Inside the Bay of Dragons: Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Capping off our last day in Vietnam, we purchased last minute tickets to a day cruise in Ha Long Bay.
Right after our trip from Ha Giang Province, we immediately booked a Grab from My Dinh bus station back to the Old Quarters where the tour agency is located.
After a quick breakfast of Pho and Iced Coffee, at hawker stalls around the old quarter, we were then collected by the Mini Bus that would take us to Ha Long Bay.
It took us three hours before we arrived in Quang Ninh Province, and upon arrival at the Tuan Chau Internationa Marina. To our dismay, hordes of tourists like us and Chinese Junk Boats were already waiting for each other at the quay.
The Dragon’s Bay
After boarding inside our forty meter junk boat, we were then guided into the dining hall for lunch.
The offerings are more than enough, from the usual appetizers of fries, vegetables and fried spring rolls, down to the main course of rice, fish and other seafoods. But please be reminded that drinks are not included so we bought a can of soda for around 25,000VND (1USD/57PHP)
We then headed out on the viewing platforms around the boat and soaked ourselves up of the view right before us. It was foggy that afternoon and the water is as murky as the red river in Long Bien, albeit this conditions, it was still a nice cruise.
It is said that when Vietnam was still developing as a country, the Gods decided to protect it from the invaders. So they sent a family of dragons that eventually spit out jewels and jade down into the sea.
This resulted to rocks that sprung out abruptly from the sea, turning into the islands and islets dotting the bay. Invading ships entering the sea sustained damages from the event, and eventually it turned into a great wall of karsts on that side of Vietnam.
The place where the mother dragon descended was named Ha Long, thus the present day Ha Long Bay.
Dong Luon, Thien Cung
We then went up inside the Dong Thien Cung (Thien Cung Cave) after several steps going up.
It is one of the hundreds of caves across Halong Bay and it’s really popular. The cave walls and ceilings are already dry so it is safe to assume that it is already dead. Albeit the glimmering crystals that is still untouched, the walkways and stairs are already paved.
There is also good lighting inside the cave, highlighting formations that are otherwise unappreciated with the use of headlamps or flash lights.
Rising spectacularly like thousand sentinels in the ocean, Ha Long Bay is composed of 2000 islets made up of dense cluster of limestone monoliths. In fact, they are called the Fengcong (cone) and Fenglin (isolated) Karsts in Chinese literature, with thick vegetation donning the top portions. It was a geomorphological feat, forming millions of years under different periods of time.
Karsts, Karsts, Everywhere…
They are all similar to the karst mountains in El Nido and Coron, Palawan, in the Philippines. Furthermore, what lacks for its almost clear turquoise waters, it makes up for its sheer number and concentrations of islands nowhere else to be found on earth.
The next stop over was in Dong Luon (Luon Cave), we went down into a floating platform. Then we decided to take a smaller boat, instead of the Kayak.
A Vietnamese lady wearing a Non La steered the oars for us as she sang merry tunes. But we realized she was already asking for a tip for her service. Actually, it is not a cave, but it is an entrance into a lagoon surrounded by karst on all sides.
It is also fun to note that, aside from enclosed lagoons, the unique feature of the area is the enclosed lakes inside the karst islands. It has several drowned dolines on the Fengcong karst islands.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination in Vietnam is now more accessible and is only three hours away from Hanoi. Big thanks to Cebu Pacific which flies directly from Manila, Philippines to Hanoi, Vietnam (Noi Bai International Airport) several times a week.
Where is Ha Long Bay?
Ha Long Bay is located in the province of Quang Ninh, northeast of Hanoi, Vietnam. The bay stretches from Quang Yen town, past Ha Long city, Cam Pha city town to Van Don district. Moreover, it is bordered on the south and southeast by Lan Ha Bay, on the north by Ha Long city, and on the west by Bai Tu Long Bay.
It takes three hours by bus to reach the Tuan Chau Internationa Marina, the jump-off point for the day cruises is Ha Long Bay.
Hanoi, Vietnam: Underneath the Nón Lá – located on the eastern Indochinese Peninsula, this was once a French city often dubbed as the “Paris of the East”, a gateway to a plethora of natural wonders, people, culture and amazing food. From rich forests, karst and tectonic landscapes, towering mountain peaks, UNESCO listed sites, ethnic markets, and effusive local hospitality – let us take you into an adventure of a lifetime up into the northern reaches of Vietnam!
This is my third country visited last March 22 to 26, 2019.
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Inside the Bay of Dragons: Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Have you tried the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam? How was it? Share your awesome stories in the comments section below!
Inside the Bay of Dragons: Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Updated May 05, 2019
