Ha Long Bay (Halong Bay) Reviews (Halong Bay, Vietnam)

Halong Bay - a natural masterpiece

Usinskoye, Samara Oblast, Russia

July 1, 2013

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Ha Long is situated at Quang Ninh procince, Vietnam; in the Gulf of Tokin consist of the region of Ha Long city; the northeast of Vietnam; far from the capital of Vietnam about 165 km. Including in the beach region of Ha Long city, Cam Pha town and ...Read more

Small excursions away from our Cruise Ship

by MichaelJM

Nottingham, England

March 28, 2013

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Best of IgoUgo From the luxury of Paradise Cruises we had a number of ventures off the boat into the surrounding attractions of the bay. We were paddled around one of the "floating islands" in a small boat. Getting off the boat for the first time felt a bit of a ...Read more From the luxury of Paradise Cruises we had a number of ventures off the boat into the surrounding attractions of the bay.

We were paddled around one of the "floating islands" in a small boat. Getting off the boat for the first time felt a bit of a challenge, but we easily mastered the skill and were soon sat in the small row boat. The boat held three or four people and was rowed by the oarsman who stood at the back of the boat. It was an unusual and seemingly uncomfortable position to be rowing from but we managed to get round perfectly well without any incident. The "island" was basically pontoons with sheds on them, roped together to form a cohesive unit with access from one to the other being by row-boat. When I say pontoons that implies something far more hi-tech than what we were seeing. They were made up of plastic barrels roped together. I guess it did the job adequately and it was certainly different to anything we’d seen before.

On the land this would best be described as shanty town but here the colours of the barrels, the plastic tarpaulin shades, painted timbers, plastic garden chairs, and array of washing hung on the verandas made for a sensory experience. Of course it was not only the optics senses that were brought into play as we were soon surrounded on by a variety of opportunist locals trying to sell us their craft work and the babble of voices together with the smells of cooking from the residences made a interesting assault on our three senses.

There was a small colourful temple built just off the shore line and of course the towering geological features rose from the waters of the bay high above us. On the water it became evident that this was the children’s play-ground and we were fascinated by a young boy who sat on a garden chair and paddled his boat with his feet. We’re convinced that he knew he was been watched but he carried off the nonchalant look with great aplomb.

Our second trip from the security of the boat was to a small, but tall island with a temple on the top. Sunset was in process as we got into the small launch that would take us to the shores of this island. We then had a trek to the top of the island to enjoy what was allegedly one of the best views across the bay. Because darkness was descending on the bay we had a limited "window" to make this trip so the walk to the top was a bit of a "yomp". Camera at the ready a steady flow of tourists from our boat battled up footpath to the top. The view was as good as promised and I would have liked to enjoy the view a little longer, but we had to get back in the little remaining light and prepare ourselves for the evening meal back on the boat.

The following morning we enjoyed sunrise over the bay (never as stunning as a sunset, before disembarking for our final excursion from the cruise ship to visit Sung Sot Cave. The cave is on Bo Hon Island and is perhaps the most famous cave in Halong Bay and it means Surprised or Amazing Cave. The entrance to the grotto is reached by climbing up about a hundred stone steps and as there was a steady flow of tourists from the many cruise ships in the bay the ascent was slow. It gave plenty of chances for photographing the bay and was not as strenuous as I thought it might have been.

The first section of the cave is described as a Theatre Hall and there are loads of stalactites hanging from the high roof of the cave’s ceiling. A narrow passage leads to the second chamber and with the natural light flooding through the entrance it’s easy to see the cave’s features. The downside of visiting this populat cave is that tourists are almost falling over each other but with a bit of patience you could get "a viewing" without another tourist’s head in the viewfinder.

Finally we descended into deepest point of the chamber referred to as the "royal garden". The geological features are artificially lit in this area and this lighting does show off the features in the best possible way. I’m sure the purist would prefer the viewing without the various coloured lights but the reality is this light show makes the cave appear almost sensational. The guide pointed out features that were said to resemble different birds and animals. I’m afraid that my imagination must have been on a different holiday because the majority of them I didn’t see. After a time I gave up trying and just enjoyed the shades and shadows of the cave, although I did think that one section resembled a futuristic city with sky scrapers and the like. I guess others saw parrots, kingfishers and hummingbirds!

