Guide to Vietnam
Must See Vietnam
- Ba Be National Park
- Bac Ha Market
- Cua Dai Beach
- Dalat
- Dien Bien Phu
- Ha Tien
- Halong Bay
- Hué
- Mariamman Hindu Temple
- Museum of Ho Chi Minh City
- My Son
- Phuoc An Hoi Quan Pagoda
- Thien Hau Pagoda
Places in Vietnam
In association with:
Halong Bay, with its 3000 islands rising from the clear, emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, is one of Vietnam's natural marvels. The islands are dotted with innumerable beaches and grottoes created by the wind and waves. Hang Dau Go is the most impressive grotto, a huge cave of three chambers.
Ha Long means 'where the dragon descended into the sea', and refers to a legend about a dragon who created the bay and islands with its flailing tail. There's a modern legendary creature, the Tarasque, said to haunt the area. Taking a tour of the bay is the main activity here; book one in Hanoi.
If you want to arrange things independently, be ready for lots of hard sell from touts in Halong Bay City. To see a lot, choose a fast boat. If you want a romantic experience but with the risk of getting hardly anywhere, look for one of the old junks. You have to charter the whole boat, but there are usually enough travellers around to make up a party and keep costs down.