Halong Bay

Withover 3000 islands, limestone pinnacles, islets, caves, Halong Bay can take months to explore. A typical trip is 2 to 3 days on the water, staying overnight on a junk boat.

The bay area, with its islands, caves and lagoons has been been inhabited since prehistoric times, dating back to over 10,000 years ago.

The islets in the bay are mainly made from limestone and through the process of weathering can take on the most extraordinary shapes

Halong city is divided by the Chua Luc Straits - the west city of the straits is Bai Chay while the east is Hon Gai. The towns are mainly stopping points as one awaits the ferry to explore the Bay.

The coty is 160 km North East of Hanoi.

The city has experienced considerable growth in the last few years due to the growth of tourism around the bay.

The road from Hanoi is extemely busy and dangerous particularily if you have a self drive car.

A day or overnight trip on a junk boat takes you out among the thousands of islands in Halong Bay.

The islets rise spectacularily from the bay and are covered in lush vegation. Several of the islands are hollow, with deep and extensive caves in their bowels.

Also of interest are the numerous lakes enclosed within the islands, the island of Dau Be has six enclosed lakes.

The cliffs, rock formations and islets around Bo Hon Island are typical of what to expect throughout Ha Long Bay.

On a tour of the bay, the junk boats stop at a number of islands, including Bo Hon. Here you can enjoy snorkelling and canoeing around some of the monolith islets.

Generally were ever teh tours stop, there are small floating villages or shops.

Discovered by the French in the 19th century, this cave system is massive. The stalactite in shape of a phallus is regarded as a fertility symbol locally.

Many of the day or overnight boat trips take you to the caves, where you can wander about with a guide in these enormous caverns. The colours of the stalactites range from red, oranges, greens to blues as they take on the colour of the microbes living in the water seeping down from above.

The residents of the floating villages among the sheltered bays of the islands, make a living by selling produce to the tourists.

A community of around 1,600 people live on Hạ Long Bay in four fishing villages: Cửa Vạn, Ba Hang, Cống Tàu and Vông Viêng in Hùng Thắng commune, Hạ Long city. They live on floating houses and are sustained through fishing and marine aquaculture (cultivating marine biota), plying the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks.

In recent years the villagers suplement their incomes by trading with the tourists.