In 1994 Halong Bay was designated as Vietnam's second United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) World Heritage site. Visitors have compared the area's magical landscape of limestone islets to Guilin in China and Krabi in southern Thailand. These tiny islands are dotted with innumerable beaches and grottoes created by wind and waves.
As the number one tourist attraction, in the north-east, Halong Bay draws a steady stream of visitors year-round. During February, March and April, Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island's weather is often cold and drizzly, and the ensuing fog can make visibility low, although the temperature rarely falls below 10oC. During the summer months, tropical storms are frequent.
Besides the breathtaking vistas, visitors to Halong Bay come to explore the countless caves (some of which are beautifully illuminated for the sake of tourists). There is only one proper beach in Halong Bay, called Titop Beach. Over in Lan Ha Bay (off Cat Ba Island) the opposite is true; Lan Ha boasts over 100 beaches, but almost no caves at all.
Ha long translates literally as 'where the dragon descends into the sea'. Legend has it that the islands of Halong Bay were created by a great dragon that lived in the mountains. As it ran towards the coast, its flailing tail gouged out valleys and crevasses; as it plunged into the sea, the areas dug up by the tail became filled with water, leaving only the high land visible.
The dragon may be legend, but sailors in the Halong Bay region have often reported sightings of a mysterious marine creature of gargantuan proportions known as the Tarasque. More paranoid elements of the military suspect it's an imperialist spy submarine, while eccentric travellers believe they have discovered Vietnam's version of the Loch Ness monster. Meanwhile, the monster or whatever it is, continues to haunt Halong Bay, unfettered by the marine police, Vietnam Tourism and the immigration authorities. Enterprising Vietnamese boat owners have made a cottage industry out of the creature, offering cash-laden tourists the chance to rent a junk and pursue the Tarasque before he gets fed up and swims away.
Dragons aside, the biggest threat to the bay may be from souvenir hunting tourists. Rare corals and seashells are rapidly being stripped from the seafloor, while stalactites and stalagmites are being broken off from the caves. These items get turned into key rings, paperweights and ashtrays, which are on sale in the local souvenir shops. You might consider the virtue of not buying these items and 'spending your cash instead on postcards and silk paintings.