This is the main natural attraction of the country: several thousand tiny islands With wild beaches, unexplored caves, azure waters of the bay and palm groves. Paradise landscapes will surround you everywhere: your camera will run out of memory faster than the excursion will end. There are so many beautiful places around.

Numerous excursion groups from Hanoi and nearby cities go to Ha Long Bay. Tourists go on a cruise around the bay for 2-3 days. They swim on the picturesque coasts, go exploring caves or trekking National Park Cat Ba Islands. And some come just to relax on the deserted coast of Ha Long Bay. Photos of this place paint heaven on earth. That's probably true, if you don't stay here too long.

Excursions to Halong Bay from Hanoi vary greatly, from a three-hour cruise around the bay to a multi-day trip. In the first case it is sightseeing tour, in the second - an extensive cultural program with diving, kayaking, visiting fishing villages (of course, for tourists they are greatly embellished, but still interesting), rock climbing and much more. Depending on what is included in the price of your tour.

According to reviews from tourists who have visited Ha Long Bay, the excursion is not for everyone: you just drive around the water surface, admiring the surroundings. The guides rarely tell you anything and are not intrusive at all. Of course, it depends on the travel agency where you buy the tour. If you don't like crowds, December - best time for travel. It is cool at this time, the air temperature barely reaches +20 during the day, so it can be chilly. And, accordingly, there are not very many tourists. The most Beautiful places The bays are not crowded with tourist boats: there is no rush or queues.

How to get to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi?

The trip will cost a little more than buying a tour. The most convenient way is to get to the city of the same name, Halong. By the way, this is an ordinary coastal town, not matching the attractive landscape that surrounds it. Local authorities are reluctant to invest in its infrastructure. The city is ideal as a transit point, but there is nothing else to do here.

Photos

According to ancient legend, in ancient times on the land that is today the location Ha Long Bay, lived a huge dragon. The strong monster made hollows in the earth's surface with its limbs and tail and crawled into the sea, and the hollows themselves gradually filled with water. Only those islands that were not touched by the dragon's paws appeared on the surface. Today they rise above the surface of the bay. According to another version, the history of the appearance of Halong dates back to the times of the Ancient Kingdoms, when the inhabitants of neighboring China every now and then staged devastating raids on. Seeing the suffering of the Vietnamese people, the Gods themselves intervened in the fate of their country and sent powerful dragons to help the warring people. Having plunged into the sea, they created a barrier and did not allow the Chinese invaders into the country. Spewing out flames mythical creatures turned lights into precious stones. As they touched the surface of the water, they transformed into islands. Countless pearl islands became an insurmountable obstacle for the Chinese. So the dragons helped the Vietnamese win the battle with the enemy. The Mother of Dragons, who wished to visit the jubilant people, liked the picturesque bay so much that she chose it as her favorite place to relax. Swinging her tail, she plunged into the sea. That is why the bay received the name Ha Long, because this word denotes the whole phrase “the dragon that descended into the sea.”

Halong Bay - photos

But no matter what the legends say, in 1288 the bay really had to take part in hostilities. Historical chronicles tell how the Mongol invaders tried to conquer Vietnam by hook or by crook. But the talented commander Chan Hung Dao saw excellent strategic opportunities in the bay. Under his leadership, the fighters drove millions of sharp spears into the bottom of Halong, and then lured the conquerors into the waters of the bay. Having flown their ships into pointed peaks, the strangers broke through their vessels and were defeated.

Natural attractions of Ha Long Bay

Halong's area covers about 1,500 square kilometers. Its territory is rich in caves, rocks and cliffs, and scientists have counted more than 3 thousand islands. What awaits tourists in the mysterious Ha Long Bay? In addition to the quaint green islands, the attractions of the bay are the rocks with towering karst. Internal formations were formed in them under the influence of rainwater, which eroded the limestone for decades.

Among all the grottoes, the following are especially popular among vacationers:

• An acoustic grotto, impressive with unreal echoes of the wind. When there are strong gusts, such unusual sounds hover here that impressionable tourists get the impression that the Mother of Dragons is here.
• A grotto of stone pillars, rich in stone giants. Its feature is considered to be an internal natural reservoir with drinking water. In 1917, Vietnamese Emperor Khai Dinh visited this cave. He immortalized his visit with an inscription on a stele made especially for this occasion.
• Quang Hanh Grotto is the largest cave in this bay. Its length is 1,300 meters, so it resembles an endless tunnel.

Halong Bay - video

Halong Bay - where it is and how to get there

Halong Bay is located in the Gulf of Tonkin, which belongs to South China Sea. You can find the bay in the north of Vietnam, 170 kilometers from its capital -. You can get to this paradise from Hanoi or Nanying (this is chinese city). For tourists vacationing in the south in , it is better to get to the archipelago by plane, using a flight to Haiphong. It is more convenient to travel to Ha Long from Hanoi by bus. You can buy a ticket for it at travel companies or just on the street. The cost of the pass is low - 10 - 12 dollars (the price is set based on the class vehicle and route features).

Ha Long Bay on the map

- a real treasure of Vietnam. The fantastically beautiful views amaze thousands of tourists who visit this place every year.

