Page 22 - MG Magazine

A trip through Vietnamese lands cannot miss one of the most iconic World Heritage jewels on
the planet: the impressive Halong Bay.

islote am tich | teapot islet
he beautiful Halong Bay is also considered and is crowned by jungle vegetation. Another of its most
one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the striking aspects is its fishing villages, such as Cua Van, Ba
World and absolutely no one questions its Hang, Cong Tau and Vong Vieng, where its inhabitants live
deserved position in this select club, because in houseboats. It is truly impressive to get to know one of
even those who haven’t had the chance to them and see how they live on their daily basis.
visit the place in person, has most likely en-
joyed seeing it on a documentary or in a trav- In the vastness of this bay, many of its islands offer
Tel magazine. beaches where you can bathe in their jade-coloured
waters. Among the most famous are Tuan Chau, Quan
Halong is located in the north of Vietnam, in the Gulf of Lan, Minh Chau and Ba Trai Dao, also known as the
Tonkin. We are less than 200 km from Hanoi, very close to Three Peaches Beach.
the border with China. In the bay there are about 2,000 is-
lands –almost all uninhabited– and islets. They are karstic The largest island is called Cat Ba, or Island of Women. It
formations that sink vertically into the sea, composing the is literally on the Southeast edge and has beautiful beach-
characteristic picture that has transcended the place. Its es and a National Park with many trekking proposals in the
waters are turquoise green or dark green, depending on the middle of wild nature.
light reflected by its karstic rock bottoms.
Many of the Halong islands are hollow and feature huge
To get to know the bay, it is best to join a cruise of not less caves. One of the best known is that of Hang Dau Go, bap-
than one day and ideally of three. Each of its islets is like tized in the 19th century by the first French tourists as the
a mountain peak that strongly emerges from the waters Cave of Wonders. She is not the only one who leaves you

MG MAGAZINE 22