Halong Bay in Vietnam

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General information about Halong

Halong Bay

Halong Bay, also called Halong Bay – is a bay in the Gulf of Tonkin of the South China Sea in the North Vietnam, about 170 kilometers from Hanoi. In the Bay there are more than 3000 islands, rocks, cliffs and caves. Its area is about 1500 sq. km. Halong Bay on an interactive map of Vietnam. Halong is also the name of the city, which is the capital of Quang Ninh Province, in which the Bay is located. The city itself does not contain any tourist attractions and is simply a transshipment base for self-traveling tourists.

The name of the Bay translates from Vietnamese roughly as "the Bay in which the Dragons descend (dive)" or "the Bay in which the Dragon descended".

In 1994, Halong Bay was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and in 2011, Halong was named one of the "7 new wonders of the world" and was declared a new natural wonder as one of Vietnam's most iconic landscapes. The scenery here is really spectacular, especially when your pleasure craft will cruise between the rocks. But, in fairness, it is worth noting that the images of the bay from advertising booklets and on websites do not always correspond to reality. Unfortunately, there are no traditional sailing boats with specific easily recognizable sails as in the advertising photos. Tourists are carried on large motorboats, and all these traditional boats under sail in advertising are the result of photomontage or staged shooting.

Halong Bay (Vietnam) The islands closest to the shore / View photos in 3D

Almost all the islands of Halong Bay are rocky, many of them are funny little rock formations. In the rocks there are thousands of caves of various shapes and sizes, filled with stalactites and stalagmites, small waterfalls. The most popular caves are equipped for tourist attractions with the help of illumination with multi-colored lamps, which makes them look like underground palaces.

For tourists, the Bay is mainly interesting not as a tourist resort for long-term accommodation, but as an excursion destination for a short time. Most often, tourists visit the Bay as part of an excursion for 1-2 days, and sometimes they do not even stop here, limiting themselves to a one-day excursion. Meanwhile, here it is quite possible to stop at Сatba Island Hotel (Cat Ba) or go to the coast and spend a few days here.

But before you decide to go to Halong, you should be warned about the numerous incidents that kill tourists. This is due to the low level of safety on older pleasure boats. Many of the tourist pleasure boats have long outlived their days as fishing vessels, and now live a second life after alteration and repair. The last incident (at the time of writing) in February 2011 claimed the lives of twelve tourists, including from Russia.

Halong weather, tourist seasons

Halong Bay (Vietnam) Halong, floating village / View photos in 3D

The climate in the Bay is tropical, humid, with two seasons: hot rainy summers and dry cold winters. The coldest and driest months are December-February. The rainiest months are from June to September with maximum rainfall in August. Well, the most favorable tourist months are April-May and September-October.

Theoretically, the Bay can be visited at any time of the year, and excursions there never stop. But, as in general in the northern part of Vietnam, in the winter months you should be prepared for low temperatures. Of course, frosts do not happen here, but given the proximity to the ocean and piercing winds, you are unlikely to experience much pleasure from being here from December to February inclusive. Sometimes at this time at night the temperature can drop to 10 degrees Celsius, although during the day it stays at least 20.

From March, the temperature begins to straighten out and it becomes quite hot, although the water may not be warm enough yet and the bathing season is just beginning to open. Although, in general, the weather is already quite favorable for visiting the Bay. In April, we can safely talk about the beach season in Halong.

In June-September, the weather is very hot, but there can be torrential rains, which, fortunately, are most often not protracted.

The end of the beach season can be observed in November.

Seasons in Halong by month, when is the best time to go

Jan Feb March Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov. Dec
                       

*best time to visit;
acceptable time to visit;
not recommended time to visit

Current weather in Halong and forecast for the near future:

How to get to Halong

Halong Bay (Vietnam) Strangers Cave, Halong / View photos in 3D

Most often, tourists get to Halong as part of an excursion (see about excursions and their cost below), which, of course, is much easier than an independent trip. But getting to Halong on your own and budget is possible. And when you get to Halong and stay at the hotel, you can buy a boat tour of the islands, caves and other attractions. Day trips-walks in Halong leave for the sea in the morning (the last boat at 13 hours), so when planning the route, take this into account if you do not want to waste the day on useless hotel accommodation.

