Ha Long Bay 2 days, overnight at hotels

Viewed from above, Ha Long Bay looks like an extremely vivid huge drawing. This is a wonderful and skilful masterpiece of the Creation and of nature that turns thousands of dumb soulless stone islands into fantastic sculptural and artistic works of various graceful shapes, both familiar and strange to human beings. Thousands of islands emerging uneven in the fanciful waves look strong and magnificent but also mild and vivid. Amidst these islands we feel as if we were astray in a petrified legendary world....

Details of Tour:

Day 1: Hanoi - HaLong

AM: 7h45' depart to Ha long Bay. A quick and enjoyable 3 hours to Ha long city. Have lunch at Thanglong restaurant or on the boat.

PM: Cruise through the emerald waters between the limestone outcrops and long corridors, visit THIEN CUNG cave (the cave of the heavenly palace - famous for its stalagmites and stalactites) A short way visit the newly discovered DAU GO grotto (wooden stakes'-wherein 1288 one of Vietnam's most famous Generals Tran Hung Dao amassed hundreds of stakes deep inside the cave prior to a battle within invading Mongol army). Enjoy sunset when returning.

Boat trip back to Halong city, Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Halong city or in TUAN CHAU island (15 km far from Halong city)

Day 2: HaLong - Hanoi

AM: Wake up to some coffee and a tasty breakfast. Free time at the morning, walk around Ha long city and Bai Chay shore (Opt: Free time in the morning for swimming at TUANCHAU beach, you could take Dolphin show, Crocodile show, Water music show, visit countryside market.

PM: Road trip back to Hanoi with stop-over in DaiNghia humanity center. Arrive Hanoi about 18h00. Finish tour.

Tour price:

The trip includes:

• The car with air-condition

• Twin - share accomodation with daily breakfast.

• English speaking tour guide (other languge are avaitable upon request )

• Meals specified in tour program (Main: $4 & ABF:$2)

• All entrance, permission and visiting fees

• Boat trip in Halong Bay

The trip excludes 

• Visa to Vietnam

• Departure airport tax

• Meals which are not included in the program

• Personal travel & medical insurance

• International flights to and from Vietnam

• All personal & daily expenses

• All gratuities and tips to drivers and guides

Note:

• Surcharges for peak seasons, Christmas and New Year Holidays, lunar New Year Festival, extras for room, air tickets upgrades shall be applied

• Group tour: To join with other people on available daily tours. These tours are fixed itinerary and deparute time. It is possible to join in even your group of only 1 or 2 people. Customer do not to find other people to form the group. It is our company duty to gather the tourists for each tour. For these tours, you have to share the coach, boat and tour guide with other tourists who come from different nationalities. The number of people of this group is normally less than 16 persons.

• Private tour: To do the tour privately. The tour is not fixed, it is possible to� be customized for your group. All service is reserved for your group only. You do not have to share the bus, boat, tour guide with other tourists. One exception, if you stay at the boat in Halong bay - it is like the hotel in Halong - you still have to share the boat with other people.

General information about HaLong Bay:

Overview

The legend of Halong has it that, "Once upon a time, soon after the Viett people established their country, invaders came. The Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to earth to help the Viet people fight against their enemy. Right at the time invaders" boats were rushing to the shore, the dragons landed down on earth. The dragons immediately sent out from their mouths a lot of pearls, which then turned into thousands of stone islands emerging in the sea like great walls challenging the invaders' boats. The fast boats couldn't manage to stop and crashed into the islands and into each other and broke into pieces.

After the victory, Mother Dragon and Child Dragons didn't return Heaven but stayed on earth at the place where the battle had occurred. The location Mother Dragon landed is nowadays Halong Bay and where Child Dragons descended is now Bai Tu Long. The dragons' tails waving the water created Long Vi (present Tra Co peninsula) and formed a fine sand beach over ten kilometers long".

Halong Bay is located in the northeastern part of Vietnam and constitutes part of the western bank of Bac Bo Gulf, including the sea area of Halong City and Cam Pha Town and part of Van Don island district. It abuts Cat Ba Island in the southwest. Toward the west is the shore with a 120 km-long coastline. It is located within 106o58'-107o22' east longitude and within 20o45'- 20o50' north latitude. The site is 1553 sq. km with 1969 islands of various sizes, of which 989 have been named.