We didn’t explore all of the 10,000 square metres of Sung Sot Caves, but I do believe it to be one of the most interesting caves that I’ve ever seen. As we exited the cave we had a short descent down to the boat and whilst waiting for it to arrive watched the commerce around the bay – mobile shops, fishermen & in the distance the activity around the floating village that we’d visited the day before. Then it was back to Paradise Cruises & a steady journey back to the dock to complete our tour of Halong Bay.

We had a great experience in near perfect weather conditions (we’ve heard of people who’ve sailed the bay & seen very little due to a heavy mist that often hangs over the bay). I’d highly recommend it.
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From journal Hanoi to Halong Bay

Understanding the Bay and cooking Spring Rolls

by MichaelJM

Nottingham, England

March 26, 2013

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Best of IgoUgo Halong Bay means the Bay of the descending dragon and we learnt that the area has recently been nominated as one of the new natural wonders of the earth. Of course seeing the list we couldn’t help but check out the ones that we’d visited and the ...Read more Halong Bay means the Bay of the descending dragon and we learnt that the area has recently been nominated as one of the new natural wonders of the earth. Of course seeing the list we couldn’t help but check out the ones that we’d visited and the ones that we would like to see on our future holidays.

We learned that local mythology states that the bay was created when a dragon descended over the bay and dived into its calm waters but as it entered the waters it scattered rocks with its huge tail. The rocks when they fell back to earth fell into the ocean and formed the countless islands that form this archipelago. In my terms these islands are "sticky up mountains" because the first time I heard about them was from a geography teacher who affectionately referred to them in that way. He’d loved the area and I guess it was part of his enthusiasm that rubbed off on me making this a "must see" place

Far away from the poetic imagery of the dragon is the real truth that the area was pillaged, by the French, for its copious supply of coal. Initially being mined through the open cast method, but in recent years being deep mined. Today you’ll still see signs of mining activity as huge low level cargo boats chug across the bay with their precious loads.

Despite this rape of the countryside the bay is home to 232 species of coral as well as a wealth of shrimp, shellfish and other sea creatures. We were told that the area’s salt water-flooded forests have the most diversified collection of species of salt-watered plants in North Vietnam with fourteen endemic species of plants. There are many animals living in the area including over 200 species of migrating birds,10 species of reptiles, deer, weasels, squirrels and the white-rumped leaf and white-head leaf monkeys. Not that we saw any of these we just had to take the word of our guide.

There are also caves, Surprise Cave, Heavenly Palace Cave and three Palaces Cave with beautiful rock formations some lit with coloured lights.

I think that the best way to explore Halong Bay is on one of these local cruises. Most people spend at least one night aboard a luxury junk although if you fancy it you can rent kayaks and paddle your way around the bay. A friend of mine was due to see the bay as part of a bigger cruise but unfortunately for him the weather was "a little inclement" and the cruise ship was unable to access Halong Bay. I was sorry for him but real pleased that we’d opted to explore the bay by way of a local cruise

We set off and soon we were all on deck gazing at the incredible nature made structures that thrust from the bottom of the bay heavenward. Just as I’d imagined it to be and every bit as photogenic as you’d hope. Sometimes I was reminded of the "sticky-ups" that we’d seen on a visit to Thailand and a trip to Guilan in China. There was plenty of activity around the boat as local villagers paddled up and tried to tempt us to buy craftwork from them. Despite their sweet talking I’m not sure that anyone succumbed.

Other than looking at the sights we had the option to learn the art of making the classic Spring Roll. Now I don’t claim to be a great cook but I can never resist the chance of a bit of audience participation and when they were looking for volunteers I stepped up to the plate. Well firstly you get the chance to wear a chef’s hat and secondly I hoped to develop a new skill. It looked fairly straight-forward and the ingredients were just waiting to be tightly wrapped in a roll and then dropped in the sizzling oil. I had watched carefully and soon I was ensuring that the rice paper was pliable with helpful advice coming from my wife. Next I grabbed a good solid handful of the ingredients (a mixture of pork, carrot, Onion, Mushroom, eggs, garlic and herbs) and placed it on the rice paper. The instructor suggested that I was being a bit mean and so I gathered some more of the mixture and rolled the two together and then very carefully wrapped the rice paper around the mixture sealing it with a smothering of egg. Then the challenge was to drop it in to the sizzling oil. Of course the best bit was in the eating of MY spring roll when it was fully cooked. Although I say it myself it was pretty good and I grabbed a list of ingredients so that I might have an attempt when I returned back to the UK.

