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Dining in a cave is a special activity offered by cruise operators when you visit Bai Tu Long Bay. Instead of having dinner on board, you will enjoy the special dinner in a cave. It can be arranged for a big group who held a conference, wedding anniversary or birthday party (20 – 60 people), a small group of friends or family who find for their own space, and it is also ideal for a couple spending their honeymoon. After a full day with kayaking, swimming, visit floating village, you will go back to the boat and relax on the sundeck, or just enjoy some drinks. When it gets dark, the staffs will transfer you to the cave. Arriving in front of the cave, the candle light will lead you to the place where the tables are set- up, the food is well- decorated and ready to be served, the staffs welcome you. You are like to be in a different world with warm welcome, being private and romantic to enjoy. In Bai Tu Long Bay; it is arranged in Thien Canh Son Cave. In Halong Bay, it is organized mainly in Trong Cave (Hang Trống), Amazing cave… Most of the cruise operators can offer you this service. In fact, it is mainly held by the luxury cruises. The additional price is high as it includes: cave-hiring, set- up fee, food, personnel. The additional price depends on how big your group and related requests. This dinner in cave is an extra and special service so how can you make reservation for this? If you book a charter cruise, you should advise tour operator about this dining in cave request. They will shortly check service and offer you the additional charge. Please note that this option is only available for a private group, hiring private boat. There is no sharing option. If you book a sharing boat option but you really want to experience this service, what should you do? Bai Tu Long Bay 3 day 2 night trip on Dragon’s Pearl Junk can be your choice. Dinner in cave is an inclusive service for 3 day 2 night trip on Dragon’s Pearl Junk. This dinner in cave will be arranged on the second night of 3 day 2 night package, at Thien Canh Son cave in Bai Tu Long Bay. It is quite potential to become your life time experience. Tips: After your trip, extend to Sapa with Sapa...
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You will find this tour a great combination of kayaking and trekking. Kayaking in the wonderland of karst topography with 3,000 limestone islets and trekking through the national park with great view of Halong Bay from mountains’ summits. We will paddle amongst islets, visit hidden caves, lagoons, unspoiled beaches, floating fishing village and talk with local fish-man. On Cat Ba Island we will trek through jungle and have a chance to see the panorama of Halong Bay from one of the mountain summits we would conquer during the trek. Before heading back to Hanoi via Hai Phong we would have a half day to relax on the beach of Cat Ba. Highlights Amazing limestone formations Inclusive junk for overnight Great trek in jungle Day 1: Cruise Halong Bay Leave Hanoi for Halong Bay at 8.00am. On the way we will have a short break for refreshment at a handicraft centre. Upon arrival in Halong City we board a junk for a fine seafood lunch and an amazing cruise on the bay. We will visit to a cave before cruising through an amazing area of limestone islets. We will pass a floating village to reach a beautiful cove where we anchor for the night. Dinner and overnight on the junk. Summary: Transfer Hanoi – Halong: 3.5 hrs Transportation: AC vehicle, Boat Activities: Cruising Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Twin shared cabin Day 2: Kayaking Halong Bay After breakfast we kayak to Luon Cave and Trong Cave, the exploration of these cave takes us the morning. After lunch on the support boat we paddle to Van Chai Floating village, the biggest comunity of fishmen in Halong Bay. Wre will visit to the village school and local family before we continue paddling to Dark Cave. Tide permitting, we explore this amazing cave by kayak. The cave is a 200m long, dark tunnel thrusting through a limestone mountain. The tunnel is the only entry to a secluded and beautiful lagoon. Lunch on support boat in front of the cave. Cruise back to mother boat for dinner and overnight. Summary: Kayaking: 5 hr – moderate grade Transportation: Boat, Kayak Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Twin shared cabin Day 3: Kayaking and transfer to Cat Ba Island Breakfast on boat. Transferred by support boat to Ho Ba Ham, a deep grotto with three inland “lakes”. The grotto is accessible only at low tide by kayak. There are beautiful beaches around, where we could stop for swimming. Lunch in Ho Ba Ham area. In the afternoon if time and weather permits we can paddle in Lan Ha Bay and paddle to Cat Ba Island. Bus transfer from Cat Ba Dock to hotel. Check in hotel and free at leisure. Overnight on Cat Ba Island. Summary: Kayaking: 5 – 6 hrs – moderate grade Transportation: Boat, Kayak, Bus Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: Hotel on Cat Ba Island...
