A Guide to Vietnam: Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4.5, 1/200 s)
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Ha Long Bay was one of those places I had on my itinerary but had really no idea what to expect. Now that I have been, I can say it was an incredible experience. The bay is located off the coast of Vietnam, accessible via Hanoi and features about 600 square miles of big and small limestone islets, otherwise known as karsts. Each one juts out of the water with masses of vegetation on top that seem to go on forever.
They say that the karsts in Ha Long Bay have taken 20 million years to form from the tropical wet climate. Furthermore, there is evidence of human activity in the area dating back tens of thousands of years. It definitely makes sense then that Ha Long Bay was given World Heritage Site status by UNESCO.
This blog post will discuss how to get to Ha Long Bay, what sort of things you can do and see in that area and what you should expect from your trip, based on my own experiences.
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4.5, 1/800 s)
If you have an extended amount of time in Vietnam, I recommend seeing some other cities! Here are my blog posts below on what else Vietnam has to offer:
Mekong Delta, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City (See Blog Post - A Crash Course into South Vietnam)
Hoi An (See Blog Post - A Guide to Vietnam: Hoi An)
Hanoi (See Blog Post - A Crash Course into North Vietnam)
Ha Long Bay (See Blog Post - A Guide to Vietnam: Ha Long Bay)
Vietnam Summary (See Blog Post - A Guide to Vietnam)
If you like some of my photos that you have come across, just know that I have many prints showcasing a variety of landscapes available for purchase below! (Sold as Posters, Canvas, or in Metal-Frames and Wooden-Frames).
How to get to Ha Long Bay
In order to get to Ha Long Bay, first you must fly into the city of Hanoi. Cat Bi International Airport (Airport Code: HPH) is the nearest airport located about 40 kms from Ha Long Bay. Also bear in mind that if you have booked with a tour operator, many packages include transport to and from Hanoi/Cat Bi International Airport.
Nonetheless, if you have just arrived in Hanoi and want to get to Ha Long Bay, here are your options:
Bus - You can find buses from bus stations in Hanoi such as My Dinh, Giap Bat, and Nuoc Ngam. These buses leave these stations every hour between 4:30 AM and 7 PM and they take about 2.5 hours to reach Bai Chay Bus Station, the station that serves Ha Long Bay. The cost is approximately $10 one way.
Private Car - Similar to Uber, Vietnam has a similar service called Grab. Download it before coming to Vietnam and you can use it exactly like you would use Uber or Lyft. It is bookable in minutes and very popular in Hanoi.
Train - There is only one train station in Ha Long which is quite old. It leaves from Yen Vien station in Hanoi and leaves at 4:55 Am every day and arrives before noon in Ha Long City. The cost is about $4 a person.
Seaplane - For those who have a huge budget, this is probably the coolest way to arrive in Ha Long Bay with amazing views. This costs about $175-390 per person and takes about 45 minutes from Noi Bai international airport.
The Noi Bai International Airport is about 200 kms from Ha Long Bay.
No visit to Vietnam is complete without seeing Ha Long Bay. This boat ride through the small mountain islands emerging from the emerald colored water is something out of the movies. It feels like prehistoric civilization, a natural world, untouched and untainted by modern man. Unless you have a connection or your own boat, you usually have to book a tour to see the bay, which offer a number of nights on the boat and a variety of different stops. Furthermore, tours to Ha long Bay start from a number of docks on the Vietnamese coast. Check with your tour operator on where they leave from.
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4.5, 1/1250 s)
Here are some places worth checking out while in Ha Long Bay:
Titov (Ti Top) Island
The main place to check out when in these parts is Titov (or Ti Top) island. Ti Top island sits in the heart of Halong Bay and measures a rather small 3.7 hectares, but don’t let the small size fool you, it is a favorite among tourists. The island used to be known as ‘Cat Nang Island’ however it has been renamed after Gherman Titov, a Russian Cosmonaut, the 2nd man to orbit the earth. Titov visited Halong Bay and toured the area with Ho Chi Minh at that time where the island was then renamed after him.
The views from the top of the island are unrivaled and is a huge reason why Titov island is always included in every cruise or trip itinerary. Also on the island is Ti Top Beach, which is rather small but one of the coolest places where you can kayak and do other water-based sports.
Cát Bà island
Cat Ba island is home to the Cát Bà National Park, a World Heritage Site designated as a biosphere reserve since 2004. The park is home to 367 islands with Cat Ba being the largest of them. Cat Ba translates to ‘Women’s Island’ which comes from a local legend: Many centuries ago, three women of the Tran Dynasty were killed and their bodies floated all the way to Cat Ba Island. Each body washed up on a different beach and all three were found by local fishermen. The residents of Cat Ba built a temple for each woman, and the island soon became known as Cat Ba.
Sung Sot Cave, Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Sung Sot Cave
The Sung Sot Cave is located on Bo Hon Island, and is a common stop when here. The cavern itself is massive (30 meters high) with a length of about half a kilometer with stalactites and stalagmites as far as the eye can see. You can access the cave by:
hitching a (boat)ride from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf (where all other Ha Long Bay boats leave from) for about 200,00 VND
Renting a canoe for 1,200,00 VND an hour in Ha Lang Bay which seats 4-8 people.
Most of the beauty of Ha Long Bay are from the countless limestone karsts that you pass en route to this cave, though it was so nice to marvel at the beauty of this cave and all of its interior features.
Monkey Island
If time permits, see if you can book a quick tour to Monkey Island. Not only are there monkeys running rampant here (use caution as some can bite you, steal your food, and do other behaviors that imitate people), but you can also hike to the tallest point in the island (if you're not over hiking just yet).
Sometimes trip itineraries include stops at Monkey Island but if they don’t I highly suggest finding your way there on your own. You can reach Monkey Island by first going to Cat Ba Island, then you can book an individual tour to Monkey Island which takes 30-45 minutes.
Furthermore, you can do a range of other activities on Monkey Island such as but not limited to: snorkeling, kayaking, spelunking, fishing, and swimming. The best time to visit is from October to April when the weather is dry and cool.
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4.5, 1/800 s)