At the end of our day on Halong Bay we sat back on the upper deck and enjoyed a fantastic sun set over the water.
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From journal Hanoi to Halong Bay

my amazing experience on Halong bay

by Piscis

Hanoi, Ha Noi, Vietnam

July 21, 2011

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This July, I've had a memorable trip to Halong bay. It wasn't my first time there. I visited Halong bay for several times but just did the 2 day program with 1 night on the bay. But, this time, I did the 3 day / 2 night tour on Halong bay. It was ...Read more

The Quietest Place in Vietnam

by tammyhayano

Saratoga, California

February 21, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo The first thing I noticed was the silence. And it was loud. Once I stepped aboard my junk cruise, it was like being swept away into quietness that is, um, unheard of in the cities of Vietnam. Our trip kickstarted with an excellent seafood lunch with ...Read more

From journal Vietnam in 2 Weeks

Holiday Highlight

by Essexgirl09

London, England, United Kingdom

October 2, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo One of the highlights to my recent trip to Vietnam was a junk cruise to Ha Long Bay. Junks are traditional style sailing ships, many are very modern now with en suite facilities and air conditioning in your private cabins, they are still styled in ...Read more

From journal Vietnam Part 5: Hanoi & Ha Long Bay

Good times - Heritage Cruises

by Mac John

Melbourn, England, United Kingdom

September 14, 2010

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My wife and I had a great time with Heritage Cruise. We booked online with Michael and he was superb and helped us out terrificly while we were in Hanoi also. We had excellent staff on the cruise. They were all very friendly and approachable and ...Read more

A Good Choice to Discover Ha Long Bay

by Andrew Johnson

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

June 12, 2010

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Our trip to Ha Long bay was wonderful. We booked package of 2 days+1 night with heritage cruise after getting some recommends from my friends and reviews on the internet .Heritage cruise has 10 cabins and 2 floors. Each cabin has private bathroom, ...Read more

Hanoi- Halong Tour with South Pacific Travel

by dseuch

hamburg, Germany

December 23, 2009

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We took the train from Ho Chi Minh city and arrived in Hanoi early in the morning of the 10th. At the train station, we were greeted by our tour guide who would be taking care of us for the next 4 days while we were doing our tour Hanoi - Halong ...Read more We took the train from Ho Chi Minh city and arrived in Hanoi early in the morning of the 10th. At the train station, we were greeted by our tour guide who would be taking care of us for the next 4 days while we were doing our tour Hanoi - Halong bay and were taken to Hanoi Boutique hotel .
We first visited Ho Chi Minh complex, including Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s stilt House, the next place to move to is One Pillar Pagoda – a pagoda and a tower built with shape like a lotus in the middle of a square lake. Leave One Pillar Pagoda, we were transfered to West Lake, visit Tran Quoc pagoda then having lunch.
Our next stop was called the Temple of Literature and was a bit more dull. It is basically an old Chinese Confucian temple complex with rows and rows of stone tortoises carrying engraved stellae. We continued to visit Museum of Ethnology where I saw many typical things of different ethnic groups in Vietnam. After that, we dropped by Hoan Kiem lake then took a walk around The Ancient Quarter which centered around the Lake. There are restaurants everywhere. Things were quite nice, especially the handicrafts, and I found out I’m not really big on Vietnamese food. The houses located there were so small and beautiful in their old style. The guide told us that those houses cost a fortune. We saw water-puppet show in Thang Long theatre. It was interesting however, rather childish. Then we returned to the hotel and had dinner.
After breakfast at hotel in the morning, a private van picked us up at 8.30 and we started our 3-hour drive to Halong City stopping on the way for some refreshments and local souvenirs (which were quite reasonable to buy). Upon arrival at Halong City, we transfered to our junk for a cruise in the stunning Halong Bay and checked in. I couldn't believe how nice it was! The cruiser, which can hold around 40 people, had state of the art rooms with amazing views, TV, a/c, etc. It also had a full buffet spread with lots of things to choose from such as seafood, chicken, beef, pork, vegetable and fresh fruit for every meal, 3 times a day. The views from the junk on the bay were spectacular from the sun deck which had a small lovely bar and chairs for lounging. We went smoothly and slowly along the way to check out the floating village, the limestone and schist islands of the bay. Our tour guide told us all we needed to know about halong. Most people on the junk did the 2 day/1 night cruise – but I was glad that we went for the 3 day trip. I think it was just that much more relaxing and enjoyable than the shorter tour would have been. It was truly a great experience that I will never forget. The only thing that slightly annoyed me was that they charged us for drinking on board so we had to buy some bottles from the hawkers. Close

The Weird Limestone Islands Rising out of the Sea

by garymarsh6

Gravesend, United Kingdom

October 23, 2009

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Best of IgoUgo Halong Bay.Halong bay is situated just off the coast North East of Hanoi in the gulf of Tonkin. It took us about three and a half hours to drive there from Hanoi for a day trip but there are different trips you can do including sleeping on a boat ...Read more Halong Bay.

