Halong Bay Vietnam
Best time to visit Halong
Finding out the right time to travel enhances the pleasure of the trip. Halong travel tips informs you about the best season to visit the city. Since the winters in Halong are freezing and rainy season has chances of powerful typhoons, it is advisable that you avoid these months. Summers are bearable in Vietnam and the best time to visit Halong is within the months of May to October.
Incidents, accidents, or medical emergencies on the sea
In the cold season (December, January, February and March) and on rainy and windy days, it is advisable to travel on large boats, which have enclosed compartments and roll less. In the stormy season (August, September and October), it is advisable to consult the tourist information centre before travelling to Hạ Long. Tourists should comply with any temporary travel restrictions on the bay to avoid dangers. Before paying for a tour, tourists should know what kind of boat the tourist company has hired for them.
Tourists should be aware of where the lifejackets are stowed and whether they are adequate. If a person falls overboard, anyone nearby should call loudly for help and immediately throw down a lifebuoy. Those who are strong swimmers should take a life belt and save the victim. First aid, such as artificial respiration, chest press or making the victim vomit water, should be attempted if necessary.
If someone becomes unconscious or gets injured: Any doctor or nurse, or anyone with good knowledge of first aid should help. If necessary, call for help from other boats, use the walkie-talkie in the steering cabin or use a mobile phone to call the information centre at the Tourist Wharf for help.
In case of unusually strong wind: Tourists should insist that boat heads for the nearest island that offer an anchorage and shelter. In case of unusually strong wind: Tourists should insist that boat heads for the nearest island that offer an anchorage and shelter.
Dining and drinking aboard
Having a meal cooked from live seafood on the boat is a great pleasure. Almost all package tours include a meal of fresh shrimps and fish brought aboard before departure.
If hiring the whole boat, tourists can request a meal on the boat. Menus and prices are open to negotiation and are not included in the price of boat hire. The average price ranges from VNĐ30,000 to VNĐ50,000 per person, not including drinks. The price will be higher if the meal includes lobster, or crabs with large roes. Cold food and rice are also available. Orders for meals should be made to the captain 30 minutes in advance.
On the boat, there are also soft drinks, tinned beer and mineral water available for sale at the same price as on land.
If travelling alone or grouped with other parties, tourists should ask the captain about joining dinner on the boat. 9. Film and photography
There are many photogenic seascapes, landscapes and scenery on the bay and in caves that are of great interest to photography and film enthusiasts.
Fast film, from 200 to 400 ASA, is advisable because the boat shakes, and the light in caves is dim. Be careful to protect cameras from saltwater splashes. Passing through the islands, it is wise to stand on the upper deck or on the top of the boat for a view of both sides. Cameras should be attached by a cord to avoid losing one’s grasp when the boat is rolling.
In caves, a tripod should be used with the camera on the B setting. To take photos from inside the cave outwards, the photographer should switch off the flash in order to reach a good contrast and definition. Popular colour, and black and white films, and batteries are available for sale at the photography service kiosks at Thiên Cung, Ðầu Gỗ, Sửng Sốt Grottoes and on Ti Tốp Island. Videotapes and special films and batteries should be prepared in advance before the trip. Batteries of video recorders should be fully charged and replacements are advisable. The electricity source on the boat is not suitable for charging and may cause serious damage.
Taking photographs from high positions. From the entrances of high caves and the tops of mountains, splendid shots of the landscape are possible. The best locations are the left of the entrance to Sung Sôt Grotto, the top of Titov Island, at the entrance of Thiên Cung Grotto and at the exit from Ðầu Gỗ Grotto.
There are also places on land where photographers can get good scenic overviews: the top or upper windows of the Plaza, Ha Long 1, 2, 3, Vường Đào and Heritage hotels, the top of Bài Thơ Mountain, the Maritime Guest House and from Cửa Ông Temple.
Dawns and sunsets in Hạ Long, especially in summer and autumn, are wonderful, but very short, shadowed by the many islands. Photographers should be well prepared for taking photos of these strikingly beautiful views
If hiring the whole boat, tourists can request a meal on the boat. Menus and prices are open to negotiation and are not included in the price of boat hire. The average price ranges from VNĐ30,000 to VNĐ50,000 per person, not including drinks. The price will be higher if the meal includes lobster, or crabs with large roes. Cold food and rice are also available. Orders for meals should be made to the captain 30 minutes in advance.
On the boat, there are also soft drinks, tinned beer and mineral water available for sale at the same price as on land.
If travelling alone or grouped with other parties, tourists should ask the captain about joining dinner on the boat. 9. Film and photography
There are many photogenic seascapes, landscapes and scenery on the bay and in caves that are of great interest to photography and film enthusiasts.
Fast film, from 200 to 400 ASA, is advisable because the boat shakes, and the light in caves is dim. Be careful to protect cameras from saltwater splashes. Passing through the islands, it is wise to stand on the upper deck or on the top of the boat for a view of both sides. Cameras should be attached by a cord to avoid losing one’s grasp when the boat is rolling.
In caves, a tripod should be used with the camera on the B setting. To take photos from inside the cave outwards, the photographer should switch off the flash in order to reach a good contrast and definition. Popular colour, and black and white films, and batteries are available for sale at the photography service kiosks at Thiên Cung, Ðầu Gỗ, Sửng Sốt Grottoes and on Ti Tốp Island. Videotapes and special films and batteries should be prepared in advance before the trip. Batteries of video recorders should be fully charged and replacements are advisable. The electricity source on the boat is not suitable for charging and may cause serious damage.
Taking photographs from high positions. From the entrances of high caves and the tops of mountains, splendid shots of the landscape are possible. The best locations are the left of the entrance to Sung Sôt Grotto, the top of Titov Island, at the entrance of Thiên Cung Grotto and at the exit from Ðầu Gỗ Grotto.
