Ha Long Bay is another absolutely otherworldy landscape to be found in northern Vietnam. Located about 180km (~110 miles, about a 3 hour drive) from Hanoi, the bay is known for its emerald-green waters and a series of nearly 2,000 limestone islets scattered throughout the area.
The islets are known as “karst towers” in geology, meaning many of them have very sharp slopes and are hollow on the inside. The region is well known for its many large caves and tropical biodiversity, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and is considered one of the “Seven Natural Wonders of the World.”
Of course, such a place as this is bound to draw tourists – we are no exception. We took a 2-day excursion down to Ha Long, with one of the days entirely comprised of an 8-hour boat tour through the bay. On the tour we made several stops – to visit a large cave, to kayak under a tunnel into a protected bay, and to hike up to a great viewpoint. We even saw some monkeys!
This video takes you through our entire day, from the start of the boat ride to some beers on our way back to the main port. Enjoy!
