Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (Part 1)::UNESCO World Heritage: A Voyage to the Sea Palaces

Located in northern Vietnam, Ha Long Bay is most famous for its karst landforms, which are over 200 million years old. These have given rise to 1,969 limestone islets of various sizes, scattered across the vast bay covering 1,553 square kilometers. These peculiar rock formations stretch from the sea floor, sometimes standing alone, other times extending in ridges. They combine rugged beauty with delicate charm, sharp edges with proud solitude. Due to its resemblance to Guilin in China’s Guangxi Province, Ha Long Bay is often called the “Ha Long Bay of the Sea.” This distinctive landscape has earned it a spot on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for two consecutive years for both its natural scenery and geological features. Its rare “karst coastal landscape” is hailed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” and even appears as a design on Vietnamese currency.

In the past, visiting Ha Long Bay mostly meant staying in a waterfront hotel and taking a half-day or day trip by small boat. A few years ago, the Western trend of “mobile villas” in Ha Long Bay caught on in Taiwan, and many began opting for overnight cruise boats. For this trip, our “home” was the Indochina Sails.