A United Nations World Heritage Site, Halong Bay is characterized by thousands of beautiful limestone mountains rising out of the water. Apart from the fact that this is an amazing natural wonder, Halong Bay also plays a main role in the legend of the origins of the Vietnamese.

Halong Bay is about 100 kilometers south east of Hanoi and is about a 3-hour ride from the capital. Most trips which costs from $20 USD – $200 USD can be easily arranged in the many travel agencies in Hanoi ’s Old Quarter.

Trips to Halong Bay can last from 1 to 3 days which are spent exploring the many islands on a traditional junk boat. If you prefer, you can also just be on the boat by day and then stay in a hotel in Halong city at night. Be aware though that this city does not really offer much night life.

At nearby Cat Ba National Park you can see monkeys explore caves and swim over coral reefs. The park also includes part of Cat Ba Island and adjacent waters. At nearby Yen Tu Mountain there is a Buddhist temple in a lovely setting.