Halong bay is well known as the New Seven Natural Wonders of the World because of its outstanding scenic beauty like “ Rock wonder in the sky”.
The bay itself features thousands of limestone karsts and islets in various size and shapes, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. The core zone of Halong bay has an area of 334km2 with a high density of 775 islets, which was listed as a World Heritage Site twice times by Unesco in 1994 and 2000.
Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, Quang Ninh province, in the northeast of Vietnam and far from Hanoi city about 170 km (105 Miles). Halong bay is a center of a larger zone, which includes Bai Tu Long bay, Lan Ha bay and Cat Ba island. All of these beautiful sightseeing spots are the most wanted destinations voted by tourists when they travelled to Vietnam. These zones share a similar geological, geographical, geomaphological, climate and culture characters.
The best way to discovery Halong bay is taking a cruise, which brings you high comfort and interesting experiences while passing by dense of islets and caves rising spectacularly from the ocean.
1. Thien Cung cave (Heavenly Palace cave): Located in the southwest of Halong bay, Thien Cung cave is considered the most beautiful primitive cave of the Bay. Haevenly Palace cave is large 10,000 square meters with complicated interior structure, many floors and high ceiling which has a unique system of stalagmites and stalagties in various shapes and sizes.
Walking through a narrow door, toursits will be surprised by a large magnificent space like a Palace. The further you walk, the more beautiful formation of stalacties come to your eyes.
On the eastern side, an impressive picture of stalctites and stalagmites give tourists the most fantastic feeling ever.
Following your steps to the center of the cave, use your fertile imagination to create pictures of fish school, flock of birds and the daily life of local people from the giant nature rock pillars sculptured naturally by stalacties.
Moreover, on the ceiling of Thien Cung cave, amazing rows of stalagmites dropping through million years that create colorful pictures and melodies thank to the light and the wind flowing inside the cave.
Don’t miss this massive art museum by taking a Day cruises for your Halong bay trip!
2. Sung Sot cave (Amazing cave): Considering as a symbol of Halong bay, Sung Sot cave welcome thousands visiters a day. Although the cave is getting more and more crowded of travellers but it worth for going there. Sung Sot cave is a place where many rocky islands concentrated having distinct and strange shapes, which cannot be found in other ones. Visitor will come from surprise to surprise. Exploring the cave is not so easy, the way is coved by trees and foliage, offering lush landscape in the mountain. Surprise cave has 2 main parts:
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The first part like a commodious theatre with many stalactities dropping from the ceiling like chamdeliers. Your imagination will be all used to creat interesting of human and animal in varying poses.
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The second part will bring you amazing scenic. The sightseeing tour into the cave is just like a tour to witness the heaven with huge spaces revealed after the narrow line.
3. Luon Cave: Far from Sung Sot cave about 1 km, Luon cave is the paradise of spectacular nature and dreaming landscape. Here, visitors will have a chance to admire steep cliffs, calm peaceful clear blue water as smooth as a mirror. It is a circular mountainous arc with a blue lake in the middle, and flows into the sea by a tunnel created by a spectacular and extremely mysterious cave.
The reason why it called Luon cave because of its limited height (only 2.5m to 4m depending on the tide) so that the only way to visit the cave is by a small bamboo boat or a kayak. Especially, when the tide rises, visitors have to stoop down to pass through the cave.
With the tourists who have great passion for kayaking, Luon cave is the most ideal places in Halong b ay to satisfy your passion. The cave is a perfect combination of natural features including rocky cliffs, the mountain’s size and form, the color of clouds and sea waters, and the high biodiversity.
In addition to kayaking, rowing boat is another great option if you want to explore Luon Cave. Sitting on a bamboo boat rowed by a local person, a variety of plants such as ferns, cycads, Benjamin’s fig trees, and many beautiful orchids will come to your eyes.
Don’t miss this truly nature place by joining a Halong cruise offered by Pham Gia travel
4. Titop island: Got its name from Ghermann Titov, a former Soviet Union hero in the second World War, Titop island displays a beach shape like a crescent moon and boasts pristine snowy white sand, clear blue water and small waves. It is an ideal place for getting stuck into swimming and other recreational sea sport activities.
Titop island offers breaktaking landscape
Titop Island offers outstanding landscapes, which can be viewed from a vantage point high up in the centre of the island. Walking up over 400 steps to reach a gazebo at the top, where you can enjoy amazing panoramic views of Halong bay in the sunset or sunrise that will last forever on your fantastic Halong bay cruise trip.
5. Fishing villages: Halong Bay’s scenic beauty has become renowned throughout the world not only for its outstanding landscapes but also the unique culture by small communities living on floating villages tucked away in between the karst, sunken mountains.
Cruising through the villages or satisfy your advanture by kayaking or sitting on bamboo boat to visit these fishing villages to discovery increadible local daily life here. People lived, ate, slept, worked, partied, and even went to school on these tiny, self-sufficient floating villages. Each village has its own completely self-contained society, in perfect harmony with the land and sea, and surviving everyday trials and tribulations by working together.
There are 4 main floating villages in Halong bay now: Cua Van, Vung Vieng, Cong Dam and Ba Hang.
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Cua Van floating village is located in Hung Thang commune, just 20 km from Tuan Chau wharf. The village lies in amidst calm waters surrounded by mountains. It has been becoming as one of the finest examples of ancient villages and attracting a lot of toursits arround the years. Here are the cruises which include Cua Van floating village in their itineraries: Aclass Legend cruise, Aclass Stellar cruise, Carina cruise, ….
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Vung Vieng floating village: Vung Vieng village is located in the heart of Bai Tu Long Bay, and is about 40 km from Halong City. Thanks to the picturesque setting, this is a favourite sightseeing spot for cruise boats. While the residents used to earn their wage through fishing and pearl farming, nowadays their income is mainly supplemented by tourism. Check out the Halong bay cruises that go here: Aclass Legend cruise, Aclass Stellar cruise, Carina cruise, ….
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Cong Dam floating village: Known as one of the smallest and oldest villages in the bay, Cong Dam boasts to offering toursits an picturesque landscape with mountains, reefs, and underwater lakes. It is also a favoured stop off point for cruise boats: Aclass Legend cruise, Aclass Stellar cruise, Carina cruise, ….
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Ba Hang floating village: Home to 50 families, Ba Hang is a small village that lies in a peaceful strip of water between two karst formations. Check out this beautiful village on our Halong bay 1 day trip like: Viet Dragon cruise, Wonder bay cruise….
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