Ha Long Bay is a surreal landscape of limestone karsts erupting from the ocean like tidal waves made solid by magic and time. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, this natural wonder of the world has since become the single most popular tourist attraction in all of Vietnam. The 1500km2 bay is cupped by the Vietnam coastline just south of the Chinese border and dotted with thousands of uninhabited islands, floating fishing villages, and labyrinthine cave systems teeming with fossils, rock formations, myths, and mysteries.
Snorkel and Dive to Explore Coral Reefs
Though many travel guides focus on the landscape above the water, there’s a whole universe thriving below the surface. Ha Long Bay is home to more than 140 different species of coral, including rare varieties. These coral reefs cover up to 30 and even 60 percent of the area around islands like Cong Do, where legal restrictions, as well as geographic isolation, protect marine life from boat traffic, pollution, and human interference.
Take a dive trip to the coral reefs and watch marine creatures like starfish, sea horses, and sea turtles through the clear water. You can also explore the underwater grottos and intricate cave systems that shelter entire ecosystems. New and experienced divers can head out with a diving school or, as an alternative, you can take a boat into deeper water and snorkel around.
Explore Ha Long by Cruise Boat
Ha Long Bay is best explored from a boat. Some companies offer half-day cruises on traditional junk boats that allow you to experience the bay with sails and slow speeds. Others offer faster yachts that can quickly shuttle passengers between different islands and back. It is possible to take a quick half-day or full-day cruise through Ha Long Bay, but a longer trip is ideal. Book for two or three days with a ship that can plan for food, beverages, cocktails, and sightseeing so that you can just relax and enjoy the trip.
Spend a few days on a yacht, cruising around the bay by day and sleeping on the boat by night. It’s truly luxurious to be rocked to sleep by currents, and stargazing from the deck lounge of a boat anchored in the open ocean is a radically different experience from what can be seen by land. Such cruises offer buffet meals, cooking classes, or guided tours to private beaches and fishing villages. Combine different experiences for the perfect trip: plan for a relaxing “spa cruise” with deep tissue massages and yoga by sunrise, or embark on a true adventure complete with the deep-sea diving and squid fishing at moonlight.
Whatever your travel style, be sure to hop off the cruise for an afternoon to kayak around the karsts. A kayak is the best way to get up close to the limestone formations, and their small size allows for the most autonomy and adventure. The bay water is calm and still, making it safe, easy, and enjoyable to paddle between a selection of islands and karsts, through caves, and around floating villages. Hop into the clear water at intervals for a swim before heading back to the yacht for sunset cocktails and dining.