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Halong Bay’s Aesthetic Value The permanent beauty of Ha Long is created by three factors: stone, water and sky. Ha Long’s island system is multicolored with a variety of shapes and can be regarded as a water-color, a work of art. The islands, scattered all round, have different shapes which provoke the imagination: Dinh Huong (Incense Burner) implies spiritual significance, Ga Choi (Fighting Cocks) the symbol of Viet Nam tourism, Con Coc (Toad) recalls the passage of time, waiting thousands of years to seek justice in Heaven. There are islands that resemble a resplendent throne, a Vietnamese mother’s curved back carrying her child, a roof, an old man, a human head and so on. Within the bigger islands are great attractions. Dau Go Cave (Wooden Stakes) dazzles the senses with many huge stalactites hanging poised in mid air and stalagmites growing majestically upwards. Then there is Thien Cung Grotto (Heavenly Palace) with its small, narrow entrance, but inside looking like a marvelous palace, and many other caves each has its own attractions and beauty. Ha Long’s sea is always the same, blue, smooth and still. Ha Long has its own beauty by seasons. In Spring, buds of trees burst on limestone islands. In Summer, it is cool and clean with many sparkling sun rays reflecting from the sea’s surface. In Autumn, especially at night, moonlight illuminates the mountains so they appear like gold, inlaid into the earth. In Winter, with pervasive frost, Ha Long is glamorous as “a floating flower basket on smooth wave”. Geological value Halong Bay’s geological value has been evaluated in two ways: by the history of its formation and by its karst geomorphology. Formation history: The Halong Bay area has a long geological history, commencing nearly 500 million years ago, stretching through various ancient geological periods involving the processes of orogeny earth movements, marine regression, tectonic down-warping and marine transgression. Between the Ordovician and Silurian periods (500 to 410 million years ago) the area was a deep sea. Later, between the Carboniferous and Permian periods (340 to 250 million years ago) the sea had become shallow. By the end of the Paleogenic and the beginning of the Neogenic periods (26 and 20 million years ago) the area had become part of a great coastal plain. This was inundated again by the sea about 2 million years ago. During the Triassic period, (240 and 195 million years ago) when most of the rest of the world was experiencing hot, dry climatic conditions, the Ha Long region had a hot and wet climate. The decayed remains of enormous forests of tree ferns were the basis of the coal deposits in the area. – Karst geomorphologic value: Ha Long Bay is a mature karst landscape developed during a warm, wet, tropical climate. The sequence of stages in the evolution of a karst landscape over a period of 20...
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The legend of Halong Bay is fascinating for children as well. It is said that when Vietnam was fighting foreign invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to protect the Vietnamese. The dragons spit jewels and jades which upon hitting the bay were turned into the islands. These islands joined together to create a wall which stopped the invaders. This land became Vietnam and the dragons loved it so much they decided to stay on Earth and live here. Halong means descending dragon. A cruise on board one of the junks is a wonderful experience with kids. Most junks offer 2 or 3 day itineraries with lots of activities. Meals are generally included with lots of fresh seafood. Let the tour operator know if your family is not big on seafood and they will cook up some chicken dishes too. Some tours do not include drinks and must be purchased separately. Many tours will include transportation from Hanoi (approximately 3.5 hours). Children can join the activities on board like: cave visiting, kayaking, swimming or fishing village but they need their parents’ attention. Before each activity, children need to be told in advance about the safety so that they are more careful to follow the instructions. Kayaking is offered by several junks however this is better suited for older children. A sunrise tai chi lesson is also an interesting activity for the kids. Evening fishing for squid is another of the fun things to do in Halong Bay with kids. You may also get to visit a fishing village or see the monkeys playing on the rocks. Children also need to be well- equipped with life vests during all the activities. Halong Bay should be high on your list of places to travel to in Vietnam with kids. It was definitely my family’s favorite part of visiting Vietnam. The beauty of this place is truly amazing-it is one of the most beautiful landscapes that I have seen. It is also a nice escape from the chaos of Hanoi. The Best Junks For Kids When You Travel To Halong Bay Bhaya Cruises is one of the best family friendly luxury junk operators. They have 7 vessels to choose from with daily departures from Hanoi. You can choose from 1 or 2 night tours with stops at the beautiful Cat ba islands. They also offer private boat Bhaya Legend rents for families. They offer a kid’s menu as well as child size life jackets. Children under 6 are free and there is a discount for kids ages 6-12 (sharing room with parent). Paloma Cruise offers family suites that can sleep a family of 3 (2 adults and 1 child). Children’s discounts available for children under 12. Emotion Cruise offers a family suite cabin with connecting door. One room has a double bed and the other has 2 single beds. This Halong...
