Halong Bay - Vietnam's Natural Wonder!

This is the most visited area in Vietnam and a must on any itinerary. The makers of the James Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies" agreed and the movie was filmed in this area. The cinematic classic "Indochine" was also filmed here.

The Halong Bay area, a UNESCO World Heritage Natural Wonder, is breathtaking and there is a variety of ways to experience it, depending on your preferences and budget.

Exclusive cruise ships offer a 5-star view of the scenery but sleeping in a stateroom can lack what sleeping under the stars on the deck of a traditional Chinese junk can offer. A romantic overnight stay under Halong Bay's starry skies is highly recommended.

According to legend, Halong Bay was formed when a dragon descended into the sea and spat out thousands of pearls which formed the 3,000 islets & islands now in Halong Bay.

Once described as "Venice on the rocks” by Frenchman Marshal D. Lyautey, Halong Bay has scenery that is reminiscent of Guilin, China - its beauty defies description.

The islands contain numerous grottos and some of these caves can be visited. Well developed walking trails and stairs enable easy viewing of their beautiful limestone interiors, some with modern lighting to enhance the fairytale-like stalactites and stalacmites.

The best time to visit Halong Bay is from May to October. The weather can be misty and rainy from February-April but, as the No.1 tourist destination in the northeast, Halong Bay draws a steady stream of visitors year-round.

Cruising tours of Halong Bay can be booked at any hotel or travel agency in Hanoi with prices starting at USD $12. For those with a healthier budget, cruises on state-of-the-art, luxury vessels may need to be booked slightly in advance.

If you wish to travel independently to Halong Bay, there are regular bus services from Hanoi to Halong City & Haiphong and regular hydrofoil services now operate between those cities and islands in the Bay.

The free, 2007 Editions of the on-line Cambodia and Thailand Travel Guides are now available in English. Other Travel Guides will be available in the near future.

In addition, Arikah now also features free, online encyclopedias in Dutch, English, German, French, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.