You may have a picture in your mind of Ha Long Bay, with its jutting limestone mountains that rise so dramatically from the Golf of Tonkin, but one thing’s for sure – nothing can prepare you for its awesome beauty. Around 3,000 of these islands pierce the sky, their reflections shimmering in the emerald water of the bay. Rock arches, pristine lagoons, sheer cliffs, coves, and stretches of white-sand beach adorn the dramatic islets, while junks pass between them, tending to fishing hatcheries.
Cruises can last from one to ten days aboard a refitted wooden Chinese-style junk.