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Halong bay is proud to the one of the World’s New Wonders of Nature. With the geological and geomorphologic value as well as aesthetic value, Halong Bay is certainly one of must-see destinations in the world. It is known as a paradise of sites and entertainment. There, tourists can enjoy various kinds of fun activities at this World Natural Heritage such as cruising, caving, swimming, kayaking, fishing, visiting floating villages, cycling + trekking, scuba-diving,rock-climbing, etc. Cruising Tourists will have many choices with Halong bay cruises which have different about level and price. However you should choose level cruise from 3 stars to 5 stars to receive the best service and safe. General, all cruises are checked about safe and standard equipment on the cruise. Moreover, there are several relaxing services provided on the cruises including restaurant & bar, massage, cooking class, tai chi class, etc… Some famous cruises are appreciated by tourist such as: Au Co cruise, Bhaya cruise, Paradise cruise, Violet cruise, Jasmine cruise, Red Dragon Cruise… Au Co cruise is the most modern cruise in Halong bay. It was built in 2012 and it has 32 cabins with 5 star levels. This cruise was honored as luxury hotel on the sea. Paradise cruise has perennial brand with luxury cruises in Halong bay such as: Paradise cruise, Paradise Peak cruise… Tourist will surprise about luxury and professional service of these cruise. The architecture of these vessels draws its inspiration from the traditional Halong Bay junks. They have been furnished and designed to offer the utmost comfort worthy of a world-class luxury hotel and the enchanting charm of a boutique hotel. This is relaxing paradise to enjoy peaceful time, quite. Choosing Halong bay cruises is the new travel experiences and the new way of discovery for tourists. Let‘s choose suitable cruise itinerary and explore mysterious limestone caves on Halong Bay. Caving Halong bay has many caves and islands. These caves are attractive destinations in route visiting Halong bay. Some famous caves are known extensively by tourist such as “Dau Go” cave, “Thien Cung” cave, “Sung Sot” cave… Magnificent masterpieces of the Creator will definitely dazzle all visitors by the magical world of stalactites and stalagmites in various sizes and shapes. Tourists are also have chance to dine in a cave and experience an exotic feeling of dining in spacious and romantic ambiance inside. The most famous cave is “Dau Go” cave, located in Dau Go Island. “Dau Go” cave is divided into three parts. Outside part has roll in dome with ceiling look like huge oil paint picture. Beauty of this cave is praised in many poems and songs. It was honored as “caves of wonders” in World Wonder book by French. Next to “Sung sot” cave which located in Bo Hon Island and belong to centre Halong bay. This cave included two parts with stalactites with unique shape...
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Named and designed after an authentic Chinese junk, the original Red Dragon junk plied the rivers, seas and harbors of the Far East, from Singapore to northern China. Our Red Dragon is complete with five deluxe cabins and designed to resonate with superior class and grandeur. Larger than The Prince and Princess it is still small enough to get up close to the natural wonders, pocket lagoons and small fishing communities of Halong and Bai Tu Long bays. As soon as you board the Red Dragon, you will be surrounded by traditional handmade artisan woodwork. Whether you are relaxing in the comfort of your own cabin, lounging on the spacious sun deck, or dinning in the cozy restaurant, you will feel treated like royalty. This masterpiece is a wonderful option for those who need a little more space for a small group cruise of up to 11 people. Reviews from customers: Fantastic! I was skeptical going into this Halong Bay cruise based on all the reviews of Halong bay tours in general but boy, was I blown away by how fantastic this cruise was, We booked thru our hotel with the Indochina Junk the Red Dragon II. It is a little more than some of the other cruises but trust me, it is SO worth every penny. First, the trip was mostly thru Bai Tu Long Bay, which is less crowded and cleaner (see travel itinerary). There are only 5 cabins (10 persons total) so you don’t feel crowded out. There are sunning lounge chairs on the deck where you can relax and enjoy the view, as well as option for both indoor and outdoor dining on top of the boat. Think about that, meals with the bay cruising by you. Second, the crew and our guide were very friendly, helpful and just all around great people. Our guide Hoang Nguyen was always there to provide information (very informative which was a plus), guidance and help when you needed it but not around so much that it was annoying, most of the time you just felt comfortable and taken care of and not bothered at all. He had the perfect balance for a 2 day 1 night trip. Third, can we say delicious food! The food was so so so amazing! (that’s three “so”‘s folks). It was the ultimate never-ending delicious meal. Finally, we felt so pampered. The itinerary, crew, guide, the rooms (each room had panoramic windows and the bathroom had a window that opened) the food, the views…everything was so “Zen,” peaceful and great. Look at this review, I clearly cannot say enough about the Red Dragon cruise. I don’t rate things often but this experience was just perfect. Read the information and consulting before choosing Itinerary 1. Two Day/One Night Itinerary On the first day, those 3 activities, including Cave Visiting, Kayaking and Swimming, are continuously...
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