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Halong bay is the most popular destination in Vietnam in
general and in Quang Ninh in particular. However Halong
bay is not the only attraction in Quang Ninh, if you
have been to Halong bay before and want to see something
else of if you have a few days and want to stay away
from the touristy Halong bay I would like to list 5
attractions you must visit during your time in Quang
Ninh. There is not much information about these places
on the net however I myself have visited them and can
guarantee you will not be disappointed to go there.
Let's move on. Cruise Halong bay
Hanh grotto
One of the most interesting cave I have ever been to.
Hanh grotto is located at the foot of Quang Hanh
mountain in Cam Pha township and entrance is along the
coast, I came here in 2008 when I visited a friend who
lives in Cam Pha, the cave is low and to get into the
cave you have to go by small boat and wait until the
tide goes down, remember to bring along torch. Only
adventurous explorers would think of visiting this cave,
most other people including local residents never set
their foot in it. Hanh grotto is about 2km in length.
You have to calculate time so that you can quickly get
in and out of the cave before the tide goes up
Precariously hang above the entrance of the cave is a
little shrine named Ba Co, said to be very sacred and
fishermen usually come here to pray.
Hanh grotto can by reached by renting a canoe from Hon
Gai area or by road to Cam Pha, at the dock in Cam Pha
you can hire a boat to the cave, and at the entrance
there are small boats to bring you into the cave, it
takes about 1.5 hours to visit the cave.
Vung Vieng fishing village
Little is heard about Vung Vieng fising village as it is
in Bai Tu Long bay. Vung Vieng is aprox 20km from the
mainland, located in a peaceful and quiet area this is
one of the oldest fishing village in Quang Ninh
province. I came here for the first time in 2005 and in
the small village floating on the sea, simple life still
goes on day after day. Vung Vieng still preserves it's
natural beauty of an old style fishing village. In Vung
Vieng, fishermen made their houses by the edge of the
islands, making a living by raising fish and selling to
local people, the houses are made of wood, built on
empty barrels tied together, in heavy rains or storms
the boat will pull the house to another place. With the
invasion of tourist vessels coming from the adjacent
Halong bay I'm afraid Vung Vieng will soon lose it's
peaceful silence. Upon leaving the village, I caught the
wave of the hands of the children and the smiles of
people in the village.
Cai Bau pagoda
Built in 2009 Cai Bau pagoda is located in Van Don
district, Quang Ninh province, Cai Bau was built on the
ground of the old Phuc Linh pagoda, dated back to 7th
century. the front side of the pagoda faces the ocean
and it's back faces the mountain. Cai Bau pagoda, aka
Truc Lam Giac Tam, is one of two Zen Monasteries in
Quang Ninh and is an attractive destination for
Vietnamese Buddhists at the beginning of the Lunar Year.
Cai Bau pagoda is in the Bai Dai tourism area and it has
a peaceful, pure atmostphere. From the pagoda you can
have an overview of Bai Tu Long bay. This must be one of
the most beautiful pagodas I have ever been to, and to
my pleasant surprise people visiting Cai Bau pagoda are
treated to free vegeratian food and car parking. This
pagoda is about 10km from Cai Rong port town, from Cai
Rong you can go there by taxi or bus.
Ngoc Vung island
Among the 3 islands in Bai Tu Long bay including Ngoc
Vung, Quan Lan and Co To I like Ngoc Vung the most. Ngoc
Vung or Gem island about 35km from mainland. This is one
of the few places in Quang Ninh that still has the wild
and natural beauty of an untouched island, you can come
to Ngoc Vung by high speed boat which departs 2 times a
day from Hon Gai or Van Don districts however I would
recommend that you take wooden slow boat so that you can
enjoy the breathtaking sceneries of Bai Tu Long bay.
According to legend, the island was named Ngoc Vung as
there were a lot of precious pearls in the island
glowing at night under the moonlight. The beach in Ngoc
Vung is around 15km with pristine white sand, on
activity I recommend is that you rent a bicycle and take
an exploration trip around the island. There are a few
family hotels and guesthouses on the island and staying
the night at homestay in the village is a nice
experience, people in the island are very friendly, they
let us use their motorbike the whole day for free.
Coming to Ngoc Vung island don't forget to go fishing in
the sea and enjoy cheap fresh seafood.
Bai Tho mountain
It would be really pity if you visit Halong bay without
climbing up the Bai Tho mountain, especially if you are
a photographer. The mountain is right in Halong city
next to the bay. Bai Tho mount is about 200m high. The
name Bai Tho (poem) came out in 15th century when the
King made a poem on the wall of the mountain, praising
the unique beauty of the Halong bay. Climbing to the top
of Bai Tho mountain is a nice experience, the path is
not too long however pretty steep, it took me 30
minuties to reach the mountain peak, from here you can
have a panorama view of the entire Halong bay, and I can
guarantee you can take the best photos of sunset in
Halong bay from the top of Bai Tho mountain. At the foot
of the mountain is Long Tien pagoda, built in the last
century as a worship place for the national heroes.
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