Ha Long Bay has nearly 2,000 islands, not only possessing spectacular landscapes and unique geology but also one of the cradles of the ancient Vietnamese with rare cultural values.
Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh province) is a very familiar destination for domestic and international tourists. The bay has been twice registered by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage for its aesthetic values (in 1994) and geomorphology (in 2000). However, guests who don’t have much time to stay may miss out on a variety of experiences here.
The beauty of Ha Long Bay is made up of diverse rocky islands scattered on the sea surface, the color of the water changes according to the color of the clouds. The bay has an area of 1,553 square kilometers with 1,969 islands, of which 980 have been named.
The early morning sun covers the layer of rocky islands creating a spectacular scenery of Ha Long. The limestone tectonic process from about 300 million years ago has formed a bay with a unique topography, with 200m high cliff islands, and islands connecting like a wall, but suddenly opened the way when the boat parted the waves approaching.
In autumn and winter, the white mist on the sea makes the bay as beautiful as an ink painting, different from the endless green color in the summer sun. The simplest way to admire this beauty is to take a cruise to visit the bay, a journey of 4-8 hours a day with different routes.
For a closer look, tourists often choose to leave the big boat, take a bamboo boat rowed by the locals to visit the caves, participate in the experience of planting mangroves, explore the special flora populations on the bay…
The magical beauty of the caves hidden in the mountain is also the reason why Ha Long Bay becomes so attractive: Thien Cung cave, Dau Go cave, Sung Sot cave, Me Cung cave…
Through the forest canopy, the steps along the cliffs to the caves, visitors seem to step into another world, where there are giant cave arches covered with splendid and magnificent stalagmites, sculpted to create beautiful images of strange enemies according to each person’s imagination.
Luon Cave is the most unique destination not to be missed. The cave is like a tunnel through the foot of the mountain with stalactites hanging from the ceiling of the cave. Boating through Luon cave to enter the inner lake is a worthwhile experience.
Foreign tourists especially love kayaking into Luon cave, watching with their own eyes the golden monkeys playing on the steep, wild and peaceful cliffs.
Ha Long also owns fine white sand beaches located at the foot of rocky islands, where visitors can stop to rest, swim, and participate in beach games. The most beautiful of which is Ti Top – the island named by President Ho Chi Minh when he and Russian cosmonaut Gherman Titov came here in 1962.
Overnight on the bay is an equally attractive tourist product. On luxury yachts, visitors will admire the scenery of Ha Long from sunrise, sunset to the fanciful night sky, enjoy fresh seafood or participate in night squid fishing…
Culture lovers will see a very different Ha Long at the attractions of ancient fishing villages such as Cua Van, Vung Vieng, etc. Not only are there archaeological sites about the life of the ancient Vietnamese from 18 to 3.5 thousand years ago, but visitors also experienced the unique marine culture of Ha Long fishermen, the love songs, the sea singing, hand knitting nets, fishing…
In 2019, Ha Long Bay welcomed more than 4 million visitors. Despite a sharp decrease during the time affected by the Covid-19 epidemic, tourists are now vibrant again. During the summer of 2022, the bay has an average of 20,000 visitors per day. Local tourism industry is still calculating optimal solutions to preserve heritage, limit negative impacts on the environment and develop sustainable tourism.
@ Cafef
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Source: Vietnam Insider