Bai Chay beach

Bai Chay is a large, beautiful, artificial beach, which lies closed to the coast of Hạ Long Bay. The 100-meter-wide-sandy beach spans over 500 meters. In summer days, the beach is a popular destination not only for local people, but also for tourists. Early in the morning or in late afternoon, thousands of people liven up the atmosphere here.

The asphalt road winds its way through the white sandy beach and luxuriant casuarinas. Having received much investment, Bai Chay tourist site has rapidly transformed into one of the most captivating beaches in Hạ Long City.

Legend has it that when the fleet carrying food for the Yuan-Mongolian invaders led by Truong Van Ho came there, the Vietnamese troops and locals under the leadership of Tran Khanh Du set fire to it. The whole fleet was engulfed in fire. Meanwhile, the northeast wind blew hard and further added fuel to it. The fire was so fierce that it burned down the forest in the western side of Cua Luc. The name Bai Chay then came into popular.

Another legend has it that the western side of Cua Luc used to be a wharf for seagoing boats. Acorn-barnacles firmly attached to these boats’ sides and underneath, and might wreck the boats. The local people had to use casuarinas leaves to burn acorn-barnacles. From Hon Gai and other neighboring places, people always see a blaze from there, so they called it Bai Chay.

Today, Bai Chay is a well-know tourists attraction with qualified services, which can meet the increasing demand of visitors. From Bai Chay, it is also convenient to visit other tourist attractions nearby such as Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay, Quan Lan island, and other captivating islands and beaches.

Tra Co Beach

Based at the first point of the S-shaped Vietnam, Tra Co beach, one of the most beautiful beaches, is an important stop-over when tourists arrive in Vietnam from the north.

Briefings

Tra Co beach is located in the Northeastern extreme of the “S-shaped Vietnam”, in Quang Ninh province. It is by the border with China, and around 8 kilometers from Mong Cai mountainous town and some 170 kilometers far away from Ha Long. With its advantages in terms of location, the beach is the destination of a number of travelers, especially those who come from China.

To the west, the province borders an extended forest and mountainous region. To the east, it is adjacent to the Gulf of Tonkin. It features a meandering coastline, numerous estuaries and tidal flats, and more than 2,000 large and small islands. Of which 1,030 have been named. The local annual temperature is around 22.7oC with two main seasons (Hot and Cold). The best time for swimming is summer season from April to September.

How to get there?

From Hanoi, going there by bus is a bit tired because of a long and uneven way of about 300km, and a long time of 7 hours. However, it is worth that you can enjoy the scenes of the Red river delta and will be surprised at different natural beauties from time to time and from plain to mountainous area.

Getting there by marine seems to be much easier and faster. After visiting Ha Long bay or Cat Ba Island, we can take an express boat and reach to the beach after about two hours. By this way, you can also have a chance of enjoying the feelings of floating on the sea.

Why should you spend time here?

A fine and fresh sea environment

Tra Co is considered one of “the most lyrical beaches in Vietnam” with a wide and plain beach, white and smooth sand, and blue sea water all the year round. The beach is about 15 kilometers long, on the edge of Tra Co peninsula, which was created by waves and flows. As a result, it covers some 3-4m sand-banks. Just nearby you can see a shadowed casuarinas forest, used to protect the inner village from hurricanes and the sand from erosion. It is neighbored to an original eco-system of mangrove forest is the zone lung. Known as one of the most beautiful beach in Vietnam, Tra Co is occasionally put in comparison with Nha Trang beach. Accordingly, if Nha Trang is as beautiful as a modern girl, Tra Co is a coyly rural girl since it has not yet been much exploited for tourism. Tra Co beach is much far from the city, industrial zone and harbor, which make it possess a cool and pure air, and a quiet and pristine environment.

A place of easy-to-buy seafood

If you would like to enjoy fresh seafood, Tra Co fishermen can surely meet your requirement. The fresh sea foods are always available on the seaside after fishing time. You can buy what you want at very low prices. Staying here, you still have a very good opportunity to taste every sea delicacies of your interest, such as lobsters, sea crabs, etc., while you can still save your money.

A picturesque view

Just 6 kilometers from the beach, there is a place where tourists could relax by watching the romantic sunrise and sunset. It is the beautiful Con Mang sand-bank, whose sand is fairly smooth and so solid that you can ride a motorbike on it. Imagine that you are sitting on the rocks, listening to the sounds from the sea waves. This will make you feel free, relaxed, and harmonized with the nature.

Closed to Con Mang, it is Vietnam’s border point with China, Sa Vi, where nature starts to write the “S”-shape of the nation. Tourists can clearly see China from this point. Though the Border War was left behind long ago, people can find some underground shelters, scattered along the two sides.