Halong Bay, in other words, is a bay where nature has collected thousands of mysterious caves and grottoes, rocks, bizarre cliffs, large and very tiny islands. Its size is impressive - more than one and a half thousand km. sq.!

It is worth saying that Halong itself is the capital city of the Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh, which is by no means of independent interest.

Description of Ha Long Bay

Halong is famous not only for its breathtaking scenery of cliffs and islands. Hiding in the rocks mysterious caves, inside which the whole world, full of stalactites ominously hanging down and stalagmites growing from the bottom of cones and columns, as well as small waterfalls.

Having equipped the caves with multi-colored lamps, the Vietnamese created bright underground kingdoms shimmering with all colors for tourists.

The islands of the bay - completely different in size - are chaotically scattered across the water and stick out from it like rocks.

Almost a thousand islands have their own original name, including such interesting names as Elephant, Antelope, Fighting Rooster, Lizard. It is clear that they are named so either due to their outlandish shape, or in honor of the animals living on the island.

Some of the islands are completely occupied by caves.

• Among the famous cave islands is the “Cave of Wooden Spears,” which is famous for the fact that spears driven into the bottom of the bay during the war with the Mongols were kept inside it.
• In the “Drum Cave”, strong winds at times create a hum similar to the beating of drums.
• Inside some caves, for example, in the “Cave of Pillars”, - cleanest lakes with fresh drinking water.
• The longest cave is Quang Hanh, its length is over one kilometer.

Most big Island The bay occupies 285 sq. km. and has the name Catba, which translates as “island of women.” Here is a unique natural Park, occupying half the territory, a tourist complex and excellent sandy areas for swimming.

Another famous island— Tuan Chau, it is the location of the former residence of Ho Chi Minh, the famous leader and fighter for independence.

Another interesting place that shows the full flavor of local Vietnamese life is the floating fishing villages. Incredibly, they are built on rafts!

The local flora and fauna is extremely rich, and fishermen manage to catch more than 200 species of fish and about 450 different shellfish.

The people of Vietnam are quite superstitious, so the history of Ha Long is riddled with mythical legends and stories. The most popular of them are associated with dragons, which now decorate all kinds of souvenirs in the bay, because the name “Ha Long” itself translates roughly as “the place where the dragon dives.”

According to one legend, the land where Ha Long is now located was once inhabited by a huge fire-breathing dragon. Walking along it, with his powerful tail, touching the mountains, he hollowed out rocks, and left deep holes with his paws.

Having descended to the coast, the dragon plunged into the sea, which, having overflowed its banks, flooded the entire valley, and all that remained of it were rocks, cliffs and thousands of islands created by a powerful creature.

Another legend is no less fantastic.

In distant ancient times, Heaven helped the Vietnamese fight Chinese warriors who tried to plunder and seize their land. To prevent defeat, it sent a flock of magical dragons to help, and instead of fire, precious stones - pearls - fell into the sea from their mouths. As soon as they touched the sea waves, they turned into islands right in front of their opponents and thus smashed the enemy ships.

Having dealt with their hated enemies, the dragons decided to settle on this land. The mother of all dragons has chosen for herself the most picturesque bay, which has since been called Halong in honor of the Dragoness descending into the sea.

Historians say that in the 13th century military operations did take place in the bay, but between the Mongols and the Vietnamese.

By driving long wooden spears into the bottom, the Vietnamese lured their enemies there and easily won, as the Mongol ships fell into a trap, flying into the pointed spears, which were invisible due to the tide.

By the way, the scientific, more realistic theory of the formation of the bay is as follows. The coast, created from limestone rocks, was eroded over time by rains and carried away by the wind - this is where caves, grottoes and rocks originated.

The shore of the bay began to sink about 10-15 thousand years ago, which led to the appearance of islands rising among the waters.

Currently, Halong Bay is a unique creation of nature, which is an object world heritage and protected by UNESCO. In addition, in 2011, Ha Long began to be considered one of the wonders of the world.

Where is Ha Long Bay on the map

The map below shows the exact location of the bay.

How to get to Ha Long Bay

Distance from Hanoi to Ha Long

The bay is located 170 kilometers from the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, in the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea.

The most convenient way to get there is as part of an excursion, but it is also possible independent travel, which may be even more expensive than an organized tour. Some tourists come to the bay from Nanying, China by bus. From Ho Chi Minh City you can fly to Haiphong.

How to get from Hanoi to Ha Long

The most basic route is from the capital Hanoi.

Minibuses and regular buses

Tourist minibuses take about 3 hours to get to Halong, longer due to many stops (about 5 hours), but cheap option- regular intercity bus. Usually buses take you directly to the pier.

Transfer from the airport

Some Ha Long hotels offer their future guests their own transfer from Hanoi Airport to Ha Long. In addition, you can rent a car with a driver for several days.

Train

Trains run through the city of Hai Phong (two hours from the capital) to Halong. From here you can get there by ferry, boat or speedboat.

Time and cost of visit

Ha Long Bay is visitable all year round, but the winter months can significantly spoil the impression of this place due to strong winds, and summer, as a rule, is famous for prolonged downpours. The optimal time to visit is autumn and spring.

