Nature And Outdoors in Ha Long

Ha Long is a drowned limestone landscape: karst towers standing in green water, with sea caves, lagoons walled in by cliffs and small beaches between them. The stretch most people know is only part of it. South-east, Lan Ha Bay lies off Cat Ba Island, with beaches such as Ba Trai Dao and a maze of islets. North-east, Bai Tu Long is quieter still. Cat Ba itself is a national park and UNESCO biosphere reserve, mostly forest, where the trail passes the peaks of Ang Vat, May Bau and Ang Phay and Frog Lake before dropping to Viet Hai village. Deer, snakes and the critically endangered Cat Ba langur live here, though the langur is seldom seen.

Our trips split three ways. Day and overnight boats work the main bay and Lan Ha, stopping to paddle into caves and to swim from a beach. Lan Ha and Bai Tu Long routes are sold as the less crowded option, often on small wooden boats. On land, a full-day group trek from Cat Ba Town takes about eight and a half hours: the park, lunch in Viet Hai, then a boat through Lan Ha with a kayak stop and a pass by the floating village at Cai Beo. The two-day version sleeps in a jungle bungalow and adds a night kayak among glowing plankton.

Practical. Autumn and spring are the easy seasons. January averages about 17C, so a jacket is needed on deck from December to March, while July sits near 29C and storms from July to September can close the bay. Swimming is comfortable from about May to October. The park trek needs shoes with grip and a solid breakfast, and it is rated unsuitable for people with heart conditions. Park and bay tickets are normally included in the fare. A langur sighting is luck, not a promise.