The legend of Halong, Lan Ha and Bai Tu Long Bay is one of the dragons. The mother dragon arrived to protect the locals from various invasion attempts taking place throughout that period. She spat out various fire gems and rocks. These became the karsts. The dragon’s babies king kept the fort of Bai Tu Long Bay. They protected the locals from any attackers. Halong Bay was the main area, along with Lan Ha Bay at the side. Away from the mainland was the bigger, more extensive fort. This is Bai Tu Long Bay.
This is a formation of karsts which stretches out for over 100km to China. All karsts are unique in structure and are habitats for a diverse range of fauna and animal life. You can see floating villages, junk boat deliveries and a few things happening within the distance. Bai Tu Long Bay is so big in comparison to the other bays. It is a huge ocean with a plethora of limestone karsts, emerald waters and unspoiled white sand beaches. It’s a serene and spectacular area. You feel like you are travelling back to the Jurassic Age.
Cruise liners are moving through the area. It is nothing like the collection of boats seen in Halong Bay. This area is a designated conservation zone. There are more amphibians here than people. There are barely any tourists who come this far out. It is a place to explore. Go around 30km northeast of Halong Bay. Untouched, serene and beautiful. You can feel like the Marco Polo of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It’s got the most islets out of all the bays. The area is 158km2. You could spend weeks sailing around this bay. There are still activities for people to do here. Kayaking, snorkelling and swimming are a must here. Most people take a cruise here. Thien Son Cave, Ban Chan Beach and Vung Vieng Fishing Village are the attractions known. There are more attractions to be discovered. Explorers and tourists have barely scratched the service with the discoveries to be made in Bai Tu Long Bay.
Ships and cruises embark from Hon Gai Port. Tours are available from Haiphong or Hanoi. There are only a handful of cruises which tour Bai Tu Long Bay. Paloma and Signature Cruises are two liners who tour the area, at the time of writing.
