Halong Bay Scuba Diving, Halong Bay Vietnam

For tourists who love discovery, scuba-diving will be a favorite activity on Halong Bay. By scuba-diving, tourists will have chance to see the wonderful underwater world of Halong by their all eyes. It must be an amazing experience when you can explore various kinds of fish as well as pristine coral reefs at the bottom of Halong Bay; and even touch them. All facilities are regularly checked and match safety standard. Therefore, it’s unnecessary to worry about your safety.

Halong Bay Squid Fishing, Halong Bay Vietnam

Squid fishing on Halong Bay at night is an interesting activity at which tourists can experience the feeling of being a fisherman. Tourists will have the instruction from local fishermen about how to fish a squid in the sea. The squids caught will be used to make dishes for tourists. This is also an ideal time to gaze Halong Bay by night. The sea water surface is sparkling with reflected light from cruises anchored on the bay.

Halong Bay Kayak, Halong Bay Vietnam

Halong Bay is considered as one of the most ideal place for kayaking in the world. Kayaking service is available with many imported kayaks. Joining guided kayaking on Halong Bay; tourists will reach pristine islands and discover untouched lagoons when the tide rises in the late afternoon. Tourists will have a closer insight into the bay’s diverse nature with wild animals and mangroves.

Discover Halong Bay Caves, Halong Bay Vietnam

Halong was honored twice with the title “World Natural Heritage Site” by the UNESCO as its value of geology, geomorphology. Therefore, visitors once coming to Halong Bay shouldn’t miss the chance to explore grotto system there (including Sung Sot Cave - Surprise Cave, Dau Go Cave - Wooden Stakes Cave, Thien Cung Cave, etc.). Magnificent masterpieces of the Creator will definitely dazzle all visitors by the magical world of stalactites and stalagmites in various sizes and shapes. Tourists are also have chance to dine in a cave and experience an exotic feeling of dining in spacious and romantic ambiance inside.

Halong Fried Sea Snails with Chili Sauce, Halong Bay Vietnam

Halong is famous because of many kinds of seafood like not only lobster, squid but also snails. Halong has many kinds of sea snails; each kind has its own processing and its own taste. But fried sea snail with chili sauce is the most attractive dish. To cook this dish, people wash snails, then put them in pot, add chili sauce and cook without adding water. Without adding cooking oil, they just sprinkle more shredded lime leaves on this dish. When completed, snails fried has passionate fragrant and fuming. Snails turn pink with red dots, yellow dots and look nice. This dish tastes greasy, spicy hot, usually added withherbs. When drinking beer, it would be great if snails are served with.

Halong Bay Lobsters, Halong Bay Vietnam

Lobster is available in many places but if you go to Halong to enjoy it, you will have an unforgettable impression. Lobsters have a variety of different weight, depending on the number of customers that the restaurant can serve.

Halong Bay Vietnam – Lobsters

Lobsters can be processed into many dishes such as steamed lobster, fried lobster with salt, lobster salad, etc. Steamed lobster is the most popular dish because it keeps the full flavor of the sea. Lobsters are green when alive, turn to pink when steamed. Steamed lobster is decorated with onions and herbs, served with soy sauce or fish sauce. This dish is delicious and nutritious so it is commended as one of the best specialty in Halong.

History of the name Halong

“Ha Long” is literally translated as “Bay of Descending Dragons.” Prior to the 19th century, this name was not recorded in any document or archive. When mentioning the present-day Quang Ninh Sea or Ha Long Bay, old historical books often referred to them by the names of An Bang, Luc Thuy or Van Don. Not until the late 19th century did the name of Halong Bay appear on a French Marine Map. “The Hai Phong News”, a French newspaper of the time, had an article, “Dragon appears on Ha Long Bay”, reporting the following story: In 1898 a sub-lieutenant named Lagredin, captaining the ‘Avalanse’ reported seeing a huge sea snake on Ha Long Bay. This was also witnessed by many of the crews. Thus emerged the European image of the Asian dragon. Whether this appearance of a strange animal looking like a dragon resulted the name of Ha Long Bay is not known (Reference “Quang Ninh: Art and Culture” published in 2002)

There is also a local legend, which has been handed down, relating to the name Ha Long Bay, which tells the following tale:
“Long ago, in the first founding days, the Viet people were attacked by foreign aggressors. The Jade Emperor sent the Mother Dragon and her band of Child Dragons to help the Viet people fight the invaders. While the enemy vessels were launching massive attacks against the mainland, the dragons descended in flocks from the sky. They spat out innumerable pearls which changed into jade stone islands the moment they touched the water. These islands linked together to form firm citadels that checked the enemy’s advance and smashed their vessels to pieces.