There are also places on land where photographers can get good scenic overviews: the top or upper windows of the Plaza, Ha Long 1, 2, 3, Vường Đào and Heritage hotels, the top of Bài Thơ Mountain, the Maritime Guest House and from Cửa Ông Temple.
Dawns and sunsets in Hạ Long, especially in summer and autumn, are wonderful, but very short, shadowed by the many islands. Photographers should be well prepared for taking photos of these strikingly beautiful views
Halong travel tips: Travelling on the Bay
The most interesting part of a Hạ Long tour is the boat cruise around the bay to admire hundreds of stone islets that seem to move and change as the boat passes, first seen from a distance, then hidden below the waves. The boat moors on some islands to allow tourists to visit caves and grottoes, and at sandy beaches for a rest, sunbathing and swimming.
Without advance knowledge, tourists may miss many beautiful stone islets, as there is so much to explore. Reading the introduction to the islands and the routes on the bay is good preparation, especially if you take a map of Hạ Long Bay to know where the boat is and which islands it is going to pass. You can also ask the captain to take the best route for the most picturesque scenery, and what to expect. You can also ask to reduce speed and cruise closer to the bases of spectacular and scenery.
It is an interesting experience to climb. Visiting the caves and grottoes is an interesting experience. Most are above sea level, but there are good stone and wooden steps leading to the entrances. The only difficulty is perhaps the narrow wooden gangway used for getting on and off the boat, as it is sometimes very steep when the tide is high. Sensible shoes are essential!
It is advisable to remember the boat’s name and number so that you can recognize it among the many boats anchoring at the pick-up point, particularly at busy times, as they are very similar to one another. Also, the landing and pick-up points are often in different places.
The paths in large caves are quite even and are illuminated. Tourists should, however, follow the guide and go in groups. You will be shown the many extraordinary figures among thousands of stalactites, stalagmites and other fascinating rock formations.
Tourists should return to boat schedule to be on time for visits to other places and to avoid keeping others waiting. There is plenty to explore and admire
Without advance knowledge, tourists may miss many beautiful stone islets, as there is so much to explore. Reading the introduction to the islands and the routes on the bay is good preparation, especially if you take a map of Hạ Long Bay to know where the boat is and which islands it is going to pass. You can also ask the captain to take the best route for the most picturesque scenery, and what to expect. You can also ask to reduce speed and cruise closer to the bases of spectacular and scenery.
It is an interesting experience to climb. Visiting the caves and grottoes is an interesting experience. Most are above sea level, but there are good stone and wooden steps leading to the entrances. The only difficulty is perhaps the narrow wooden gangway used for getting on and off the boat, as it is sometimes very steep when the tide is high. Sensible shoes are essential!
It is advisable to remember the boat’s name and number so that you can recognize it among the many boats anchoring at the pick-up point, particularly at busy times, as they are very similar to one another. Also, the landing and pick-up points are often in different places.
The paths in large caves are quite even and are illuminated. Tourists should, however, follow the guide and go in groups. You will be shown the many extraordinary figures among thousands of stalactites, stalagmites and other fascinating rock formations.
Tourists should return to boat schedule to be on time for visits to other places and to avoid keeping others waiting. There is plenty to explore and admire
Current types of tourism in Halong
- Kayaking: a romantic and adventurous kind of tourism. A large boat carries small inflatable canoes or “kayaks” to deserted, almost unknown areas of the Bay. Visitors can paddle by themselves to explore remote wild islands and caves.
- Cultural – historical tourism: tours for people interested in culture and archaeology. They stay a longer time in Ha Long to visit archaeological remains, study tangible and intangible culture and experience the beautiful land and seascapes, along with the outstanding geological and historical sites.
- Eco-tourism on Ha Long Bay: visitors can visit isolated ecosystems with beautiful sandy beaches, tidal flats, mangroves, coastal wetlands
Halong Bay General Information
The Majesty of an Island Destination in its Full Splendor
Halong Bay is a body of water of approximately 1,500 square kilometres in north Vietnam with a 120 kilometre coastline, in the Gulf of Tonkin near the border with China, and 170 kilometres east of Hanoi. Ha Long Bay - means "Bay of the Descending Dragon" in the Vietnamese language. The bay consists of a dense cluster of 3000 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Dau Go (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto in the Halong area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century French graffiti).
Some of the islands support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Many of the islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes: such names include Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 989 of the islands have been given names. Birds and animals including bantams, antelopes, monkeys, and iguanas also live on some of the islands.
The bay was World Heritage listed by UNESCO at the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Thailand on December 17th, 1994). It is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations.
Halong Bay has been the setting for local naval battles against Vietnam's coastal neighbours. On three occasions in the labyrinth of channels between the islands the Vietnamese army stopped the Chinese from landing. In 1288 General Tran Hung Dao stopped Mongol ships from sailing up the nearby Bach Dang River by placing steel-tipped wooden stakes at high tide, sinking the Mongol Dubhai Khan's fleet.
During the Vietnam War, many of the channels between the islands were heavily mined by the navy of the United States, some of which pose a threat to shipping to this day.
The surrounding land region of Halong City is rich with high grade coal deposits, and is operated by the Vietnamese government. Click here to read more information of Halong Bay
Halong Bay Cruises
The best way to tour, see and enjoy Halong Bay scenery is board a junk boat and cruise around, the following cruises we offers are the unique idea for those looking to visit to Halong Bay in the future or near future. Choose which cruise tour you like to join and just take the tour code and contact us. Remember that if your group is more than 4 persons you might get discount depending on your departure date. We note that all cruises listed bellow are including transfer with pick up and drop off at your hotel in Hanoi. Click here to see list of cruises
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