Halong Bay is a widely popular travel destination. According to legend, it is the bay that the dragon mother has descended after helping the Vietnamese to defeat invaders. As a result, the bay was named “Ha Long,” which interprets to “descending dragon.”
Cat Ba Island
Being the largest island in the area, it offers many recreational activities such as mountain climbing, exploring caves, and trekking through the National Park. It also homes tourist attractions such as the Hospital Cave, which was a bomb-proof hospital during the Vietnamese war.
Bai Tu Long Bay
Although more visitors are making it a point to include Bai Tu Long Bay in their itineraries, it wasn’t a part of the Halong bay cruise tours until recently, due to the tricky navigation between the mazes of Limestone Mountains. If you embark on longer tours with cruise companies such as Bhaya Cruises, you might get lucky enough to access the island and explore its caves, which can only be accessed through the water.
The Vung Vieng Floating Village
Set up by some local fishermen in the 19th century, the Vung Vieng Floating Village is the largest its kind in the Halong bay. Tourists can attend workshops and make purchases at the open center, and they can even spend a night at the village for an authentic experience.
Cong Do Island
The isolated waters around the Cong Do Island are a paradise of many marine species making it an ideal location for snorkeling. Consisting of five different lakes that still connect to the sea, it has a quite diverse ecosystem.
