Hạ Long Bay: a thousand limestone islands and fishing villages on the water

Scenery

Hạ Long Bay is in Quảng Ninh province, covering about 1,553 km² with about 1,969 islands, most of them limestone (the number of islands varies between sources). The islands rise straight up like pillars, covered in green, out of emerald water, creating a landscape few places can match.

The bay has many caves. Sửng Sốt Cave on Bồ Hòn Island and Thiên Cung Cave on the northern part of Đầu Gỗ Island are often part of cruise itineraries. Kayaking is a way to get close to small caves that big boats can't enter.

The best light is usually early morning and sunset. In winter there is often drizzle and fog, which gives the bay a magical look, while summer brings lovely sunshine but also heat and a risk of thunderstorms.

History and cultural value

According to legend, the gods sent a family of dragons down to help the Vietnamese people fight foreign invaders. The dragons spat out jewels, and those jewels turned into rocky islands, forming a shield against the sea. That is how the name Hạ Long came about.

UNESCO inscribed the bay on the World Heritage List in 1994. The boundaries were later adjusted in 2000 and 2023, when the Cát Bà archipelago was added, creating the Hạ Long Bay and Cát Bà Archipelago site. The site is now 65,650 hectares and includes 1,133 islands. UNESCO regards it as the largest and most famous example in the world of flooded tower karst landscape, and it also has significant biodiversity, including the endangered Cát Bà langur.

People

The bay has floating fishing villages such as Cửa Vạn, Ba Hang, Cống Tàu and Vông Viêng. Residents live on houseboats and make a living from fishing and aquaculture. Since 2014, more than 300 households have been resettled on land, so the villages look different from how they used to.

Some households also take visitors out in small boats or sell seafood meals. When you visit a village, ask before photographing people or their homes, because it's where they live, not a film set.

Quảng Ninh province has banned speedboats for tourists, a rule that helps reduce noise and wake in the bay.

Famous foods

Hạ Long food revolves around fresh seafood caught right in the bay:

• Chả mực Hạ Long (squid cake): squid pounded by hand to make it springy, then fried golden and eaten hot. It is the most talked-about local speciality.
• Sá sùng (peanut worm): a sea worm that lives in the sand flats, usually cooked in soup or stir-fried, with a clean, sweet flavour.
• Steamed ngán (clams): sweet clams steamed with ginger or lemongrass, easy to eat and suited to most people.
• Grilled oysters with spring onion oil: fresh oysters grilled over charcoal, topped with fried shallots and peanuts.
• Prawns, crab and squid, steamed or grilled: usually part of the meal on a tourist cruise.

The dishes above are familiar specialities of the region. Prices and quality vary from place to place, so ask the price before you order, especially for dishes sold by weight.

When to go and what to know

• Season: late spring to early summer is usually warm and sunny with calm seas, good for kayaking and walking. June to August is hot, with a risk of thunderstorms, and is the busiest period. Early autumn is cool and pleasant. Winter (December to March) is often drizzly and misty, which looks beautiful but is cold.
• Getting there: from Hà Nội, many people take the Hà Nội to Hải Phòng expressway and then the Hải Phòng to Hạ Long expressway. You can also stay overnight on a cruise boat.
• Weekends and holidays are very crowded, so book early.
• The best time to climb Bài Thơ Mountain is from October to April, when the weather is usually stable and clear.
• Bring a bag to carry your rubbish back to shore, and don't feed the fish or throw rubbish into the bay.
• Choose a boat with a clear licence and plenty of life jackets.