Exploring Lan Ha Bay
Located within the World Natural Heritage complex of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago, Lan Ha Bay is known as a gem of Vietnam's marine tourism. It boasts pristine, peaceful beauty with hundreds of islands and a rich, diverse ecosystem, attracting both domestic and international tourists to explore and experience its natural splendor.
Situated about 30km from the center of Hai Phong, Lan Ha Bay is considered the link between Cat Ba Island and Ha Long Bay. It covers an area of over 7,000ha, with more than 5,400ha managed by the Cat Ba National Park World Biosphere Reserve. Lan Ha Bay has a curved, arc-like shape and is surrounded by more than 400 different large and small islands. The name Lan Ha means an orchid descending to beautify the world. Unlike Ha Long Bay, which has numerous surrounding islands, Lan Ha Bay features 139 small island beaches and boasts a diverse and rich ecosystem, home to many rare species of flora and fauna.
Due to its remote location, Lan Ha offers a fresh and peaceful environment. Here, tourists can go scuba diving to explore the fascinating underwater world or visit caves to learn about the area's geological history. Lan Ha Bay also has many beautiful beaches with clear blue water and fine white sand, perfect for swimming and relaxation.
One of the highlights of exploring Lan Ha Bay is Cat Ba Island, where visitors can tour Cat Ba National Park, explore caves, and engage in various outdoor activities. Additionally, other attractive destinations include Monkey Island, which is home to hundreds of playful monkeys.
While visiting, tourists should savor the diverse seafood such as sea crabs, geoducks, horseshoe crabs, lobsters, and sea snakes. Some must-try specialties include grilled horseshoe crabs, baked lobsters with egg sauce, salted fried crabs, grilled geoducks, and lobsters steamed with wine.
During their time in Lan Ha Bay, visitors should head to Van Boi Island for kayaking and snorkeling to see coral reefs or visit Cai Beo fishing village, an ancient floating village offering a unique insight into the local way of life.
To visit Lan Ha Bay, visitors first need to travel to Cat Ba Island. From the center of Cat Ba Island, take a taxi to Ben Beo Pier and purchase a sightseeing ticket for the bay for 30,000 dong.
The boat rental prices for touring Lan Ha Bay:
- For groups of 10 to 20 people, the rental cost ranges from 1.6 million to 5 million dong (60 - 200 US dollars) per boat.
- For groups of 25 to 50 people, the rental cost ranges from 2.2 million to 7 million dong (90 - 280 US dollars) per boat.
Story: Thanh Giang Photos: Cong Dat/VNP Translated by Nguyen Tuoi