Book your cheap flights to Vietnam and spend your getaway in this breathtaking place. This place offers plenty of beautiful destinations and fun activities for vacationers. Families and couples will both enjoy visiting this country. One of the most ideal destinations here in Vietnam is the famous heritage site, Halong Bay. This site is a great getaway spot for vacationers and travelers who want to enjoy a peaceful and relaxing time off.
Located in the Northern Vietnam province of Quang Ninh, Halong Bay covers an area of 1553 km² in the Gulf of Tonkin. Disseminated throughout the site are some 1969 islands, most of them uninhabited, making for a total land area of 562 km².
Two wide channels, in the East and in the West, up to 24 m deep, are usually seen as the bay’s gateways. The central part on the other hand is mostly shallow, depths averaging only 2 m.
UNESCO recognised Halong Bay as a World Heritage Site in 1994 and 2000. The total area since then protected spreads on 434 km² and includes 788 islets.
Halong Bay means the “bay of the descending Dragon”. Many legends surround the formation of Halong Bay, most involving the afore-mentioned mythical animal. The most widespread story tells how a dragon, sent by the Emperor of Jade to support the Viet people fighting against the foreign invaders, helped push away the attackers and in the process, spat jewels that landed in the sea and formed the karst landscape. The Dragon, followed by her children, then decided to settle there and descended to the bay. Mother Dragon made Ha Long Bay her home while her children settled in Bai Tu Long, their tails whipping on the beaches of Long Vi.
Being one of the great natural wonders of Asia, Halong Bay is the single most popular side trip from Hanoi. The beauty of the bay and its 3000 islands is so awesome that an excursion there should be considered an essential part of any visit to Northern Vietnam. A one or two day trip also makes a delightful and inexpensive romantic getaway if you meet someone special.
After five hours on a hellish road (which is slowly being repaved), you will be rewarded with some of the most spectacular and memorable sightseeing of your trip. Hire a boat in Halong City or Hon Gai to take you as far from shore as possible, and simply meander among the islands, fjords and inlets. There is plenty to explore in the 4000 square kilometer body of water, and it is easy to find peaceful places to swim, fish, or just relax without seeing another soul, yet surrounded by majestic scenery.
Despite what geologists may claim, the bay was actually created when an immense dragon plunged to Earth here before recorded history. Its mighty tail carved the great stone seabed violently before the creature flew away to the place where legends are born. This fable does not seem so far fetched as you sail among thousands of limestone outcroppings, which look like so many blades thrust deep into the mist from below the sea. Many are barren, weathered and rocky. Others are cloaked in vegetation so dense that it is impossible to see the stone beneath. At dusk, they all take on mysterious shades of gray, mauve and olive.
Several of the larger islands have extensive caves, which are open to visitors for about a dollar. Although they are poorly lit and have slippery pathways, they offer a little adventure to liven up a long, lazy day of boating.
The water is warm, clean and clear, so swimming is always a pleasure here. Be prepared with swimwear and a towel.
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