The ideal way to explore Halong Bay is a cruise through thousands of small vegetation-covered islands and towering limestone cliffs that dot the bay.
Halong Bay Cruises
The rising popularity of Halong Bay has prompted travel agencies to develop a wide range of cruises – from budget to high-end and half-day to overnight trips.
For tourists who want a luxurious overnight stay to watch the sun come up on Halong Bay, our cruises – La Regina Cruises Group is worth considering. La Regina Cruises are equipped with luxury cabins and modern amenities like bars, swimming pools, a gym and spas… We also offer outdoor adventures like kayaking, cave exploring, onboard cooking classes, squid fishing at night and excursions to floating villages.
All cruises in Halong Bay have its own itinerary, but most take guests to Ga Choi, Dinh Huong islets, Sung Sot Cave, Thien Cung and Me Cung caves, Titop Island and Viet Hai fishing village.
Me Cung Cave
Located 25 meters above the sea, Me Cung (Bewitching Grotto) is said to be one of the oldest caves in Halong.
The entrance of the cave is quite narrow and visitors have to squeeze through. Once inside, the chamber opens up and visitors can enjoy the sight of winding tunnels covered in gorgeous stalagmites and stalactites.
Thien Cung Cave
Thien Cung (Heaven Grotto) on Dau Go Island, around 4 kilometers from Bai Chay Port, is one of the biggest grottoes in Halong Bay.
Untouched for thousands of years, the cave was discovered by chance in 1993 by local fishermen looking for shelter during a storm.
The cave is reached by a pathway that winds through thick jungle.
Inside the cave, there are four pillars where time has carved unique shapes that are eerily similar to daily life scenes of humans, birds, flowers and leaves.
Sung Sot Cave
Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave on Bon Hon Island can only be reached after hiking up a steep path, but the views are well worth the trouble.
There are two different chambers in the cave, the inner one with stone formations that look like sentries lined up with even a stone in the center that looks like a general talking to his troops.
Cua Van Fishing Village
As the largest fishing village in Halong Bay, Cua Van, about 20km from Tuan Chau tourist pier, used to have 176 families living in floating homes with tiled roofs and equipped with radios, television sets, tables and chairs.
Since 2014, local authorities have been implementing a project to remove the floating homes and move all villagers to the mainland so that their children can go to school.
A majority of villagers have moved ashore, but several have chosen to maintain their livelihood in the floating village during daytime because the boats are their lifeline.
Apart from fishing, some locals also earn their living from providing kayaking services for tourists for around 100 000 VND/hour.
Today, Cua Van hosts a floating culture center that displays and preserves traditional values of the long-standing fishing village. It organizes cultural exchange activities and has a collection of hundreds of archaeological antiques including fishing tools dating back centuries.
Titop Islet
The Ti Top Islet has a crescent shaped beach and turquoise waters that never fails to catch the eye.
The islet is named after Russian cosmonaut Gherman Stepanovich Titov who, together with President Ho Chi Minh, visited it in 1962.
Given the calm waters, the beach is perfect for recreational activities like swimming, snorkeling and other water sports. There is a small stall on the beach which rents beach chairs, snorkelling equipment and other accessories.
Seaplane
International media including the CNN and Lonely Planet have also recommended an aerial tour of Halong Bay on a seaplane. A tour with about 10 minutes over the bay costs around $100/person, a 15 minutes tour that costs around $150 and a 30 minutes flight costs $321 allows views of Thien Cung Cave, Trong Mai Islet, Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island, Bai Chay Bridge and Rieu Island.
Source: Vnexpress International
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