Ha Long

An ink painting in limestone

The islands of Ha Long Bay began as a limestone layer roughly 1,000 m thick. In a hot, humid climate, as the land slowly rose, the limestone was worn into karst peaks, and the sea flooded in between them more than once. The geological record here reaches back nearly 500 million years. The bay is often likened to a giant ink-wash painting, and winter is when that rings true. In the cool, relatively dry winter, a light mist lies over the water. Nearby peaks stay dark while distant ones fade, layer by layer, so you meet a different Ha Long Bay from the one you'd see on a clear day.

Day trip or overnight?

Boats leave from ports on Tuần Châu Island and in Bãi Cháy. The Ha Long Bay management board has set eight sightseeing routes; on a first visit, start with these two. • Route 1 — Thiên Cung Cave, Đỉnh Hương islet (shaped like an incense burner), and Trống Mái, rocks that look like a rooster and hen facing each other. • Route 2 — Ti Tốp Island, Sửng Sốt Cave and Luồn Cave. The day-trip fee is VND 250,000 per person on either route. An overnight trip has to return within 24 hours of leaving port, and spending the night on route 2 brings the fee to VND 550,000. Stay overnight and you also get a late-afternoon paddle and a morning on deck. Route 5 passes the route 1 sights and continues to Gia Luận pier on Cát Bà Island, which belongs to Hải Phòng. Two "Ha Long Bay cruises" can end up in different places, so check the route number before you book.

Two caves and an island

Sửng Sốt Cave is on Bồ Hòn Island, about 14 km from Tuần Châu port, and it's the widest typical karst cave found in Ha Long Bay. Deep inside, stalactites of every shape glitter and draw a gasp at each step; that's said to be where the name, meaning "surprise," comes from. Thiên Cung means "heavenly palace." The cave sits 20 m above sea level with a floor of about 3,000 m², and it got its name because walking in feels like entering a grand palace. Ti Tốp is a small island 7–8 km southeast of Bãi Cháy. A crescent-shaped beach wraps around its base, and the sand stays clean thanks to the frequent tides. Climb to the top and the bay opens wide below you. All three are open 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. from April 16 to October 31, and until 5 p.m. the rest of the year.

Paddling into a lagoon

Luồn Cave looks like a tunnel with a flooded floor. It connects the sea with a small lake inside, so to get in you either take a bamboo boat or paddle a kayak. When the tide is high, you'll have to duck down in the boat to get through. A few hundred rhesus macaques live around Luồn Cave. Cửa Vạn, on route 3, is where fishing families once lived together on the water. The residents moved onto land in 2014, and a floating cultural center that opened in 2006 with support from the Norwegian government now shows how they used to live. You can also try a bamboo boat or a kayak here, or look around the fishermen's fish farms. Kayaking is best in the late afternoon. The tourism board suggests just before sunset, when you can see quiet lagoons and fishing boats up close, but Luồn Cave and Cửa Vạn close at the same time as the three spots above, so get on the water before then.

What the sea remembers

People have lived around Ha Long Bay for a very long time. A prehistoric culture from 4,500–3,500 years ago takes its name from this place, the Hạ Long culture, and the earlier Soi Nhụ culture goes back as far as 18,000 years. Under the Lý dynasty, in 1149, the Vân Đồn trading port was established in the area. The most dramatic scene came on March 24, 1946, when Ho Chi Minh held talks with French High Commissioner d'Argenlieu aboard the warship Émile Bertin in this bay. It happened on the very water the cruise boats cross today.

Ha Long on land, and at the table

Ha Long's town is split by the mouth of Cửa Lục Bay, with Bãi Cháy to the west and Hòn Gai to the east. At the Sun World complex in Bãi Cháy, ride the sea-crossing cable car and Cửa Lục Bay spreads out below you; the Sun Wheel, one of the tallest Ferris wheels in the world, is here too. When the sun goes down, the lights come on along the Bãi Cháy walking street, at the Ha Long night market and at Sun Carnival Plaza. At the table, start with chả mực, a squid cake made from squid meat and fried in oil. It's Quảng Ninh's signature dish and has become a Vietnamese national brand. In the morning, try bánh cuốn chả mực, thin rice sheets served with squid cake; in the evening, look for a place in Bãi Cháy that cooks the seafood you pick right there. In winter, sá sùng — dried peanut worm, roasted until nutty — is a popular snack.

A 3-day, 2-night itinerary

Day 1 — Leave Hanoi (about 2.5 hours by car) → check in at Bãi Cháy → Sun World cable car in the afternoon → Ha Long night market Day 2 — Bánh cuốn chả mực for breakfast → board an overnight cruise at Tuần Châu port → Ti Tốp summit → Sửng Sốt Cave → kayaking in the late afternoon → night on board Day 3 — Morning on deck → bamboo boat into Luồn Cave → disembark, chả mực for lunch → back to Hanoi

What to eat

• Chả mực (fried squid cake)
• Bánh cuốn chả mực (thin rice sheets with squid cake)
• Bãi Cháy seafood (cooked right after you pick it)
• Roasted sá sùng (dried peanut worm, a winter snack)

Handy tips

• Sightseeing fees are VND 250,000 per person for day routes 1 and 2, and VND 500,000–550,000 for an overnight stay, depending on the route. Kids under 1.2 m (or under 7) go free, and ages 7 to 15 get 20% off. When you book, check whether the fee's included in your cruise price.
• Don't hire a boat from anyone touting outside the port. The Ha Long Bay management board also advises getting information inside the passenger terminal and buying tickets for an official route.
• Bringing or using single-use plastic is banned while you're touring the bay. Carry your water in a reusable bottle.