Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is one of the worlds natural wonders and is the most beautiful tourist destination of Vietnam. Ha Long Bay features more than one thousand awesome limestone karsts and islands of various sizes and shapes along the 120-km coastline of Bai Chay Beach.

Vinh Ha Long or Bay of the Descending Dragon is often touted by proud Vietnamese as the worlds Eighth wonder. One of the main attractions of Ha long is the bays calm water and the thousands of limestone mountains dotting the seascape. The Bays water is clear during the spring and early summer.

Some of the islands are quite large and there are small alcoves with sandy beaches where swimming is possible. Its waters are host to a great ersity of ecosystems including offshore coral reefs, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forests, small freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches.

The folk tale has it that the dragons descended from heaven to help locals by spitting jewels and jade to the sea, forming a natural fortress against invaders; these precious stones are represented by the lush green outcrops. Several islands boast beautiful grottos and caves with contiguous chambers, hden ponds and peculiar stone formations.

Ha Long bay lies in the northeastern part of Vietnam and is 165 Km from Hanoi.