For those who are interested in local historical vestiges, Tra Co communal house, the pride of Tra Co people since it was built long time ago in 1462, should also be a stop-over, if time is available. Though having been repaired many times, it still retains the original architectural style as well as the sculptural art. All of six people who are worshipped in the house came from Do Son, Hai Phong city. They were the first people to step in the zone and established the village 400 years ago. Besides, they worship Quan He (Nguyen Huu Cau), a leader of uprising farmers under Le-Trinh dynasty.

Notes: At the end of the fifth lunar month, local people often organize the Village festival. A group of activities, such as boat paddling from Tra Co to Do Son - the father land, from 25th to 30th, cooking competition, boat racing, and so forth.

Tourist activities

Sea-entertainment activities: Swimming, sailing, paddling

Relaxing in Con Mang sand bank

Visiting Sa Vi

Visiting Tra Co communal house

Enjoying Village Festival in June

TiTov Island and beach

Got its name from Ghermann Titov, a former Soviet Union hero, Ti Top Island displays a beach shaped like a crescent moon and sand that has been washed to a snowy white by the tide.

An interesting story...

In 1962, this tiny island had the honor of receiving a visit from astronaut Ghermann Titov, a hero of the former Soviet Union, accompanied by President Ho Chi Minh. To perpetuate the remembrance of their visit, Uncle Ho named the place Ti Top Island. It has now become an attractive beach for tourists and has various tourist services.

Thirty-five years afterwards, in 1997, Ti Top returned to the island having his name. Deeply moved, he wrote in the souvenir book of the Management Board of Halong Bay: "My deepest thanks to destiny, which has allowed me to come back to this tiny island.” It has become a beach attracting many visitors.

Then being an attractive island

Located about 14 km east from Bai Chay Wharf, Ti Top Beach takes the shape of a crescent encompassing the island. Small though it might be, it wins kudos for its quiet and airy atmosphere, as well as its alluring landscape.

The beach boasts pristine white sand, clear and blue water and small waves, which make it ideal for recreational activities like swimming and other sea sports. At present, there has a

bar in the island which also provides swimming costumes, floats and lukewarm shower. Fresh water was carried to the island from inland. Swimming at Ti Top Beach is really enjoyable. After swimming, you can enjoy fresh sea food specialties in an ideal environment of immense sky and sunshine.

This beach is very beautiful and is well worth a visit to cool off when the heat starts to get to you. If you spend a day at the beach and elect to take a deckchair, you will be asked to buy either a baguette, some lovely pineapple or a drink, otherwise you will have to pay for the seat. During the full moon, you are able to wander around until late at night.

The island has become a popular tourist destination. On summer holidays, the famous beach of Ti Top Island cools off visitors heading to Quang Ninh Province and you will surely have a chance to join in an interesting journey to the natural wonder...

Quan Lan Island and Beach

The beautiful island of Quan Lan is situated within the area of Bai Tu Long Bay, Van Don Island district, Quang Ninh province. The island comprises a total area of 11 km2 and is featured with eight populated hamlets. Along the two sides of Quan Lan are the ten-kilometer long beaches, which have recently become popular for travelers. In the 11th century, this was once a prosperous commercial port of Van Don. Today, there are still many vestiges linked to such ancient commercial port. Visitors can see many pagodas and archaeological sites in Quan Lan although it lies deep in the sea.

Several tourist spots to be named in Quan Lan includes Quan Lan Communal House, which is built in the 18th century. This communal house is well-preserved with its exceedingly architectural beauty. Next to it is Quan Lan Pagoda (also called Linh Quang Pagoda), which is dedicated to Buddhism and Saint Lieu Hanh. The pagoda also worships the statue of old Hau, a local person who made great contributions to the construction of the pagoda. The statue features a gentle and cheerful old woman, which adds an original character to the pagoda. Another attraction which is situated besides Quan Lan Pagoda is the Nghe Quan Lan (or Duc Ong) Shrine, which is dedicated to Pham Cong Chinh, a local person who participated in the historical Van Don battle against the Yuan invaders. He was later honored as a god. Besides the great cultural value, Quan Lan is also rich is its valuable sea products such as octopuses, butterfish, mackerel, holothurians, shrimp and sai sung.

With regards to tourism, there is Quan Lan beach with pristine beauty and unspoiled surrounding environment. Tourists love Quan Lan for its natural charming beauty with deep blue water, strong waves and white sand spanning over kilometers. Staying at Quan Lan, tourists will have chance to relax on the fascinating beach and enjoy the local specialties. This is an ideal destination for relaxation, sightseeing and other activities.

