what makes ha long bay such a famous tourist attraction picture 1
Ha Long Bay which literally means the bay of a descending dragon has twice been recognised as a World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO, both in 1994 and 2000.
The bay spans a total area of 1,553 square kilometres and includes 1,969 islands of various sizes. It particularly has thousands of limestone karsts and islets in various shapes and sizes.
The limestone which can be found in the bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in various different conditions and environments.
The geo-diversity of the local environment has contributed to creating biodiversity, including a tropical evergreen bio system and a oceanic and sea bio system.
In 2018, Ha Long Bay made it into the top 15 most Instagrammed global cruise destinations, based on a survey of 1.8 million posts tagged on various ships and ports by travel cruise site SeaHub.
Visitors can lie on the deck watching the starry night sky, touching mist, and inhaling the salty sea air, which can be considered extremely romantic experiences that visitors should try once in a lifetime.
To enjoy a more authentic experience, visitors can explore the bay on wooden boats rowed by local people and visit a number of beautiful caves and mangroves.
Thien Cung, Dau Go, Sung Sot, and Me Cung are widely considered to be the most beautiful caves throughout Ha Long Bay.
Visitors should not miss out on a trip to Luon cave, that represents a perfect combination of natural features, including rocky cliffs, a huge mountain, colourful clouds and sea water, along with high biodiversity.
Kayaking in Ha Long Bay is one of the main highlights for foreign tourists during their trip to the UNESCO heritage site. After spending time admiring the bay on the sun deck, visitors can row themselves around in order to explore the majestic cave systems, swim in the cool sea, and enjoy the natural scenery to the fullest.
Ti Top Island is a familiar spot among visitors, who have the chance to enjoy the spectacularly beautiful views of Ha Long Bay.
Cua Van fishing village is also another local attractive destination which has been recognised as one of the world’s 16 most picturesque villages by travel blog Journeyetc.com.
In 2019, Ha Long Bay welcomed more than four million tourists. After a long period of closure in order to control the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism in the bay is showing signs of recovery. In the peak summer season this year, the bay has welcomed approximately 20,000 tourists each day.