In our opinion, an independent trip to Halong makes sense only if you want to stay in Halong for a few days and see the city itself, sunbathe on the beach, maybe visit the National Reserve. If you plan to visit Halong only for the sake of a boat tour, you will not get special financial benefits and pleasure from an independent trip. It can cost you even more than a group tour from Hanoi, especially considering the possible unforeseen taxi costs, unreasonably high prices for an on-site excursion with a bad bargain on your part, etc.

The best starting point for both a sightseeing tour and an independent trip to Halong is Hanoi. About how to get to Hanoi here.... If you wish to visit Halong from Ho Chi Minh City or other cities, then you can use air travel to Haiphong (Hai Phong). You can try to use the transfer directly from Hanoi airport to Halong, but it is better to take care of this in advance, for example, by arranging this with the hotel that you book in Halong.

Hanoi to Halong by bus

The easiest way to use a tourist bus, most often minibuses. They are convenient because a ticket for them can be purchased at any travel company on the streets in the tourist area of Hanoi, they also depart from the tourist area or include a transfer-collection of passengers from hotels to the place of departure of a large bus. To Halong, a tourist bus costs from $10 (2013) and takes about 3 hours. There are also compound routes in one ticket to Catba island (Cat Ba) consisting of a trip to Halong, then by boat to Catba and from the marina to the resort area on the island. Cost from $12.

A cheaper option is to get there by regular intercity bus. Such buses depart from Hanoi Long Bien, Gia Lam Station, My Dinh or Luong Yen bus stations to Halong city. Buses leave every 15-30 minutes and cost about 50,000 VND. Buses are very slow, make many stops, so do not expect to get faster than 5 hours. In Halong, buses arrive at Bai Chay Bus Station.

From Luong Yen station there is also a bus on a composite route to Catba island at a cost of 210,000 Dong (2013).

Wherever you depart from Hanoi, if you are going to go on a boat cruise, your final destination should be the marina in Halong, where you can immediately purchase a tour upon arrival and set sail. Therefore, check with the carrier before buying tickets, where the bus will take you, otherwise you will have to spend money on a taxi to get to the pier. The bulk of tourist buses and minibuses go exactly to the pier. And do not forget that the last boat on the cruise leaves at about 13 hours, and if you arrive later than this time, you will either have to go back or spend the night in Halong.

By train

Unfortunately, there is no train to Halong, despite the presence of the railway, from Hanoi. You need to get through Haiphong (Haiphong).

There are 4 passenger trains daily between Hanoi and Haiphong. Travel time is about 2 hours. Send from Hanoi Main Railway Station or from Hanoi Long Bien station. It is better to buy tickets not from intermediaries, but directly at the station. There is no great need to book tickets in advance, because they are always available. Just come to the station, buy a ticket and go.

You can view train schedules at: http://www.vietnamtrains.com, http://www.vietnamrailways.net or http://www.saigonrailway.com.vn/

From Haiphong by ferry or boat, you can take a bus to Halong, or by ferry or speedboat to Haiphong. Cat Ba for 150,000 VND.

Excursions

The program of almost any tour to Halong is quite standard and includes lunch (plus dinner and breakfast for multi-day tours); boat trips between the rocks; a stop at a floating village where you will be invited to ride a boat or kayak through the caves; landing on one of the islands where you will walk through the caves.

Multi-day tours, as already mentioned, additionally include an overnight stay on a boat or in a hotel and a more eventful program. As for the one-day tour from Hanoi, unfortunately, half of the tour time will be spent collecting tourists in Hanoi, taking the bus and waiting at the pier, and the boat ride itself will take more than 4 hours. Therefore, it is highly recommended to buy a two-day tour, and to stop on a one-day tour only in case of lack of time.