Halong Travel tips

Halong Bay lies off the coast of Halong city, about 180 km to the east of Hanoi. The Bay was recognized as an UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. It is one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist attractions for its amazing landscape and spectacular beauty spots within the Bay.

Visiting Halong, tourists will be provided with a wide variety of options for tours, accommodation, dining and entertainment. Here we offer several basic tips for tourists when traveling to Halong.

-          When to go? - It is possible to visit Halong Bay all year-round, with the best time to visit from October through April. In winter (December, January and February), it can be cold with low visibility for the landscape. In summer months from May to September, temperatures rise and storms are more likely during the rainy season.

-          How to get there? - If you book tour from a travel agency, they will arrange all the transportation upon your request. If you travel by yourselves, there are regular buses from Hanoi which depart daily every 15 minutes from Kim Ma Station.

-          What to do? - Once you are in Halong, there are lots of activities to take part in.

o       Swimming and sunbathing are the most popular options in summer. Halong Bay comprises thousands of lime stone islands and grottoes, so there are countless places to stop for swimming, sunbathing and fishing when cruising around.

o       Kayaking is the best way to explore Halong Bay. With this activity, you can paddle to little caves, deserted beaches or grottoes.

o       Boat cruising is the most interesting part of a Halong tour. You take a boat cruising around the bay to admire hundreds of stone islets that seem to move and change as the boat passes by.

-          Halong cruising guide

o       For safety purpose, smoking is not permitted in your cabin or any internal areas.

o       Although the ship is like a hotel, however, everything happen on boat and you must be careful when moving along the decks since they can be slippery.

Ha Long Transportation

By Air

If you want to transfer to Quang Ninh by air, there is a weekly helicopter flight which departs from Gia Lam Airport every Saturday. You can have the overview of Ha Long Bay and neighboring region.

Weekly Helicopter Flight

Flight No.	Max. Pax.	Route	Rate (USD/pax)
			One way ticket		Round Trip ticket
Mi-17	24	Gia Lam-Ha Long-Gia Lam	Adult	Children under 12	Adult	Children under 12
			330	250	190	140

 You can get more information by contacting the following addresses:

Main office:

Gia Lam Airport – Gia Thuy Ward – Long Bien District – Hanoi

Tel: 04 3 877 1410 – private number: 105 (Commercial office)

Or 04 3652 3439 or 04 3827 1535

Fax: 84 4 3 827 2780 

Booking Office:

Addres: 182 Truong Chinh Street – Dong Da District – Hanoi

Tel: 04 3 666 485

Fax: 84 4 35633111

By Train

If you would like to visit Halong by train, you can take a train from Yen Vien Railway Station which is about 11km from the center of Hanoi to Ha Long Railway Station. It takes approximately 7 hours to get there. 

Yen Vien Railway Station

Address: Yen Vien Town – Gia Lam – Hanoi

Tel: 04 3 878 4661 

Ha Long Railway Station

Address: Ha Long road – Gieng Day Ward – Bai Chay – Ha Long

Tel: 033 3 845 309

By Car and bus

Besides, air-con minibuses, buses, and taxi are always available at several bus stations like My Dinh, Gia Lam, Luong Yen. It takes about 3 hours and a half to transfer from Hanoi to Bai Chay and vice versa.

You can also transfer from Hanoi to Hai Phong City and take a ferry from Binh Wharf (031 3 842 927) to the dock in Hon Gai Town (033 3 825 187). It will take you about two hours and a half for the route. From Bai Chay, if you would like to visit Mong Cai, the easternmost point in Vietnam, take a high speed hydrofoil which run daily between Bai Chay and Mong Cai. This hydrofoil only takes you nearly two hours.

For high speed hydrofoil, you may contact: 

Ticket booking Office in Bai Chay

Add: Near Bai Chay Ferry in Ha Long Road

Tel: 033 3 847888, 847 780 

HonGai Wharf

Add: Bach Dang Ward

Tel: 033 3 825 187

Getting around

Once reaching Quang Ninh, you can transfer within the province by taxi or taxi motorbike. Here are some suggested taxi companies: 

Halong Taxi, Tel: 033 3 626 262

Mai Linh Taxi, Tel: 033 3 628 628

Hon Gai Taxi, Tel: 033 3 848 484

Shopping in Halong

Shopping in Halong is not as diversified as that in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. However, what is actually available can turn out to be interesting. In Halong, souvenirs are offered more than usually found elsewhere. The traditional souvenirs can be found there include lacquer plated chopsticks, ceramic tea sets, the ubiquitous conical hats (nón lá) that Vietnamese womenfolk wear, silk fabric, silk artifacts and crafts, or the traditional Vietnamese long dress, known locally as the “Áo dài”. If you are planning for a short shopping trip, here are some suggestions:

