Located east of Hanoi and taking 3 hours driving, Gulf of Tonkin is a part of Pacific Ocean and the gulf is shared between Vietnam and China. Inside the area that belongs to Vietnam, there are thousands of limestone rocks coming out of the sea surface that creates one of most magnificent sightseeing in the world. The Gulf of Tonkin covers the areas more than 130.000 km2 but travellers only pick a smaller area to visit that contains three bays : Hạ Long Bay , Lan Hạ Bay or Bái Tử Long Bay. Wondering which one worths staying? Let’s find it out with Junetours today :
Hạ Long Bay < where the dragons descend> is the most well-known out of three bays. It was recognized as UNESCO heritage site in 1994 and has become a must see place since then. Nearly 100% of travellers who come visit Vietnam make a trip to Ha Long bay. You can either do one day tour < 4 hours or 6 hours > or stay overnight < one night or two nights> on the cruises to explore the bay. Back in 2010’s most of the cruises were made from wood that looked authentic and classic, however, they are shifted into steel nowadays that looks innovative and modern. Ha Long Bay attracts approximately 12 million foreign tourists and 15 million Vietnamese ones every year. It is crowded and touristy due to its reputation. During Ha Long Bay trip, travellers normally have three activities : Surprising Cave where you go through the biggest dried cave in the bay for 50 minutes , Tivov island where you can either go swimming or go hiking 500 steps up to a viewpoint to admire a panoramic view of the bay and kayaking at the pearl farm.
Due to its overtourism, the authority came up with the exploitation the bay next door whose name is Lan Ha Bay < summer of flower in Vietnamese>. Lan Ha Bay has taken in tourists for 10 years now and it is for those who prefer to enjoy a quiet trip but still admire the limestone rocks coming out of the sea surface. Nearly 100% cruises in Lan Ha Bay are made from steel which looks modern and luxury. While visiting Lan Ha Bay, tourists do kayaking and biking on Cat Ba Island <the largest island in the bay>, the significant difference here is : you can jump off from the boat into the sea to swim which is strictly prohibited in Ha Long Bay !
Bái Tử Long Bay < where the little dragons descend> is the least known area but still a worthy place to visit. There are least cruises in this bay out of three bays but when you take this off-the-beaten-track route, you’ll be amazed at its quietness and calmness. You can charter a private boat to enjoy a full night on this bay with less boats surrounding. While visiting Bai Tu Long Bay, you will also join three activities : caving exploring, kayaking and swimming.
Even though three bays are located exactly on the same gulf and features the same landscapes, they are managed by different authorities that bring out different policies. Travellers normally pick up the most popular route to visit , however , throught this post, Junetours hopes you can have an overview outlook before your trip to Vietnam and together let’s make your trip memorable !
Junetours : hundreds of trips – one trust.
Phone : +84378694469
Email : contact@junetours.vn
Address : 442 Au Co street – Tay Ho district – Hanoi 100000