After the invaders were driven out, Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons did not return to Heaven but stayed on earth, right at the place where the battle occurred. The spot where the Mother Dragon landed was Ha Long, and where the Child Dragons came down was Bai Tu Long. The place where their tails violently wagged was called Long Vi, the present-day Tra Co Peninsula with its soft sandy beach stretching many kilometers.”

Quan Lan Island in Halong Bay Vietnam

Paradise cruises

Location: Quan Lan Island belongs to Halong Bay, it has an area of 11km², and features eight populated hamlets.

Characteristics: Quan Lan Island stretch toward East – West from the foot of Van Don Range to the Got Mount with many high mountains to the east barring waves and winds, protect the villages.

Quan Lan Island

Quan Lan Island Beach  - Halong Bay Vietnam

The island is situated on an important navigation route that connects China, Japan, Thailand and Philippines to Vietnam. Along two sides of the island are tens kilometres of sand beaches. This is the endless resource for glass making which the sea gives to man and it is also the extremely interesting tourism.

Since the 11th century, Quan Lan had been one of the centres of the ancient commercial port of Van Don, which was animated and prosperous at the time. Today, there are still many vestiges linked to the ancient commercial port. This also explains why the island, lying deep in the sea, has the large pagodas and archaeological sites seen today.

On the island there is the Quan Lan Communal House built in the 18th century; exceedingly beautiful and almost entirely preserved. Next to it is Quan Lan Pagoda (Linh Quang Tu), which is dedicated to Buddha and Saint Lieu Hanh. The pagoda also worships the statue of old Hau, a local person who made lots of contributions to the construction of the pagoda. The statue features a gentle and cheerful old woman, which adds an original character to the pagoda. Beside Quan Lan Pagoda lies Nghe Quan Lan (Duc Ong) Shrine, which is dedicated to Pham Cong Chinh, a local person who participated in the historical Van Don battle against the Yuan invaders. He was later honored as a god. Quan Lan has many valuable sea products such as octopuses, butterfish, mackerel, holothurians, shrimp and sai sung.

Nam Cat Island And Beach

Nam Cat Island is a small one of Lan Ha Bay of the world biosphere reserve of Cat Ba Island. It is endowed with amazing seascapes and surrounded by a range of limestone mounts, in which is five white sandy beaches of cool crystal clean water and various floras.

It takes you about 30 minutes from Cai Beo pier by junk boat to Nam Cat Island’s white sandy beach. Upon landing on the island,deeply breathing the very fresh air and the real natural smell of sea breeze, stepping your bared foot on sand to feel the exclusive experience in this beautiful island.

Halong Bay Travel - Sandy Beach Resort

Cat Ba Sandy Beach Resort - Escaping from the busy work to go to Cat Ba Sandy Beach Resort to experience new unique feeling and very sweet moment once lying on the smooth sandy beach, tipping a cup of cocktail, the shining sun.Sailing to discover Lan Ha Bay, surfing or diving to see the world of colorful coral.And raise your voice with songs and dancing around the camp fire to celebrate beach party with your love one and friends

History of Cat Ba Island in Halong Bay Vietnam

Halong Bay Vietnam

Archeological evidence suggests that people have lived on Cat Ba Island for almost 6,000 years, with the earliest settlements being found on the southeastern tip of the Island close to the area where Ban Beo harbor sits today. In 1938, a group of French archeologists discovered human remains belonging “to the Cai Beo people of the Ha Long culture, which lived between 4,000 and 6,500 years ago… considered to be perhaps the first population group occupying the North-Eastern territorial waters of Vietnam… the Cai Beo people may be an intermediary link between the population strata at the end of the Neolithic Age, some 4,000 years ago”.

Halong Bay Vietnam

In more recent history, Cat Ba Island was inhabited mostly by Viet-Chinese fisherman and was largely influenced by both the French and American wars. The Island was a strategic look-out point and bombing during the wars often forced local residents to hide among the Island’s many caves. Today, the best reminders of the two wars have been turned into tourist attractions. Hospital Cave, which was a secret, bomb-proof hospital during the American War and as a safe house for VC leaders. This three-story feat of engineering was in use until 1975 is only 10 km north of Cat Ba Town. The second attraction, the newly built Cannon Fort, sits on a peak 177 meters high, offering visitors a chance to see old bunkers and helicopter landing stations as well stunning views Cat Ba Island, its coast, and the limestone karsts in Lan Ha Bay offshore.