Halong

Halong City (Hạ Long) (also known as Hong Gai, Hon Gai or Hongay) is a town on the northern side of the Ha Long Bay Archipelago of Vietnam. It's the capital of Vietnam's Quang Ninh province.

Understand
Halong city is primarily a transit point, though there are a few city beaches. The city also offers several panoramic viewpoints of the bay.

Get in
The three primary transit points are all close to each other and you should be able to get a motorbike taxi between them for 20-30,000 dong or thereabouts.

For individual tourists not on a tour package from Hanoi, "licensed" agents will approach you upon arrival at Bai Chay Wharf to sell cruise packages to you. Starting prices (for a non-Vietnamese Asian) are 500,000VND for a 4hr cruise (for which you will receive an 80,000VND cruise ticket) and 800,000VND for a 6hr one. If you want to avoid the hassle of buying tickets yourself and not looking like a lost sheep not knowing which cruise to take, do your best to bargain. You could approach the ticket counter directly if you have a Vietnamese-speaking guide along, and the rates will be much lower (remember, it's an 80,000VND ticket), but be prepared to pay higher than the value stated on your ticket due to other surcharges such as mandatory insurance.

The tourist boats just stop at an island with two poorly preserved caves, and passengers are hit up for overpriced beers and kayaking ("the water cave") along the way; the whole ordeal takes four or five hours and is really best avoided unless you've never seen a cave before or want to hang out with clueless gap-year tourists. An old report claims "There is another government-run ferry leaving the tourist wharf at 12:00 daily costing 100,000 VND per person and takes 5 hours. This arrives into Cat Ba town" (Good luck finding it with no further information...)

Van Don Airport opened at the end of 2018, with mainly domestic flights across Vietnam. It's at Quảng Ninh, 60 km northeast of Halong.

Eat
There are many restaurants opposite the beach offering mostly Vietnamese rice dishes and seafood. Local specialities include su fish, found only around Halong Bay, shrimp, mussels, deep fried mini crabs, and squid cakes (similar to Thai fish cakes). The market in town is split in to a dry and wet market and is well stocked with seafood.

See

 * Bai Chay Beach - a large, beautiful, artificial beach. 100 meters wide, and over 500 meters long. Busy in the morning and late afternoon.

Bai Chay Tourist Wharf and Jetty
Tourists coming from Hanoi to Halong Bay on all-inclusive tickets pass through here.

For individual tourists not on a tour package from Hanoi, licensed agents will approach you upon arrival at Bai Chay Wharf to sell cruise packages to you. Starting prices (for a non-Vietnamese Asian) are 500,000VND for a 4hr cruise (for which you will receive an 80,000VND cruise ticket) and 800,000VND for a 6hr one. If you want to avoid the hassle of buying tickets yourself and not looking like a lost sheep not knowing which cruise to take, do your best to bargain. You could approach the ticket counter directly if you have a Vietnamese-speaking guide along, and the rates will be much lower (remember, it's an 80,000VND ticket), but be prepared to pay higher than the value stated on your ticket due to other surcharges such as mandatory insurance.

If you are looking for a boat tour at minimum budget, purchase tickets only from the counter staff in full uniform at the wharf office, ignore anyone that tries to convince you that he/she is a staff when he/she does not work or speak at the counter. The price for the boat ride is at 180,000VND while the entrance ticket (separate from boat fee) is at 80,000VND. This is a four hour trip that includes only pass-by of several islands and a visit to the Thien Cung cave on an island. Touts will employ various tactics such as following you at a distance to stop you from getting tickets at the office. Note that the tour guide in this package likely speaks only Vietnamese, and is frequented by the locals young and old.

Karaoke
Various venues offer karaoke.

Halong Bay Casino
Halong Bay Casino (Royal International Casino) is by the main road to Bai Chay. Walking takes about 10–15 minutes from the tour boat wharf. Foreigners must show their passports to enter. No deposit required. A coffee lounge with slot machines on the ground floor is open to all while there are two gambling halls, one on the ground floor which is closed on weekdays while the small main hall is up on the first floor.

Sleep
If you are unable to find a hotel within thirty seconds of arrival in Ha Long city, then you may have been dropped off in the wrong place. There are plenty of Nha Ngi and Hotels lining the streets vying for your money, so haggle it up. The further you follow up the street, the cheaper it gets. With some bargaining you get down to $5 for a room per night for one person.


 * Halong Backpackers Hostel is right on the entrance to Anh Dan street, and is easy enough to find and close to the beach.
 * Tuan Chau Island Holiday Villa is located on Tuan Chau island, and boasts a private sand beach and a themed park. The resort played host to Miss Universe beauty pageant in June 2008. Cab ride to Bai Chay Tourist Wharf is approximately 10mins and 150,000VND. From $80 per night.

Go next
Apparently there are some old stone houses in the mining town of Cam Pha, which you can reach by local bus from Baichay Bus Station. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find them, take photos, and update this page. To aid you in your mission there is a French 1915 map of the mines of the area over here, featuring an ancient citadel.

Also note that if you travel east that far, you would do well to push on to Cai Rong and take a slow ferry to Quan Lan Island, totally free from tourist hassles.