To enjoy and admire the bay, you cannot do without a boat trip between the rocks and islands or a cruise for several days. The cost of such excursions depends on the number of days, the class of the boat and the place where the excursion was purchased. Prices are lower at official ticket offices and travel agencies.

• A standard boat trip with a visit to the island costs from $5.
• A 2-3 day cruise with meals and an overnight stay at a hotel (or on a boat) will cost $35 or more.
• If you book a tour from Hanoi, one day, including travel, will cost from $25, two days from $50, and three days from $85.
• Some companies offer helicopter rides over Halong starting at $175.

In any case, it’s worth it, because Halong is a real masterpiece created by nature.

Ha Long Bay (Vietnam) is considered one of the “must see” places and is a must see! However, it is located in the north of the country, and getting there from the southern resorts is problematic. But if you are still offered an excursion to Halong Bay or you want to visit it yourself, be sure to hit the road! You won't regret the trip!

How to get to Ha Long Bay?

The city of Halong on the map of Vietnam is located in the north, and you need to make your way to it in order to then go on a tour of the bay of the same name. The easiest way to do this is from Hanoi. You can choose one of these options:

• Ride on public transport. Path on shuttle bus or a minivan will take about 5 hours because there will be many stops. But this is the cheapest option, a ticket costs about $5.
• Hire a taxi. The trip will be quite expensive and will cost about $50.
• Buy sightseeing tour. Prices start at $50, the cost depends on the duration of the tour and its program.

Despite the fact that traveling by public transport seems more budget-friendly, it is best to choose organized tour from Hanoi. The fact is that in Halong itself you will still have to buy excursions around the bay, and the shortest (3 hours) will cost tourists $30. Moreover, during this time they will not be able to see everything. Experienced travelers advise buying two or even three-day tours from Hanoi, because during this time you can see many more attractions.

One-day excursions to Ha Long Bay (Vietnam) from Hanoi follow the same scenario: a bus brings tourists to the pier, where they board a boat or boat and go for a walk around the bay. This will be a short excursion, because you need to have time to return back on the same day. Multi-day tours vary:

• Overnight at one of the hotels in Halong. Tourists are brought to the city, given sea excursions on a boat or speedboat, and sent to a hotel in the evening. The following days are also spent on excursions around the bay.
• Mini cruise. Then tourists sail on a comfortable ship and spend the night in cabins. The cost of such a tour depends on the type of cabin and class of ship.

Ha Long Bay (Vietnam): how to get there from Nha Trang?

Many tourists choose the popular Vietnamese resort of Nha Trang for their holidays. Halong Bay (you can see it on the map) is located very far from it. And although you can get there by public bus (direct route, of course not), only those who have a lot of free time and energy can do this. The best way to travel from Nha Trang to Hanoi is by plane. With this option, you can plan to explore Hanoi. And from there you can go to Ha Long Bay on your own.


Organized tours (for 2-3 days) are also better to choose with a flight rather than a bus transfer. True, they will cost from $300. But you won’t have to buy transport tickets, book a hotel, or arrange excursions around the bay on your own. Tours from Nha Trang to Ha Long are often offered with a stop in Hanoi. And this is a convenient option to see the capital of Vietnam at the same time.

What to see in the bay?

Halong Bay is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and that already says a lot. The nature there is magnificent: a bay with more than 3,000 islands, most of them rocky. It is because of the beautiful views that tourists visit this bay. The name Halong means "dragon's teeth". The rocky islets really do look a bit like dragon teeth sticking out of the water. The Vietnamese are trying to preserve the purity and pristine nature of this bay.
The most popular excursions and attractions in the bay:

• • Boat trips around many islands. Since there are thousands of islands in the bay, just getting around them takes a long time. Therefore, sea excursions with landing on some islands and ascent to observation platforms are popular.

• Swimming in grottoes and visiting caves. These excursions are very impressive! Tourists are transported on small boats (kayaks) under the rocky arches, and then dropped off near one of the caves and taken inside. The multi-colored illumination of the “insides” of the cave creates an amazing picture and allows you to take great pictures, despite the lack of sunlight.

• Excursion to a farm where pearls are grown. Vietnam is one of the world leaders in pearl production. And tourists will be able to see where pearls are cultivated and find out exactly how they do it.
• Visit. This is the largest island in the bay and has a lot to offer. You can visit a national natural park with lakes and caves, as well as a museum dedicated to the war in Vietnam.

• Boat trips with immersion. Snorkeling in the bay will give you quite a vivid impression: you can see the underwater vegetation and inhabitants of the bay, including sea urchins.
• Mini cruises. This is a great opportunity not only to see exotic nature and different interesting places, but also to be in the present sea ​​cruise. On a comfortable ship, tourists will be offered a place in a cabin, entertainment, delicious food and drinks. In addition, it is more pleasant to survey the surroundings if you are lying in a sun lounger on the deck of a cruise ship!

Halong Bay is a place worthy of visiting by tourists from anywhere in the world. A tour of the islands will give unforgettable experience. Be sure to bring your camera to keep as a souvenir. beautiful views and your emotions!