Bai Tu Long Bay

Further north and east of Halong Bay so fewer day trippers. More secluded yet as beautiful as Halong Bay. Tip: if you can spare the time, a 3 day 2 night boat trip gives you time to appreciate the magnificence of this World Heritage area to the fullest

Serene, peaceful and tranquil. Bai Tu Long Bay is absolutely beautiful and worthwhile venturing out to. There are hundreds of mountains around the bay protecting the waters with some with caves you can trek into. Kayaking around this bay around sunset is unreal.

Bai Tu Long is a beautiful area protected by hundreds of islands. The scenery is tranquil and out of this world. I have never seen anything quite like it. I highly recommend a longer 3-day - 2-night cruise to escape the massive crowds within Halong Bay.

Less tourisy than Halong Bay. If you want to get away from the busy and hustle Halong bay, this is area to come. Hundreds of islands here that has no one around and very few boats. Limestone islands shooting up from the calm Emeral color ocean, whether it’s day or night, the beauty of this area is spectacular.

Bai Tu Long Bay is a coastal bay located in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam. It consists of hundreds of small and large islands and is situated within the Gulf of Tonkin, in the northeastern region of Vietnam. Bai Tu Long Bay encompasses a sea area belonging to the cities of Halong and Cam Pha, as well as Van Don island district. The bay is bordered by Halong Bay to the southwest, Cam Pha city to the west, the sea to the east, and Co To island district to the northeast. The history of Bai Tu Long Bay is closely intertwined with the heroic chronicles of the Vietnamese people. It is associated with the place name Van Don, a bustling seaport since the time of the Ly dynasty. Nearly 900 years ago, it was a lively trading hub attracting merchants from Champa, China, Japan, India, and other places for exchanging goods. Bai Tu Long Bay is also a place to commemorate the glorious achievements of General Tran Khanh Du and the three Pham brothers (from Quan Lan village), who defeated the fleet of the Yuan Mongol invader Truong Van Ho in 1288. In addition, there is the Cua Ong Temple (also known as Suot Temple) located on the bay, dedicated to Hung Nhuong Vuong Tran Quoc Tang, the third son of the revered Hung Dao Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan.

Bai Tu Long Bay is part of the famous Halong Bay. It is located northeast of Vietnam, at 165 km from the capital Hanoi. The bay comprises approximately 1,600 islands and islets, which forms a remarkable panorama of limestone pillars. Most of the islands are uninhabited. The site’s outstanding scenic beauty, the area is rich with geological magnificence. I suggest everyone not to let local travel agents confuse you about Halong Bay vs Bai Tu Long Bay. They are both part of Bai Tu Long National Park and both part of the pristine Heritage, both bays stand right next to each other and they shared outstanding beauty. Bai Tu Long Bay occupies ¾ of Ha Long Bay. The natural views were magnificent, I loved every minute of it, going from island to island, and enjoying nature! Loved it; we were even allowed to go ashore for a little while to enjoy swimming and relaxing in a small but beautiful beach. In the evening, i truly enjoyed a stunning sunset.

Beautiful bay, very quiet compared to Ha Long Bay and just as scenic, although the small beaches were somewhat dirty, so we couldn't get a good swim until we got to the day boat, after kayaking. We visited it the second day of our 3 days and 2 nights cruise to Ha Long Bay. We only saw two other day boats along or nearby, which made the experience very relaxed. The kayaking was a bit harder than the first day in the fishing village, due to the waves and more open waters, but had some incredible views.

We had an unforgettable experience on on overnight voyage on the Treasure Junk. We had one of the two suites, which aren’t much more expensive than a normal cabin but totally worth it. Regardless of the tour company and boat you chose it’s a similar itinerary of kayaking, cooking class, tour of floating village and plenty of time to soak up the stunning views. What sets Bai Tu Long Bay aside from Ha Long bay is that it’s quieter, with less boats taking the standard route, and so you are more likely to get some amazing photos without another Junk sneaking into your picture. We found the food to be amazing with several courses in each meal, as well as friendly boat staff and a totally brilliant tour guide, booked through Hand Span tours in Hanoi. We did the one night trip and it felt about right... we wanted more but might have found day 2 to be repetitive, although I could have sat on deck and enjoyed the stunning views all day! Book this and you won’t regret it ;-)