A visit to this UNESCO World Heritage Site that covers an area of 43,400 hectares including 1600 islands and islets is a must. Here’s some more information before you plan your trip.
colour adjusted by Lycaon, Halong ensemble (colour corrected), marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons
Overview
Less than three hours away from many a Hanoi serviced apartment, the likes of Somerset West Lake Hanoi, Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist attractions. The bay is popularly known for its scenic karst topography. The name ‘Ha Long Bay’ directly means ‘Bay of Descending Dragons’ – the name itself is enough to make someone curious! The site made to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1994.
About the bay
Made up of more than 1500 monolithic limestone islands, each of the limestone islands are topped with thick vegetation. Some of the monolithic islands are hollow, meaning that there are enormous caves that can be explored. Within Ha Long Bay are two bigger islands known as Cat Ba and Tuan Chau – both of them have permanent human inhabitants and tourist facilities.
How to get there
The best and easiest way to get there would be through booking a cruise tour. There are numerous companies in Vietnam that provide cruises along Ha Long Bay for a number of different durations.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+
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