Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Halong Bay is a unique natural landmark that has long become Vietnam’s main symbol. Millions of years ago, sea waves invaded the coastal plain teeming with limestone cliffs. It is estimated that 90% of visitors to Vietnam name Halong Bay as the main goal of their often not-so-close trip. This place is truly unique and unlike any other. Within a relatively small coastal area of 1500 sq. km, 1969 islands are scattered about, of which only 989 have names. In fact, there are two bays here: Halong and Bai Tulong, located to its east. Both are literally strewn with tower-like islands made of limestone and shale. By the way, the area protected by UNESCO takes up less than a third of the total area and has “just” 775 islands. In this magical region, only tourist and passenger vessels of small tonnage may enter. In the rest of the waters, active shipping and marine fishing take place.

Most of the rocks in Halong are topped with curly caps of greenery, and many of them feature deep karst caves that keep ancient secrets. Among them, there are no twins-each rock has its own unmistakable appearance, sometimes so bizarre that local residents associate such rocks with legends. Only half of the islands have names, and permanent residents live on only two. The scenery of the bay can be admired forever-in different times of day, under different lighting and weather conditions, Halong appears in a new, yet invariably beautiful guise. For a long time, war and political upheavals made it inaccessible to travelers; however, now it is the most popular natural landmark in Vietnam.

By the way, from this port cruise companies offer not only tours around the bay, but also guided excursion programs to the capital of Vietnam Hanoi.

In Halong Bay, two main seasons are identified. From May to October, the warm and humid summer season lasts. The average air temperature during these months is 26,4 °С, but it can rise up to 35 °С. If your visit to Halong falls during the rainy season, that doesn’t mean the rain will pour nonstop. It falls once a day, and as a rule, at night. A much more serious issue-are typhoons, whose season in Halong Bay runs from August to October. In winter, Halong has cool and relatively dry weather, with an average air temperature of about 20 °С (it can drop to 15 °С).