Vietnamese Ha Long Bay Travel Guide: Scenic Wonders That Even Guangxi Locals Find Stunning
🇻🇳 Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, known as the “Guilin on the Sea,” is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Although as someone from Guangxi who has grown tired of karst landscapes and visited Guilin countless times, it was indeed my first time seeing karst mountains floating on the sea, which was a little bit shocking!
It can be described as “the tide is calm and the banks are wide, the wind is right and the sail hangs straight.”
If the beauty of Guilin’s landscape is delicate and graceful, then Ha Long Bay on the sea is a kind of grand and surging beauty.
Guilin is most poetic when it’s misty and rainy, while Ha Long Bay shows its bold scenery only when the sky is clear and the weather is fine.
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[🚗 How to get to Ha Long Bay]
✅ Apply for a separate visa for Vietnam in advance (visa issued in 3-5 working days)
1. Take the high-speed train to Dongxing, Guangxi, and take a taxi to the Dongxing Port.
2. Cross the border at Dongxing Port to Mong Cai Port, Vietnam.
3. Right after exiting Mong Cai Port, you will see fleets offering rides to Ha Long Bay and Hanoi. The fare to Ha Long Bay is 100 RMB, with a travel time of about two hours.
[💰 How to exchange money and buy SIM cards]
After exiting Mong Cai Port, you will find many locals offering currency exchange and selling SIM cards, or you can ask the fleet owners.
[🏖️ What to do in Ha Long Bay]
Go on a sea tour. It is recommended to book a one-day sea tour through a local hotel, usually costing around 350-400 RMB on regular days. The tour typically includes visits to Paradise Island, Surprise Cave, and activities such as boating, swimming, and climbing to scenic viewpoints.
[🏨 Where to stay in Ha Long Bay]
Ha Long City is not large, and there are mainly two areas recommended:
▶️ Residential area: Clock Tower Roundabout
(The roundabout shown in Figure 6, with scenic hotels and panoramic cafes)
▶️ Tourist area: Bai Chay
(With beaches, docks, night markets, and food streets)
[🍜 What to eat in Ha Long Bay]
Mainly various Vietnamese noodles (Pho), which suit the taste of people from Guangxi. However, Ha Long City is a tourist city, so prices are relatively high, with a bowl of noodles costing 60k-80k VND (about 18-22 RMB).
[What season is suitable]
In my opinion, as shown in the pictures, Ha Long Bay is most beautiful under blue skies and white clouds. Therefore, it is suggested to visit during the summer, checking the weather forecast to come when the weather is clear.
For more travel guides, routes, and activities for traveling from Guangxi to Vietnam, refer to the collection below. You are also welcome to join the group chat below for discussions.
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