Vietnam - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 849

If you're planning on visiting Ha Long
Bay from Cat Ba Island and are travelling
up from the south, it's possible to bypass
Hanoi and go via the port city of Hai
Phong instead.

20m high, holds a textbook display of
sparkling stalactites and stalagmites. To
the south, you should single out Ho Dong
Tien (“Grotto of the Fairy Lake”) and the
enchanting Dong Me Cung (“Grotto of
the Labyrinth”).
Of the far-flung sights, Hang Hanh is
one of the more adventurous day-trips
from Cat Ba Island: the tide must be
exactly right (at half-tide) to allow a
coracle ($15 extra, or $2 per person)
access to the 2km-long tunnel-cave; a
powerful torch is very useful. Dau Bo
Island, on the southeastern edge of Ha
Long Bay, encloses Ho Ba Ham (“hree
Tunnel Lake”), a shallow lagoon wrapped
round with limestone walls and
connected to the sea by three
low-ceilinged tunnels that are only
navigable by sampan or kayak at low tide.
his cave can be included in a one- or
two-day excursion from Cat Ba Island.

HA LONG BAY AND BAI TU
LONG BAY
Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, to
the northeast, are separated by a wide
channel running north-south: the larger,
western portion contains dramatic
scenery and most of the caves, while
to the northeast lies an even more
attractive collection of smaller islands,
known as Bai Tu Long and part of the
Bai Tu Long National Park; this bay is
still relatively untouristy and unpolluted,
making for a more laidback experience
than Ha Long Bay.
he bay's most famous cave is Hang Dau
Go (“Grotto of the Wooden Stakes”). In
1288, General Tran Hung Dao amassed
hundreds of wooden stakes here; these
were driven into the Bach Dang River
estuary mud, skewering the boats of
Kublai Khan's Mongol army as the tide
went out. he same island also boasts the
beautiful Hang Thien Cung cave, whose
rectangular chamber, 250m long and

11

HAI PHONG
Located 100km east of Hanoi, HAI
PHONG is north Vietnam's principal
port - a small, orderly city of broad
avenues, with hydrofoil and ferry links
to Cat Ba Island (for Ha Long Bay).
Given the frequency of transport

HA LONG BAY CRUISES
Cruises around Ha Long Bay are peddled by every hotel and travel agency in Hanoi, but
despite the undeniable beauty of the karst-studded bay, complaints abound about the tours
and the service provided, particularly on budget tours. You tend to get what you pay for so, if
you're only being charged $50 for a two-day-one-night trip, expect a dirty, unsafe boat and
being shuttled from one commission-paying place to another. That said, even paying doesn't
always help; travel agencies seldom own their own boats, merely acting as agents for boat
operators in Ha Long and Cat Ba (white boats are from Ha Long, brown from Cat Ba), who shift
passengers mid-tour from boat to boat to cram as many on board as possible. Day-trips from
Hanoi to Ha Long Bay are not worth it, as you spend a great deal of time on the bus; overnight
trips that throw in some kayaking and swimming are a better way to go, and if you can spare
three days and venture as far as the remote Bai Tu Long Bay, even better. A great way to see Ha
Long Bay is to base yourself on Cat Ba Island and do an unhurried small-group tour with the
highly professional Cat Ba Ventures (see p.855) who take you kayaking to more remote lagoons
where you're not constantly paddling through floating garbage left in the wake of numerous
tour boats. If booking from Hanoi, the high-octane adventure that includes tubing and
waterboarding as well as cruising is organized by Hanoi Backpackers (see p.845). Otherwise,
ask as many questions as you can about what's included before booking, and request a written
itinerary detailing the size of the group, standard of accommodation, and planned activities, so
you have some comeback at the end if the tour fails to live up to what was promised. Report
any unsatisfactory experiences to the Administration of Tourism in Hanoi (see box, p.843).
There are several recommended tour companies in Hanoi (see p.844).