The islands in Halong Bay are mainly limestone and schist islands most lying in the two main areas: the southeastern part of Bai Tu Long Bay and southwestern part of Halong Bay. These islands represent the most ancient images of a geographical site having a tectonic age of from 250 million to 280 million years. They are the result of many times of rising and lowering processes of the continent to form a karst. The process of nearly full erosion and weathering of the karst created the unique Halong Bay in the world. In a not very large area, thousands of islands with different forms look like glittering emeralds attached to the blue scarf of a virgin. The area where many stone islands concentrate has spectacular scenes and world-famous caves and is the center of Halong Bay Natural Heritage, including Ha Long Bay and a part of Bai Tu Long Bay.

The area is recognized as the World Natural Heritage that is the area of 434 sq. km with 775 islands. It looks like a giant triangle with Dau Go Island (in the west), Ba Ham Lake (in the south) and Cong Tay Island (in the east) as its three angle points. The nearby area is the buffer area and areas classified as national beauty spots in 1962 by the Ministry of Culture and Information.

Viewed from above, Halong Bay looks like an extremely vivid huge drawing. This is a wonderful and skilful masterpiece of the Creation and of nature that turns thousands of dumb soulless stone islands into fantastic sculptural and artistic works of various graceful shapes, both familiar and strange to human beings. Thousands of islands emerging uneven in the fanciful waves look strong and magnificent but also mild and vivid. Amidst these islands we feel as if we were astray in a petrified legendary world. There are many names given to islands according to their shapes and forms. This one looks like somebody heading toward the shore: Hon Dau Nguoi (Human Head Island); that one looks like a dragon hovering above the sea surface: Hon Rong (Dragon Island); another looks like an old man sitting fishing: Hon La Vong; some look like big sails struggling amidst the wind to set off for the sea: Hon Canh Buom (Sail Island); then two islands look like a pair of chicken lovingly playing with each other above the sea: Hon Trong Mai (Male and Female Chicken Island); and amid the vast sea stands an island like a big incense burner like a ritual offering to Heaven: Hon Lu Huong (Incense Burner Island). All are so real that people are taken aback by them. Those stone islands have experienced unpredictable changes over time and they take different shapes from different angles of view. Here, we come to realize that they are not dumb inanimate things but are vivid and soulful.

Inside the stone islands are various breath-taking caves, such as Thien Cung, Dau Go, Sung Sot, Trinh Nu, Tam Cung and others. These are really magnificent palaces of the Creation on earth. Long ago, Halong Bay has been called by the great national poet Nguyen Trai: "a wonder of the earth erected towards the high sky". Many men of letters from all over the world have been taken aback at the grandiose scenery of Halong. They seem to get puzzled and incompetent as their treasure of vocabulary is not rich enough to depict the splendor of this place.

Halong Bay is also attached to glorious pages of Vietnamese history, with famous sites such as Van Don, a bustling trade port in the 12th century, charming Bai Tho Mountain, and not very far away from here is the Bach Dang River which witnessed two famous naval battles of the Viet's ancestors against invaders. Also, Halong is one of the cradles of human kind with the glorious Halong culture in the late Neolithic age, discovered at such archeological sites as Dong Mang, Xich Tho, Soi Nhu and Thoi Gieng.

Halong is also home to great biodiversity with typical eco-systems like mangrove forest, coral and tropical forest. It is also home to thousands of plants and animals of numerous species, for example shrimp, fish and squid. Some species are particularly rare and can be found no where else.

With such special values, at the 18th Session of UNESCO's Council of World Heritage held on 17 December 1994 in Thailand, Ha Long Bay was officially placed on the list of the World Natural Heritage. In 2000, UNESCO recognized it as the World Heritage for the second time for its geographical and geomorphologic values. This confirms the global premier value of Halong Bay.

Wherever you come from, whosoever you are and however old you are, you will certainly experience the same emotion and feeling when admiring this wonder of stone and water. And great experiences will always remain even when you leave the place. The legend of Mother Dragon and Child Dragons sending out pearls to form thousands of stone islands to stop invaders still serve as the soul of this invaluable heritage of the world.
Have you ever come to Halong, the unique wonder of the world of its kind, to admire and explore secretes implicit in the place?

