Top 7 Halong Bay activities you must-do

Are you planning on paying a visit to Halong Bay and, if yes, have you got to know what to do to have an awesome time here? The fact is that each year, Halong Bay attracts millions of tourists all around the world but not everyone knows what to do to enjoy it most. So here are 7 most interesting that you should never miss when coming to “descending dragon bay” – Halong Bay.

1. Kayaking

Skipping such a good chance of exploring Halong Bay by kayak will sure be a huge miss of your travel here. So just simply paddle a kayak moving on the crystal water at your own relaxing pace, float to anywhere you want to see.

Thanks to thousands of isles and islands, clean blue water and calm tides, Halong Bay is perfect for this activity.

Halong Bay was also recommended one of top 25 best places of kayaking all over the world by National Geographic Adventures. In Halong Bay, hiring kayak is on offer at many shops with the price around 100,000 – 200,000 ($4.5 – $9)/ hour depending on your choice of 1 seat, 2-seat, or 3-seat one.

2. Taking overnight cruise

Ideally, cruises here are themselves like mini hotels with any accommodation you will need: private rooms, clean and soft bedding, air conditioners, and separate bathrooms. And more fascinatingly, this will take you closer to the vibrant beauty of Halong Bay’s sea nightlife.

You can laze on your bed in your private room while having a look out of the glass window to see the looming image of mountains and water illuminating lights to the bottom. It’s also a great time to explore the sheer diversity if marine life with flocks of fish and jellyfish “flying” out of your window.

Or you then maybe like to climb up on the decks to watch the sky with thousands of stars above or the sparkling waves moving to the horizon of Halong. And it’ll be great if you do such things with your “honey”, experiencing a time of love: The lovers stood, hand in hand, gazing at the starry sky. How romantic!

Taking a tour on L’Azalée Cruise, you’ll then be offered free kayaking, visiting some old caves, and exploring Sung Sot Grotto (Surprise Grotto).

3. Getting a bird’s eye view by taking a helicopter tour

If you’ve ever experienced enjoying the scenery of Halong Bay on cruises but your desire for exploring isn’t at its most. You then will not be disappointed with flying up above in a helicopter to view the ultimate beauty of Halong as it appeared on films well as advertisements.

Not only a time-saving way of traveling but also a bird’s eye view of the miracle of nature will be what you get by flying around seeing Halong in a helicopter. It almost feels like you’ve been teletransported! It maybe is the most costly to-do things in Halong. But if you worry about the cost, it really is a fabulous experience of a lifetime.

Now in Vietnam, Hai Au Aviation is the only seaplane airline in Halong which offers tourists stunning and top-notch seaplane flights. The helicopter has 2 seats for the pilots and 12 seats for passengers, large glass windows, allowing passengers free to see the miracle of nature and to have unbelievably vibrant shots of the memorable moments in the charming Halong at a height from 150m to 3,000 meters above sea level.

Another special thing to know is that The New York Times once recommended exploring Halong by a seaplane flight as one of the most attractive services in 2015.

4. Climbing up on rugged cliffs

If lots of relaxing activities are no way your cup of tea or they are just kind of warm-up things, climbing up on numerous rugged cliffs then will please your knees. Thanks for millions of years of limestone formation and transformation, which makes the Bay strewn with spectacular mountains, Halong are well loved by tourists who are big fans of adventurous activities.

There is some bolted route climbing out on some of the islands like Moody’s Beach, Tiger Beach, Saigon Wall, The Face, etc.

5. Exploring incredibly beautiful caves

Chances are, before start your visit to the caves here, be prepared to be charmed by the countless surprises that await you.

Along with limestone islands, many natural caves have formed here over time. Here it will appear in your mind that the nature is incredibly amazing.

While Heavenly Residence Grotto (Thien Cung), Surprise Grotto (Sung Sot) and Three Palace Grotto (Tam Cung) are some of the popular ones, there are many other weird names like Luon Grotto, Dau Go Grotto, or Hanh Grotto. What’s more? Many karst formations of different shapes and sizes include those which resemble a tortoise, a rooster, and a soldier in Halong.

6. Visiting local floating fishing villages

Taking a while visiting the simple life on the water of some Halong fishing villages is highly recommended, otherwise, your travel will not be fulfilled as it can be. Separately from gorgeous lights and busy speed of crowded cities, fishermen here remain their living in little old floating boats as if it would never change.

You can go to Vung Vieng village, Cua Van village, Ba Hang village, or many others to gain some experience for yourself about their lifestyle. All year round rising and falling with the natural tide, these floating villages have been warm homes to many generations of fishermen.

Feel free to pay a visit to one of those charming villages, meet playful kids or some locals, chat with them and you can know more things to explore Halong.

7. Traveling on double-deck cable car

On the recent 25 June, Halong’s cable car system was inaugurated and put into operation after two years of construction. The system is a part of the project of 6.000 billion dong scale, stretching along the coast of Bai Chay over Ba Deo hill (Hon Gai).

The cabin of the cable car will run from the first point in Bai Chay Ward(Halong City), starting at Cua Luc Bay to the hilltop of Ba Deo (Hong Gai Ward).

Opened this year, the cable car has single-handedly broken two records. Its 230-passenger cabins will be the largest while its 188.8m tower (the one on Bai Chay) will be the tallest on the planet. The tower on Ba Deo hill is 133m tall. Inside the cabins are seats, handles, and grab rails for visitors. The cable runs 2.2 kilometers above the Ha Long Bay with two pylons of nearly 190 meters tall. Travelers will have 15 minutes to admire the charming scenery.

So on your next visit to Halong, don’t forget to check them out to have one of the most unforgettable experiences in your traveling life!

Read more Halong Bay travel guide at here.