Halong bay is situated just off the coast North East of Hanoi in the gulf of Tonkin. It took us about three and a half hours to drive there from Hanoi for a day trip but there are different trips you can do including sleeping on a boat for a couple of days if you wish. Our day trip cost approximately $50 a head including luxury coach from Hanoi passing small villages and paddy fields stopping en route for refreshment and toilet stops. We were on the boat for about five hours including a cooked seafood lunch meal or a meat based meal it was up to you to choose which you preferred. Drinks were available for an extra cost. We then returned to Halong where the coach was waiting to take us back to Hanoi. It was well worth the trip for the views and the experience.

Halong bay means Dragon bay named so because according to legend the dragons were sent by the Gods to help fight ward of Chinese invaders. The dragons spat out Jewels which turned into the little islets and Islands that are dotting the bay. There are in total 2000 such islets. An area of 775 islets has been designated a world heritage site by UNESCO. The rock formations are made of limestone and have been around for 5000 million years.

If you think of James bond film with the Massive rock formations from Phang Nga bay in Thailand well this is much bigger.

The water is crystal clear and it is here in the bay prior to lunch that the captain dropped anchor and we took the opportunity of having a swim in the South China Sea. The water was pleasantly warm and certainly inviting although this is not always the case.

The islets have some thick jungle on the top of some of the islets and there are 4 water gypsy villages based around some of the islets nearer to shore. You can take the boats out to the islands for a tour which involves passing one of the gypsy water villages built on stilts around the base of the islets then out to one of the bays for swimming in the crystal clear waters. There are 300 species of fish that live within the bay and on some of the islets are inhabited by birds, monkeys, chickens antelopes and lizards.

There are caves you can visit by using a canoe and some of the larger islands there are lakes inside them. However tourism has upset the fine balance here due to dropped litter, discarded wine bottle beer tins as well. Some of the caves have been widened to allow the canoes to enter and some tourists have broken off stalactites’ and stalagmites as souvenirs. Carbon dioxide exhaled on the breath of tourists has had an affect on the inside of the caves.

If visiting the bay I would be very wary about checking the weather forecast as mists suddenly descend without warning and storms brew up unexpectedly and there are sometimes deaths due to this. You should also ensure that your boat is sea worthy and wear the life jackets provided.

The day we went there all of a sudden a mist descended which obscured some of the islets but we were enjoying the views so much It didn’t mar our experience although of course it would have been better if it had stayed clear the whole time we were there. About two days after we had visited the bay a massive storm brewed up and 60 people lost their lives in the bay and also recently a couple of weeks ago another boat capsized resulting of the death of two French tourists.

Would I recommend a tour here?

Yes absolutely, yes for the point of view of providing much needed cash to the local economy and also the experience you are going to gain from seeing the fishing villages, the remarkable caves and rock formations. It is definitely a highlight attraction in Vietnam.
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From journal Vietnam a Fairly New Holiday Destination. Go before the Masses

IgoUgo

Ha Long Bay (Halong Bay)

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User Reviews

Halong Bay - a natural masterpiece

Small excursions away from our Cruise Ship

Understanding the Bay and cooking Spring Rolls

my amazing experience on Halong bay

The Quietest Place in Vietnam

Holiday Highlight

Good times - Heritage Cruises

A Good Choice to Discover Ha Long Bay

Hanoi- Halong Tour with South Pacific Travel

The Weird Limestone Islands Rising out of the Sea

Ha Long Bay (Halong Bay)

What's Nearby?

Nearby Things to Do

Popular Halong Bay Hotels

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Avg. User Rating:

User Reviews

Halong Bay - a natural masterpiece

Small excursions away from our Cruise Ship

Understanding the Bay and cooking Spring Rolls

my amazing experience on Halong bay

The Quietest Place in Vietnam

Holiday Highlight

Good times - Heritage Cruises

A Good Choice to Discover Ha Long Bay

Hanoi- Halong Tour with South Pacific Travel

The Weird Limestone Islands Rising out of the Sea