Natural Beauty

Speaking of Halong, one must above all talk of the beauty of its water and sky. In a relatively small area (1,553 sq. km), there are 1,969 islands rising from the sea.

Seen from above, Halong Bay resembles a light blue handkerchief dotted with emerald gems; sometimes clustered together, sometimes isolated. The clever artistic hand of creation has made thousands of stone islands simulating familiar personages or animals. Like the constellations of the night sky, it's possible to find a familiar form in every island of Halong Bay: one brings to mind a pair of chickens bobbing on the spacious water (Trong Mai Islet); another is like a giant tortoise with half-closed and sleepy eyes (Rua Islet); another is like an old monk joining his hands in prayer to Buddha, with his face turned to the sea (Ong Su Islet); yet another is like a giant incense-burner standing in the middle of the sea which used to pray heaven and earth (Dinh Huong Islet). It is a safe bet that many other islands bearing familiar forms remain undiscovered in the mysterious bay. The sea of Halong is deep blue water throughout all four seasons. In spring, sailing amidst the waves, the stone islands look to be bobbing on the water. As summer approaches and the sun is setting on the far horizon, they appear to awake in unison and rise from the blue depths. The whole bay is bright red, and then turns to blue as the crests of the waves run together towards the shore. Orchids and fig trees, growing from fissures in the stone, bloom with snowy flowers.

As a boat makes its way through this forest of islands by ways of meandering channels, sometimes stone seems to be spread in front of you; forming a wall heeding further progress. Once nearer, the wall appears to crack open as if letting your boat pass. The scenery disappears behind you as yet another panorama opens to your view.

The winding route seems to be endless, but the beauty of Halong Bay does not consist only in the forms of it's mountains, islands and the colour of its waters, but also in its infinitely rich system of grottoes and caves; concentrated mostly in the middle of the UNESCO-protected area. Thien Cung (Heavenly Palace Grotto) bears a modern and refined trait, while Dau Go (Driftwood Grotto) is ample and grandiose and Sung Sot (Surprise Grotto) appears deeply secretive. There are many beautiful examples, closely linked with legends and popular tales, such as: Trinh Nu and Trống Grottoes (Virgin and Male Grottoes) and the Fairy Grotto Lake (Dong Tien Lake). Each is a grandiose and refined natural architectural creation.

At sunset, when the mountains' shadows stretch out long across the bay, the water turns grey-blue, before suddenly transforming to a crimson red as the last of the sun's rays reach the far away islands. For one short instant, the whole scene mingles into one colour, and then all light is extinguished. After the moon climbs into the sky, the sea seems to be coated with silver, with the lights of Halong City reflected on the surface of the water. It seemed that every islands, caves and beaches in Halong closely linked with the legend and popular tale of love, of the heroic song for safeguarding country... Visiting Halong Bay is a good chance to witness the romantic and attractive love story, which happened only in the legend.  The 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Thailand on December 17th, 1994), officially recognized Halong Bay as a natural heritage of worldwide importance. And Halong Bay is honorly recognized as a world natural heritage once again for its geological value.

Cultural and Historical Value

The beauty of Halong Bay consists in its mountains, water, clouds, caves and grottoes. Many, however, do not realise that Halong was also the cradle of an ancient people who helped create the present Halong culture.

At the end of 1937, a Swedish archaeologist named Anderson, together with two French archaeologist sisters named Conani, journeyed for months through Halong sea. They climbed mountains, visited caves and explored the coastline, finding many stone artefacts: axes, grinding tables, sewing needles and jewellery. They called the culture that formed these remnants "Ngoc Vung" In the months and years following, Vietnamese archaeologists continued their research and made many excavations; discovering more archaeological sites, such as Dong Mang, Xich Tho and Soi Nhu. Through an area of some hundreds of square kilometres, they discovered many stone artefacts and pieces of broken designed pottery.

