Routard.com, the online version of Guide du Routard, one of France’s oldest and best-known travel guidebook brands, has published a feature on Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, describing it as “one of the most beautiful wonders in the world” that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime.
In an article published on October 5, the French travel website was particularly impressed by the green-clad limestone karsts rising from emerald waters, spectacular caves and floating fishing villages in Ha Long Bay. Together, they create “one of the most spectacular landscapes in Asia, if not the world”.
Recognised by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site in 1994, Ha Long Bay is home to more than 2,000 limestone islands and islets covered in vegetation and scattered across its emerald waters. Routard.com noted that despite becoming a major tourist destination, the bay has retained its otherworldly beauty. To fully appreciate the scenery, visitors are advised to spend more time exploring and venture beyond the busiest tourist routes.
According to Routard.com, Ha Long’s beauty is not limited to views from a boat. Kayaking allows visitors to get close to the cliffs, pass through natural passages and stop at small sandy beaches for a swim. The bay’s extensive cave system is another highlight, with Dau Go Cave, Thien Cung Cave and Sung Sot Cave among the attractions recommended by the French travel website.
Another site highly rated by Routard.com is Ti Top Island. After climbing around 400 steps for about 15 minutes, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the bay, with limestone islands rising from the sea. However, it is also one of the bay’s most popular and often busiest attractions.
For those seeking a quieter setting, the site particularly recommends Bai Tu Long Bay, which lies adjacent to Ha Long Bay. It offers similar landscapes but with fewer tourist boats, making it suitable for visitors wishing to escape the busiest routes and enjoy the tranquility of northeastern Vietnam’s waters.
At Vung Vieng fishing village in Bai Tu Long Bay, visitors can take traditional small boats through floating houses and natural passages between the limestone karsts. Routard.com also suggests visiting a pearl farming area to learn about a craft closely associated with the lives of local coastal communities.
It is this tranquility that led Routard.com to describe Bai Tu Long as a more peaceful version of Ha Long Bay. Rather than following only familiar itineraries, the French travel website encourages visitors to venture a little farther to discover fishing villages, coastal areas and limestone islands where a slower pace of life remains, offering another perspective on Vietnam’s renowned heritage destination./.
