junk excursion. They conduct longer cruises that last three days, but this means you get to see more of the archipelago and go beyond to Bai Tu Long Bay. Not many companies are allowed to this bay, so you get to avoid the crowds that converge on Ha Long and achieve the feel of the unbeaten track. These Dragon Pearl Junks are incredibly fancy too: dark lacquered floors, white linens, huge windows…and you get your own private cabin to rest in! You also get to have dinner in one of the caves amongst the numerous impressive stalactites and stalagmites, ensuring you really get all your money’s worth on the tour. A three-day excursion will set you back $288AUD, but you can’t really put a price on the memories and experience you’ll gain.

Whether boarding a Junk and cruising between the islands, sampling the local Vietnamese cuisine or simply enjoying a stroll along one of the many stunning beaches, Ha Long Bay makes for a brilliant trip when in Vietnam. Whatever you do, don’t skip visiting this bay, unless you want to miss out on a journey of a lifetime.

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By Sophie Saint