Throughout its development, Halong has had a particularly important position; being situated on the communication routes between China, Japan and Thailand. Gradually, it became the centre of cultural and commercial exchanges between these countries and ancient Vietnam. The book Comprehensive History of Dai Viet reads: "In the second month of the spring of the year of Ky Ty, the 10th year of the reign of Ly Anh Tong (1149), the commercial port of Van Don was established." In the long period overlapping the Ly, Tran and Le dynasties, Van Don was a place of busy commercial and cultural exchanges between Vietnam and its South-East Asian neighbours. A remaining vestige of the ancient commercial port is Cai Lang Wharf (Quan Lan).

Van Don is also a site that witnessed glorious feats of war against the invasion of the Yuan-Mongols aggressors. It was here that the enemy, General Truong Ho, had an entire fleet of food supply boats set ablaze by Tran Khanh Du. This contributed greatly to the victory of Bach Dang.

Closely linked to this animated commercial centre were many religious architectural constructions; built to meet the requirements of both traders and the population that practised Catholicism and Buddhism.

At Soi Nhu, researchers found three fossilised human skeletons. In particular, in the central zone of the present UNESCO World Heritage Site area, there have been recent discoveries of fascinating archaeological finds: Me Cung, Thien Long and Tien Ong grottoes. The quantity of ancient shellfish in the Melina Spring, indicated by the 1.5 m-thick heaps of shells, amounts to hundreds of cubic metres.

The archaeological sites of the Halong culture are distributed everywhere, but are mostly found on the sandy beaches of the coastline, and in these caves and grottoes: Ngoc Vung, Tuan Chau, Xich Tho and Dong Mang. There are also sites far from the coast, such as Thoi Gieng and Tien Ong. Wherever the remnants of the first peoples of Halong are found, they seem to bear a common characteristic: the same materials, techniques, forms and designs. Scientists have called it the "Halong culture of the late period of the new Stone Age."

In Cai Lang Wharf, along to 200m-long coastline scientists had found broken pieces of pottery and china forming a 0.6 m-thick layer. Ages date from between the Ly and Tran dynasties. Here, there are also foundations of ancient houses once built along the wharf. Apart from here, many other ancient wharves have been found, such as: Cong Dong, Cong Yen, Ngoc Vung, Quan Lan and Cai Bau. They have featured similar artefacts. On Cong Dong Island alone, four pagodas were built. Among them, the Lam Pagoda is one of the most ancient in the area. It was built under the Tran Dynasty with three gates, a shrine to Buddha, anterior cult room and house of ancestors. On the north-east side of the pagoda was a tower, the remnants of which indicate it was a large and solemn construction.

Value of Geology

The most remarkable geological events of Halong Bay's history in the last 1,000 years include the advance of the sea, the raising of the bay area and the strong erosion that has formed coral and pure blue and heavily salted water. This process of erosion by seawater has deeply engraved the stone, contributing to its fantastic beauty. Present-day Halong Bay is the result of this long process of geological evolution that has been influenced by so many factors. Some of the most remarkable are: the formation of the limestone layer more than 1,000 m thick during the Carboniferous and Permian periods (240 to 340 million years ago); and the development of the Halong depression during the Neogene period (10 to 26 million years ago). The erosion process forming the limestone plain was most active in the Quaternary Pleistocene epoch (11,000 to 2 million years ago). It is because of all these factors that tourists now visiting Halong Bay are not only treated to one of the true wonders of the world, but also to a precious geological museum that has been naturally preserved in the open air for the last 300 million years.

At the beginning of the Cambrian era (500 to 570 million years ago), the area, which now forms Ha Long Bay, was basically mainland, submitted to a process of rain erosion. At the end of the period, it was flooded, commencing the existence of Halong Bay. During the Odovic and Silurian periods (400 to 500 million years ago), the area of north-east Vietnam was basically a deep sea, submitted to the constant activity of tectonic plates. At the end of the Silurian period, it underwent a phase of inverse-motion that created mountains deep under the water. From the end of this period and throughout the whole Devonian period (340 to 420 million years ago), the area was subjected to powerful forces of erosion from the hot and dry climate. At this point, Halong was part of a wide mainland that comprised most of today's East Sea and Chinese continental shelf. Due to tectonic activity, the Halong area and the entire north-east region were raised from the depths at the end of the Devonian period. In the later Carboniferous and Permian periods (240 to 340 million years ago), a shallow and warm sea reformed, which existed for approximately 100 million years. It created two kinds of limestone: the Cat Ba layer of the early Carboniferous period (450 m thick); and the Quang Hanh layer of the middle Carboniferous and the early Permian period (750 m thick). These two layers constitute the majority of the islands of the Bay.

