Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [293]
The bay’s most famous cave is also the closest to Bai Chay, so is a favourite for day-trippers: Hang Dau Go (“Grotto of the Wooden Stakes”) is where General Tran Hung Dao amassed hundreds of stakes deep inside the cave’s third and largest chamber before the Bach Dang River battle of 1288 (See "The battles of Bach Dang River"). On the same island, a steep climb to Hang Thien Cung (“Grotto of the Heavenly Palace”) is rewarded by a rectangular chamber 250m long and 20m high with a textbook display of sparkling stalactites and stalagmites – supposedly petrified characters of the Taoist Heavenly Court.
Further south, past hidden bays, needle-sharp ridges and cliffs of ribbed limestone, lies an area particularly rich in caves. The most visited, which features on almost all one- and two-day itineraries, is Hang Sung Sot (also known as the Surprise Cave). Inside its three echoing chambers spotlights pick out the more interesting rock formations, including a “Happy Buddha” and rather surprising pink phallus. At the top you come out onto a belvedere with good views over the flotilla of junks below and sampans hawking souvenirs and soft drinks. Also in this area is Ho Dong Tien (“Grotto of the Fairy Lake”) and Dong Me Cung (“Grotto of the Labyrinth”) where, in 1993, ancient fossilized human remains were found.
Dau Be Island, on the southeastern edge of Ha Long Bay, encloses Ho Ba Ham (“Three Tunnel Lake”), a shallow lagoon wrapped round with limestone walls and connected to the sea by three low-ceilinged tunnels that are only navigable by sampan at low tide. This cave is sometimes included in day-trips out of Bai Chay but is most easily visited from Cat Ba.
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Ha Long Bay and the northern seaboard | Ha Long Bay | The caves |
Organized tours of Ha Long Bay
Every Hanoi tour agent offers Ha Long Bay excursions. If you’re pushed for time, you can even come here on a day-trip, but really to do the bay justice you need to devote at least two days, preferably overnighting on board. There’s an enormous range of tours on offer at prices that vary according to the group size, the facilities on the boat, whether you sleep on board and so forth. On the whole, however, the most popular option is a three-day, two-night excursion, spending one night on board and the second on Cat Ba Island. The price of such tours starts at around $40–50 per person for the basic package, rising to somewhere around $150 on the more luxurious boats. Other options include camping on outlying islands, rock-climbing, adventure kayaking and visiting more remote parts of the bay such as Quan Lan Island.
One of the most important factors to bear in mind when booking a tour is the maximum number of people on board: unless you opt for one of the big, luxury boats with plenty of space, it’s really worth going with a small group of ten to sixteen people. Check if the cabins are en suite and whether they have air-conditioning. Equally, in winter, the bay can get quite cold so make sure you have warm clothes, and that you get a refund if the trip is cancelled due to bad weather: this is your right under Vietnamese law.
Competition is so fierce among travel agencies that at any given time several companies will offer good tours at low prices, though which company is the cheapest varies from month to month – shop around, and ask fellow travellers for recommendations. The following are all reputable operators offering distinctive tours.
Buffalo Tours 04/3828 0702, www.buffalotours.com. Impeccable tours on one of the best junks around – the Jewel of the Bay. The seafood is rarely anything short of delectable, the wine list none too shabby, and kayaking is included in the cost of the trip. Starts at $185 per person.
Emeraude 04/3934 0888, www.emeraude-cruises.com. By far the most luxurious vessel cruising the