Night Market in Bai Chay

One of the markets that worth your visit is situated in Bai Chay. The market is opened at night as well. It has kiosks full of interesting knick knacks sold at reasonable prices. Despite the reasonable price, you should so some bargain through to get your favorite items at the best price. It makes sense to offer half of what the shopkeepers quote initially. If they do not agree to use the age-old trick, try walking ahead to some other kiosks. Chances are the shopkeeper will call you back offering the price you suggested.

Floating Markets - Local boats filled with fruits and snacks

In Halong, you may find floating boat carrying lots of fruits and snacks. It is interesting to drop into one of these and take your snacks! On such little boats, you are served whatever you like - chips, beer, seafood, sweets and more. Some of these offer a unique way of enjoying seafood where the fish is caught right in front of your eyes and then cooked to perfection in the sauce you want. It’s definitely an once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Souvenir shops

Kiosks, shops, drinks and other services are available at the visitor sites, such as: at the entry of Thiencung Grotto, Daugo Cave, Titov Beach, Soisim Island and Sung sot Cave. Similar services may be available on tourist boats. There you can also buy basic food and drinks for your trip.

If you are spending several days in Halong, try to follow several addresses collected below since they are the most well-know shopping places in Halong:

Hạ Long I Market

Address  Bạch Đằng, TP Hạ Long

Vườn Đào Market

Address phố Anh Đào, Bãi Cháy, TP Hạ Long

Quảng Ninh Trade Centre

Address 158 Lê Thánh Tông, Bạch Đằng

Hồng Gai Trade Centre

Address  Hạ Long I Square,  Bạch Đằng

Halong Food & Drink

Many tourists, who have visited Halong, are impressed by the delicious seafood served there. For Halong, this is a potential which has been well-developed and exploited for tourism by travel agencies in Halong.

The first one to be mentioned there is Ngán, a kind of Oyster, which is available in most region of Halong. However, the most delicious one can only be found at Bach Dang River outlet. Ngán can be cooked into different dishes such as: grilled, steamed, stir-fried or soup. For male tourists, the wine made with Ngán is really the most worth-trying drink since it has special taste. A cup of Ngan wine is pink in its color, a little bit salty and acrid, and especially aromatic in taste - that is truly the Ngan wine from Halong.

Besides, Halong offers guests a wide variety of seafood, among which, dishes made from shrimp are among the most popular ones. Halong Bay is home to various species of shrimp, among which prawn and lobster are the most precious ones. Lobsters have hard cover shell and strong claws with ferocious appearance. Their cover shells are often used as decorations in the restaurants, hotels, and in local fishing households in Halong. Prawns have softer cover shell and are often made into specialties in parties. There are two common ways to cook prawns: steamed or soaked with flour before frying. Steamed prawns are more popular since it can remain the original taste of the dish. This dish has long been considered “the best specialty” in Halong for its high nutritious value as well as good sense of looks.

Since Ngan and shrimp can be found in most places in Halong, there are several special kind of specialties such as sa sung can only be found in Quan Lan - Minh Chau (Van Don). The raw sa sung fried with fresh garlic is a special dish of local people in Halong. The dried sa sung is roasted, decorated with several kinds of fines herbs then enjoyed with chilly sauce and beers. That would be a pity if you missed this delicacy.

People in Halong have their own special ways of cooking for specific kind of seafood. Many specialties of Halong have become well-known brand names such as: Halong grill chopped cuttle-fish, Cai Rong fish sauce, Tu hai (a kind of clam) in Van Don, etc.

Nowadays, thanks to the convenient transportation system, seafood in Halong can be delivered to Hanoi and other provinces and cities. People in other areas outside Halong can have chance to enjoy such specialties, however, enjoying Halong’ seafood right in Halong will surely bring a different felling and taste. In Halong, tourists can choose to enjoy seafood in different places such as on tourist boats or ships, on floating houses, in restaurants, at friend’s or relative’s houses, etc. Recently, in Halong festivals, the cuisine culture of Halong has also been briefly introduced to tourists. It is expected that, in coming time, Halong’s cuisine will be brought to every tourists who visited or are planning to visit Halong.

Halong Climate

Halong is a beautiful coastal city with Halong Bay and many other beauty spots. Tourists who are planning to visit Halong should be provided with basic information about when and where to go. If you want your trip to be perfect, you should know a little about the destination and understanding local climate condition is also helpful.

