Vietnam
Nearly two thousand limestone islands rising from an emerald sea, then a neighbouring bay where the same karst peaks stand far from the crowds
Vietnam
A cruise aboard a traditional wooden junk through Ha Long Bay, UNESCO World Heritage listed, whose nearly two thousand limestone islands and islets rise from an emerald sea in a karst landscape shaped over more than twenty million years, then on to the neighbouring Lan Ha Bay, formed of the same rocky peaks but largely spared the mass tourism that concentrates most visitors on Ha Long Bay alone.
When
Oct to April
Price
From 2 400€ excl. flights
(based on 2 people sharing)
How long
4 nights
Ideal length
Days 1-2
The first chapter unfolds in Ha Long Bay, whose nearly two thousand limestone islands and islets, shaped over more than twenty million years by erosion, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1994 for their exceptional aesthetic and geological value. Vietnamese legend tells that these rocky peaks are the remains of a dragon sent by the gods to defend the country from invaders, spitting jewels into the sea that turned into these countless limestone islands.
Day 1
Sung Sot Cave, the "Surprise Cave"
An exploration of Sung Sot Cave, one of the largest in Ha Long Bay, whose stalactites and stalagmites earned it the nickname "Surprise Cave."
Day 2
Kayaking among the limestone peaks
A kayak outing at water level among the bay's limestone peaks, through natural arches inaccessible to larger boats.
Days 1-2
The road to Lan Ha Bay, formed of the same limestone peaks as its more famous neighbour but largely spared the mass tourism that concentrates most visitors on Ha Long Bay alone, thanks in part to its position within Cat Ba National Park, protected since 1986. Its calmer waters and more than a hundred and thirty fine-sand beaches tucked among the karst islets make it a favoured spot for swimming and kayaking, far from the crowds of the large tour boats.
Day 1
A swim on a secluded Lan Ha beach
A stop on one of Lan Ha Bay's more than a hundred and thirty fine-sand beaches, tucked among the karst islets and accessible only by boat.
Day 2
Cat Ba National Park
An excursion into Cat Ba National Park, protected since 1986, whose dense forests are home to the Cat Ba langur, one of the world's rarest primates.
Other trips built in the same spirit — more to draw inspiration from.
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