Natural Wonders of North Vietnam

For the past week, I've been exploring the geological wonders that make up north Vietnam. North Vietnam is home to a number of AMAZING geological sites, many of which left me awestruck by their natural beauty. Most notable of these sites is Ha Long Bay, one of the natural wonders of the world and one of the must-see destinations that make up my list of places to visit before I die.

"Ha Long" translates to "descending dragon" in Vietnamese, a name alluding to the many mythical tales describing the formation of this famous geological wonder characterized by over three thousand rock islands scattered throughout a great expanse of water. One of these tales credit the formation of these rock islands to a dragon descending from flight. The steps the dragon made in descent left huge imprints that formed the rock islands we see today.


A typical tour of Ha Long Bay consists of a boat ride to visit the Thien Cung and the Hang Do Go caves. These caves are worth the trip in the suffocating northern Vietnamese heat--the stalactites and the stagalymites inside these caves are spectacular. The lights that illuminate these caves only add to their natural beauty, formed by 700,000 years of water seepage.


The Hang Do Go caves ("wooden stakes caves") is a famous site in Vietnamese history. It is said to be the place where Tran Hung Dau, a legendary Vietnamese military commander, secretly stored wooden stakes used to defeat Mongol enemies in the 13th century.


One ticket to visit these caves is 40,000 dong (around $2), which includes the boat ride there, the entry fee to these caves, and a boat ride back. These caves are EXTREMELY popular, so they get super packed by early morning. I was walking heel to heel with other visitors, which made the trek through these caves very uncomfortable (not to mention the unbearable heat and humidity). Because it is popular, there are also a lot of pick-pocketers so BE CAREFUL. If carrying a purse, keep it in front of you. Don't put anything in the pockets of your pants. My mom had an old lady, of all people, put her hands down my mom's pants, where our passports were kept. Luckily, my mom grabbed the old woman's hands away in time or I wouldn't be leisurely writing this blog right now.

Other tips:
-Don't go early in the morning. I went around 7am and at that time, the morning haze had not even settled yet so it was difficult to clearly see all the islands and take good pictures. The best time to go is during the afternoon, around 12pm. The only problem is that this is when the rush of tourists start coming in and when the day's heat is at its worst. I would still recommend going at this time because I felt a bit disappointed not being able to fully view Ha Long Bay when it is most beautiful.
-Wear some good walking shoes. Other than the colored lights that illuminate the caves, they are poorly lit. It is also very muddy and with so many people pushing and shoving to get through the caves, you can easily fall down the slippery stairs like Tammy did.
-If you have the time and money, try to go beyond the typical visit to these caves and spend a night on the bay on the boat-hotels. I'm not really sure how expensive these are (I'm assuming they are very expensive), but this allows you to avoid the crowd and see other rock-islands at Ha Long Bay. Simply, if possible, arrange a more specialized tour. I wasn't able to and am super disappointed that I wasn't able to see more of Ha Long Bay.
-Again, be careful about pick-pocketers. I can't emphasize that enough. My bag was opened during the hustle and bustle of the caves. Pick-pocketers mask as fellow visitors--old women and children, especially. As sad as it sounds, don't trust anyone other than the people you go with.

Along with Ha Long Bay, I visited Trang An caves in the Ninh Binh province. A trip through the Trang An caves consists of a hand-rowed boat ride through six caves, all surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery. There is also an option to see ancient temples, but skip those because they are only recently rebuilt models.





Trang An is not yet a popular tourist destination in that region, having just opened two years ago. The more popular visit in the Ninh Binh region is the Tam Coc caves. I would recommend going to Trang An instead to avoid the crowds that surely flock to Tam Coc and ruin the natural habitat with litter, as is the case at all of Vietnam's popular touristy attractions.

In all, I really enjoyed my geological adventure up north. Vietnam doesn't really seem like the place to go for a trek through mountains or ancient caves, but it is really a burgeoning industry here. Just don't litter like everyone else does at these places. So frustrating!