As a coastal city, Halong represents the coastal climate features with 2 distinguished seasons; winter starts from November till April of next year, summer starts from May to October. Visiting Halong Bay in summer, tourists can relax on beautiful beaches or take part in interesting activities like kayaking, swimming or cruising. In winter, it is also interesting to visit the destination since there are lots of places to explore.

Like other cities and provinces in Vietnam, Halong belongs to the tropical region with the annual average temperature of 23,2ºC. Temperature reaches the highest point in June (28,6ºC) and reduce to the lowest point in January (16,7ºC). The annual air humidity is around 82,7%.

The annual rainfall is not adequately allocated between two seasons. In summer, the rainfall is high, accounting for 80-85% the total annual rainfall. In winter, it accounts for only 15-20% the total rainfall.

With its geographical and topographical features, Halong is influenced by two main kinds of monsoon: Northeast monsoon in winter and Southwest monsoon in summer. Although Halong is a coastal city, it is seldom affected by high-level storms. The highest-level storm is at level 11.

Basing on such basic climate features, it is much easier for tourists to choose which season to visit Halong. And the trips would be more memorable if the weather is fine as expected.

Halong Overview

Halong Bay was recognized as a World Heritage site since 1994 for its magnificient beauty spots as well as its geologic and geomorphology value, which is reflected through thousands of natural islands.

The Bay lies within the Gulf of Tonkin, in the North-East of Vietnam (about 150km from Hanoi). Halong Bay abuts Cat Ba Island in the southwest. Toward the west is the 120km-long coastline. It comprises a total area of 1553 sq.km with 1969 islands, 989 islands among which have been named.

Viewed from above, Halong Bay resembles a vivid landscape picture with stone islands, clear water set under the deep-blue sky. The Bay is also a region of highly-concentrated biological diversity with different ecosystems of mangrove forest, coral reefs, and tropical forests featuring thousands of species of floral and fauna.

The everlasting beauty of Ha Long is constituted by three factors: stone, water and sky. The island system is multicolored with a variety of shapes which provoke the imagination: Dinh Huong (Incense Burner) implies spiritual significance; Ga Choi (Fighting Cocks) the symbol of Viet Nam tourism, Con Coc (Toad) recalls the passage of time, waiting thousands of years to seek justice in Heaven. There are islands that resemble a resplendent throne - a Vietnamese mother’s curved back carrying her child, a roof, an old man, a human head and so on.

Inside the bigger islands are the mysterious yet wonderful caves and grottoes. Dau Go Cave (Wooden Stakes) dazzles the senses with many huge stalactites hanging poised in mid air and stalagmites growing majestically upwards. Then there is Thien Cung Grotto (Heavenly Palace) with its small, narrow entrance, but the inside looks like a marvelous palace, and many other caves, each of which has its own attraction and beauty.

Ha Long’s sea has always been the same: blue, smooth and still. Ha Long’s beauty changes by seasons. In Spring, buds of trees burst on limestone islands. In Summer, it is cool and clean with many sparkling sun rays reflecting from the sea’s surface. In Autumn, especially at night, moonlight illuminates the mountains so they appear just like gold, inlaid into the earth. In Winter, with pervasive frost, Ha Long is glamorous as “a floating flower basket on smooth wave” (by writer Nguyen Tuan).

Ha Long Bay is a mature karst landscape developed during long time of warm, wet, tropical climate. The sequence of stages in the evolution of a karst landscape over a period of 20 million years requires a combination of several distinct elements including massive thickness of limestone, a hot wet climate and slow overall tectonic uplift.

Another special feature of Ha Long is its bio-diversity, which is an important natural resource and needs to be preserved and conserved to maintain the ecological balance of the whole region. Bio-diversity is the general term used to reflect diversity and abundance in nature including all living things.

The total number of floral species remains unknown as many islands remain unexplored. There are probably over a thousand species of floral, the distribution of which is not uniform. Instead, several different communities (species of plants that always grow together) have been found, such as: mangrove, seashore plants, those of the slopes or sheer cliffs, the summit plants and those that grow around the mouth of caves and in gullies.

In 2002 a survey on assessing and auditing Ha Long Bay’s bio-diversity was conducted by the management authorities and researchers. They surveyed 9 areas in Zone 1 of the World Heritage and all sites had maintained its bio-diversity and species diversity, and more new species were discovered.

In recent years, Halong Bay has attracting a large number of tourists both domestically and internationally. It has been honored to welcome many international delegations, including the leaders of many countries all over the world.