Passing into the early periods of the Contemporary era (67 million years ago), Halong Bay existed in the environment of a high mountainous mainland due to the influence of strong mountain-forming phases. The middle of the Paleocene period saw these motions remain continuous and stable, while strong processes of erosion began, and after millions of years, a form of semi-highland topography took shape. The continuation of this erosion has progressively cut the highlands into blocks with altitudes similar to today's mountains.

Into to the Quaternary era, the process of erosion began dissolving the limestone-rich region of Ha Long. The islands of today's Ha Long Bay are basically remnants of these mountains flooded during the early Holocene period. Rainwater flowed into crevices in the limestone that had formed from tectonic activity. This steady erosion constantly widened the cracks, eventually creating today's formations. The middle and late Pleistocene epoch (11,000 to 70,000 years ago) marks the period when the famous caves and grottoes of the area formed.

The Holocene period (from 7,000 to 11,000 years ago) is notable for the advance of the sea. This movement reached its peak 4,000 to 7,000 years ago and forming today's Ha Long Bay. After that, 3,000 to 4,000 years ago, with the sea in a steady process of recession, Hạ Long culture began to develop. At the beginning of the late Holocene epoch, the level of the water once again increased, forming a marshy floor of canals and streams, and creating the water marks that can be seen on the stone cliffs of today.   

Values of Biological Diversity

Ha Long Bay has a very complicated structure with its meandering coastline and many river mouths. Rich and diversified sources of food for many species of plants and animals are also found here. In particular, the bay, partitioned by thousands of large and small islands, creates areas of water with an average and stable sea level. Meanwhile, the climate in Ha Long Bay is also very stable, with an average temperature of between 19 and 25 Celcious, and an average heat radiation rate of 17 kcal/ sq. cm/ month. It sees an average rainfall of 2,000 to 2,200 mm/ year. These favourable conditions have seen the development of many varied ecosystems. Results of scientific research show that Ha Long Bay features ecosystems of a tropical ocean region, such as: salt water-flooded forests, coral reefs and tropical rain forests.  

In the sea surrounding Ha Long, coral grows in many places, but is densely concentrated on the eastern and southern sides, far from the mainland. According to research conducted by scientists from the Oceanographic Institute, Ha Long Bay is home to 163 species of coral, from 44 lines of descent and 12 families. Coral reefs are distributed everywhere, generally at a depth of 4 to 6m. The coverage rate of coral reef is 30% on average, but there are areas where it attains 70 to 80%, such as at Cong Do and Bo Hung. The coral forests of Ha Long Bay are a wonderful sight, with many extraordinary shapes and diversified colours. When the tide flows, the coral moves with the water, pumping as rhythmically as a heartbeat. At the same time, the reefs are residence to a great number of species: fish (107 varieties), water plants, algae and transitory animals and plants.

The salt water-flooded forests also offer especially interesting scenery along the coastline of Ha Long Bay. These forests are chiefly concentrated in the zones of Tuan Chau, Cua Luc and Ba Che. Many species of salt water-flooded plants, the most diversified collection in North Vietnam, are found here. Also living in these flooded forests are a great many species of animals: migrating birds (37 species), sea-bottom animals (81 species) and fish (90 species belonging to 55 families). In particular, bottom-feeders account for 61% of the total species in the whole tidal region, with many species being of great economic value: arcae, meretrixes and all kinds of crustaceans. The tropical rain forest ecosystem also features a rich quantity of species: Dinh, Huong, Sen, Tau trees. This is the residence of various rare and precious creatures: deer, weasels, squirrels and in particular, white-tabby and red-haired monkeys.

At the same time, there is a system of small caves along the sea, which are the living and development places for many animals and plants: seaweed, water plants, algae, fish and shrimp. Deeper into the water, there are also many species of shrimp, fish (almost 1,000 species), abalone and other sea-specialities; harvested every year to the tune of several thousand tons.