 Attraction in Halong Bay
GETTING THERE & AWAY:
Nowadays the fastest and most convenient way to go to Halong
Bay is by air transports; the Northern Airport Flight Service
Company offers a helicopter charter service from Hanoi to Halong
Bay on Saturday only. However, this way is rather expensive. The
cost for the charter services is US$175 per person (paying an
extra US$20 gets you transfers to Hanoi's Gia Lam Airport and the
harbor in Halong, a four- to-five-hour boat ride, and lunch in
Halong Bay). The same helicopters can be privately chartered for
US$200 an hour.
Vast majority of tourists traveling to Halong Bay come on
organized tour packages which can be easily found in any travel
agent in Hanoi. Mostly traveling by road and staying a night or
two in Bai Chay with one or two boat trips in the package.
It would not be any cheaper by traveling on your own and the
hassle factor in Halong City, especially during peak season, is
high enough to make you grumpy. For those who prefer independent
travel, there are buses from Hanoi to Halong City and Haiphong,
from where you can organize transports to Halong Bay. It is
advisable to take a route via Haiphong to less hassle-ridden Cat
Ba Island rather than via Halong City. Nevertheless, you can take
boat trip from Bai Chay - the most important tourist district in
Halong City - to Halong Bay.
GETTING AROUND:
You won't see much unless you take a boat tour of the islands
and their grottoes. If you end up traveling independently to
Halong City, cruises are offered by private boat owners, travel
agencies and hotels in Bai Chay. Competition is fierce and
overcharging and high-pressure sales tactics are still the norm.
Since, area is large; it is advisable to take a fast boat in
order to see more. The rare but romantic junks are very photogenic
and can be hired as well. However, junks are so slow on a calm day
that they hardly seem to be moving at all. You don't have to rent
a whole boat for yourself - there are plenty of travelers,
Vietnamese and foreign, to share with. A small boat can hold six
to 12 people and costs around US$6 per hour. Mid-sized boats (the
most popular ones) take around 20 passengers and costs US$15 per
hour. Larger boats can hold 50 to 100 people and cost US$25 per
hour. All tourist boats are located at a marina about 2km west of
central Bai Cha.
Attraction in
Haiphong
Situated 103 kilometers southeast of Hanoi, Haiphong is
accessible by different modes of transportation.
By air -There are connecting flights with Ho Chi
Minh City five times a week departing from Cat Bi Airport.
By train - Haiphong railway station is close to
the intersection of Luong Khanh Thien Street and Pham Ngu Lao
Street. There are trains from Hanoi to Haiphong seven times a day.
Please note that only the 5.50 a.m. train leaves from Hanoi
Station; the other trains leave from Long Bien Station.
By bus - From Hanoi, buses and minibuses leave
from Hanoi's Gia Lam and Kim Ma Bus Station to
Haiphong. From Haiphong to Hanoi and other destinations, there are
bus stations at different points in Haiphong city.
Buses leaving for Bai Chay can be caught at the bus station in Tran
Nguyen District. For inter-provincial buses, they leave from
the Niem Nghia Inter-Provincial Bus Station on Tran Nguyen
Han Street. Those who want to head for Do Son and Kien Thuy, there
are bus services at the Lach Tray Bus Station, next to Nhan
Dan Theater. And the Tam Bac Bus Station run services to
Hanoi.
Air-conditioned minibuses are also available, leaving every ½
hour from Kim Ma Station in Hanoi to Haiphong. The journey
takes two and half hours.
By boat - Daily ferries leave from the dock on
Ben Binh Street from Hon Gai (Halong Bay) and Cat Ba Island. Green
lines 5 runs between Haiphong and Mong Cai. The boat departs from
Haiphong at 7.30 a.m. and returns from Mong Cai at 2.30 p.m. (From
Monday to Thursday). The journey takes 3 hours. At Niem Nghia
dock, there are boat departures to Nam Dinh and Hai Duong.
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