The Northern Coast Bái T Long Bay

Passing from Hå Long Bay to neighboring Bái T Long Bay takes visitors out of UNESCO-protected World Heritage territory, but not away from the region’s overwhelming majesty. As in Hå Long Bay, the waters near the mainland are spotted with stone towers projecting from the calm bay waters. A passage into the heart of the bay slithers out of the angular and bold rocks and travels between flatter islands, which roll gently out of the water and are covered with rich forests. The floating fishing villages of Hå Long carry over to the sea of Bái T Long, as do more stationary and colorful houses perched on the shores of the green islands. Few of these natural formations have any sort of tourist infrastructure, but a steady flow of public ferries, running once or twice per day between the islands, makes them suitable for one-day excursions. Some locals disembark at isolated islands to catch dinner straight from the sea; we recommend that you do the same.

One way of exploring Bái T Long Bay is to arrange a two- or three-day tour through a hotel or restaurant on Cát Bà Island or in Cái R·ng. Most can arrange an excursion into Hå Long’s sibling on a sailboat, including one overnight on the boat and one on Quán Lån Island, in a bungalow on the gorgeous white-sand beach. However, chartering your own boat can be pretty expensive if you’re traveling alone (usually US$40 per day). The Noble House books three-day, two-night tours (US$350 for as many people as can fit on board). All tours include transportation, room, and board. While touring the bay and its tiny islands might be easiest with a pre-arranged tour, travelers wishing to explore the area on their own can island-hop with the help of public ferries, which make infrequent but inexpensive and largely reliable trips between Bái T Long’s populated islands. Daily ferries traverse the southern part of the bay on their way to and from Hå Long City and Quán Lån. Those wishing to spend a few days on the bay’s beaches can easily reach the inhabited islands, where guesthouses stand ready to shelter tourists.

Orientation

Situated 10km northeast of Ca Ông (on the mainland), Cái R·ng is on Vñn ·n Island, and it’s the closest port in Bái T Long Bay to the rest of Vietnam. It’s also the most developed and populated city in the bay. With the Tài Xä ferry running west to the mainland and inter-island ferries heading to the rest of the bay, Vñn ·n serves as the transportation hub of Bái T Long Bay. While virtually uninhabited limestone islands are scattered throughout the bay, the closest populated island east of Cái R·ng is B\n Sen, which takes about 1hr. to reach by boat. Twenty kilometers from Cái R·ng and slightly northeast of B\n Sen is Ba Mun National Park. Heading straight east into the sea takes boats out of the cluster of islands and into the open ocean. A 3hr. ferry ride zigzagging around the islands eventually shoots straight out to C® T®, the farthest-out inhabited island. Closer to the mainland and farther south is peaceful Quán Lån island. Around and in between are hundreds of smaller, untouched islands, all very much worth exploring.

Islands Of Bái T Long Bay

Ba Mun Island. What the national park on Cát Bà Island is to Hå Long Bay, Ba Mun Island is to Bái T Long—minus the flocks of tourists (or any sign of humanity whatsoever). The entire island, which is 18km in length but only 1km in width, is classified as a nature reserve. On its shores, visitors can spot a lowland evergreen forest and 400 plant species, three of which are listed in the 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants. Deep crimson and bright yellow flowers blanket the island. Along the slippery, rocky shores, patient visitors can see tiny crabs, while those who dare to walk into the forest can spot huge spiderwebs and their owners, whose rich red bodies and legs can span a 10-year-old’s palm. Unlike the preserve on Cát Bà, however, this island remains as yet untouched by tourism—and there are no plans for development. As such, the landscape is entirely wild—no paths to guide visitors in and out, no landing docks that avoid the slippery shores and steep hills on the coast, and no ranger station or guided tours. Those willing to step into the vine-covered vegetation should arrive dressed in long sleeves and pants, armed with a compass, water, and a serious sense of adventure. There are no public ferries to the island, so you’ll have to rent a boat in Cái R·ng (20km; 1-2hr.)

Ngßc Vng (Pearl Halo) . Characterized by small villages and soft sand beaches, Ngßc Vng is home to C#ng Yˆn, a commercial harbor that boomed with trade in the 11th century, and contains ruined citadels erected during the Måc (16th century) and Nguy[n (19th century) dynasties. The tiny village of C#ng Yˆn rests peacefully on the island’s shore. Its deep orange and blue houses have palm trees scattered along their sides. The island derives its name from the ancient occupation of its inhabitants, who harvested bright pearls along the island’s shores. A local fable whispers that pearls hidden in the water around the island would cover it in a halo of light visible to far-away ships. Ngßc Vng can be reached by the public ferry that runs daily from Hòn Gai to Quán Lån and back (about 2hr.; 45,000). It departs both those cities at 7am and 1pm, allowing visitors to see the island between the arrival of the morning boat and the departure of the afternoon one, or as a half-day trip from either direction.

Cô Tô. The farthest inhabited island of Bái T Long Bay is also one of the three islands that currently allows visitors to spend the night on its shores. The journey to C® T® requires braving the rough waters of the exposed ocean, no longer protected by the islands that shield the inner bay. But C® T® has managed to keep huge tour boats from landing on its shores, making its deserted beaches all the better. Daily ferries returning from the island make it possible to visit these soft-sand shores without spending the night—though the allure of crashing waves and absolute seclusion is hard to ignore. Daily ferries run from Cái R·ng at 7am and return there at 2pm (3hr.; 45,000 each way).