Halong Bay - a magnificent scenic spot located in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, is famous for its mountains, water, clouds, caves and grottoes.Ha Long Bay is the center of a larger zone including Bai Tu Long to the northeast and Cat Ba islands to the southwest. It was recognized as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1994 and listed in the New 7 Wonders in 2012.
Hanoi seat bus to Ha Long Bay :
Bus Route : Hanoi - Bac Ninh - Hai Duong - Halong Quang Ninh
Departure place : Hanoi Old quarter (Free pick up at hotel)
Stop station : Tuan Chau island
Bus type : seat bus - 16 seats ford transit , 29 seats Huyndai County or Huyndai-Universe
Departure time : 08h00 daily
Arrival time : 4 hours later
Bus ticket rate : 15 USD
Contact to book : +84.911.895.016 (Whatsapp,Viber,Sms,Call) or kkvtravel@gmail.com
While Hanoi's old name is Thang Long (Ascending Dragon), Halong literally means Descending Dragon. And like many other Vietnamese towns’ names, Ha Long Bay has the origin from a legend. Once upon a time, Vietnam was invaded shortly after they started building the country. The Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to help Vietnamese people. The dragons emitted from their mouths many pearls, which then turned into thousands of stone islands emerging in the sea like great walls stopping the invaders’ boats.
These boats crashed into the islands and broke into pieces. Vietnamese won the battle thanks to the tricky battle field. After the victory, the dragons decided to stay on the bay and the pearls still remained. The location that Mother Dragon landed is then called Ha Long Bay and where Child ones descended is Bai Tu Long Bay.
Visitors to Ha Long shouldn’t miss Bai Chay beach (Scorched Beach – close to the coast of Ha Long Bay), whose sand is dark. People often mistakenly think that this is due to the climate or lack of wind in this area. However, the weather here is quite pleasant and the temperature is around 22oC. From Bai Chay, you can hire a boat and go out to the bay, where you will find some of Southeast Asian most fascinating limestone islands. Taking a cruise trip around Halong is one of the best ways to experience the beauty of the Bay (More about cruising in Halong Bay).
The limestone formations are both bizarre and awesome. They are Thien Cung (Heavenly Palace Cave) - 4km from the wharf outside of Ha Long City, Dau Go (Wooden Stakes Cave) – 8km south of Bai Chay, Bo Nau (Pelican Cave) , Trinh Nu (Virgin Cave) – 15km south of Bai Chay, in the island range of Bo Hon, in the system comprised Sung Sot (Surprise Grotto), Dong Tien Lake and Luon Grotto, etc.
Besides Ha Long Bay, there are Mong Cai – the border city with China (visas must have been sourced in your home country), Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong City and Tuan Chau Island – a newly developed tourist resort. One can spend between 3 and 5 days visiting and experiencing the beauty of the Bay.