Bay Tours from Halong

Queue at the ticket office at the pier Queue at the ticket office at the pier

If you yourself reached Halong or Catba island, you can easily buy a boat tour on the spot. The cost of a one – day excursion purchased at the ticket offices at the pier with stops in the main caves starts from 80,000 VND ($4). As a rule, the tour includes lunch.

You can buy a cruise for 2-3 days. Such cruises may include an overnight stay on a boat or in a hotel on the island. Power is usually on. The cost of cruises from $ 35.

In general, the cost of a cruise when buying on the spot varies greatly depending on the class of boat and on the greed of the reseller of the excursion and your ability to bargain. Don't be surprised if you share a cabin with someone who bought the tour at twice the price, or worse, cheaper. The cure for overpayment is to buy tickets at the ticket offices of the pier, well, or in extreme cases, in a serious travel agency. Molesters in tourist areas and on the pier are just resellers who will offer you a tour to tridoroga. So when you arrive in Halong, go straight to the ticket offices. The only reason why you can refuse to buy tickets at the box office is at times a large queue. But rest assured, despite all the assurances pestered that a special unique tour will be organized for you, you will receive absolutely the same as when buying at the box office.

Bay Tours from Hanoi

If you purchase a tour from Hanoi, you can choose a day tour or a 2-3-day cruise. This option in most cases will be much more optimal than an independent trip both in price and in time. But taking a 3-day kuriz is not really worth it, it is quite monotonous and almost no different from a 2-day one.

Approximate cost of excursions from Hanoi (2018):

  • One-day tour-from $ 40.
  • Two-day tour ("romantic night on the ship") - from $ 85.
  • Three-day tour (two nights) - from $ 140.

Halong hotels where to stay

You can stay in Halong or on the Cat Ba island. For a long stay, Catba island is much more interesting. The island is very beautiful, has several beaches, a national reserve, and a developed tourist area. True, there is also an inconvenience – it is quite far to get to the hotel zone from the pier.

Halong is not so interesting to stay in, as there is almost nothing to do in the city. Most cruises around the Bay are organized from here, so it's worth staying in Halong just to spend the night. It is best to stay in the area of Bai Chai Beach. There is another great place - Tuan Chau island, connected to the mainland by a bridge. The island has a great beach and several hotels, most of which are obscenely expensive.

You can find and book accommodation in Halong on these sites or through the search form:

Halong map with hotels

You can download ⤓ points of interest, important transport points (bus stations, airports, etc.), districts and beaches from our map in KMZ/KML format. These files can be downloaded to the navigator or smartphone for use with offline or online Google Maps applications, Organic Maps and others that support this format, and use them to navigate and explore resorts.

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Useful information

Alcoholic beverages. For alcohol brought with you or bought not on the ship (in floating stores) during the cruise, the so — called "cork right" is often required-about 10,000 VND per bottle. If you do not want to pay, buy alcohol in advance and smuggle aboard secretly :-). a bottle of beer on the ship costs about 40,000 VND.

Photos. The best, simply mystical, photos of Halong are obtained at dawn or dusk. But keep in mind that the sun here is "falling" below the horizon at almost right angles, and the time of dawn or sunset is very short.

Diving. In addition to the natural beauty of the Bay and caves, some tourists find in the waters of Halong Bay a good diving from the sides of ships. For this purpose, special excursions are organized from Hanoi.

Wiring in the floating village. When you arrive at the floating village, you will be invited to go by boat or kayak to the cave. In this case, you will first be told that the Walk will cost one or two dollars, but when you already get into the boat, you will be charged five or more dollars. Therefore, specify the price and pay before you get into the boat, so as not to give the Vietnamese the opportunity to once again deceive you.

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