Bai Tu Long National Park


Situated within the area of Bai Tu Long Bay, Van Don District, Quang Ninh province, Bai Tu Long National Park comprises 15,783ha with 6,125 ha of island land and 9,658 ha of tidal land. Several major islands include Ba Mun, Big Tra Ngo, Small Tra Ngo, Sau Nam, Sau Dong, Dong Ma islands and more than 20 other small islands.

Bai Tu Long National Park is home to about 2,000 ha of lowland evergreen forest, most of which is on Ba Mun Island. In the forest, there are various species of plants, the most common among which are Caesalpiniaceae, Theaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Myrtaceae and Sapotaceae families.

 The park supports 672 species of terrestrial plants and 178 aquatic floral species, of which 11 species have been listed in Viet Nam Red Book of endangered species. Bai Tu Long National Park also boasts 37 species of animal, 96 species of bird, 15 species of amphibian, 22 species of reptiles, 119 species of fish, 132 species of invertebrate animal and 106 species of coral. Dugong (also known as sea cow) is one among the most endangered animals in the park.

The park is not only famous for its biological diversity, but also for its fascinating natural landscape with intact beaches and islands. Moreover, there are the archaeological sites of ancient Viet Nam and vestiges of the former busy trading port of Van Don. Visiting Bai Tu Long National Park, tourists will have opportunity to understand about the biological diversity as well as to enjoy the stunning beauty of local landscape.   

Bai Tu Long Bay 3 days

This adventure is centred on the islands of Bai Tu Long Bay. We enjoy a range of activities including boating amongst the limestone peaks, cycling across Quan Lan Island, relaxing on the beach, exploring the shoreline, and meeting wonderful local people.

Day 1 Hanoi / Bai Tu Long Bay
Bai Tu Long Bay of the submerged dragon, which boasts 3000 craggy and towering islets, is amongst the most picturesque places in Vietnam.

The fantastic beauty of the bay has given rise to many legends, some of them dating back to the ancient past. It is said that a dragon descended into the deep water spitting out gems as he did so.

And thus the rocky islands were formed. Departing from Hanoi we journey to Ha Long City and then on to Cai Rong Island. Soon after arriving in Cai Rong, we embark on a junk trip among spectacular limestone peaks.

Kayaking is one of the best ways to have a close glimpse of picturesque limestone outcrops and observe a delightful floating fishing village, an example of the way of life where some families spend their life living on the sea.

Arriving at Quan Lan Island we head to the family home and farm of Mr Sau, a retired fisherman.

Time here is spent strolling around and interacting with the local people. Those who relish cooking demonstrations can settle in their kitchen to make traditional Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Squid dish.

We spend a memorable night in the charming house of Mr Sau. (Lunch and dinner are included).

Day 2 Quan Lan Island / Bai Tu Long Bay / Cai Rong Island
Quan Lan Island is located in Bai Tu Long Bay. The island is blessed with stunning beaches, scenic hills, sand dunes and surroundings sprinkled with tiny villages.

After a quiet morning strolling around the picturesque village of Quan Lan, an enjoyable bicycle ride across the island and watching the day unfold on the island, we board our junk to discover further northern reaches of Bai Tu Long Bay - time to appreciate the sublime beauty of the bay.

Next, we retire to a beautiful cave and watch the sun go down, before making a wish to have the perfect panoramas of the dramatic rock formations.

Finally, we complete our day on Cai Rong Island. Here, we stay overnight in a comfortable hotel. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included).

Day 3 Cai Rong Island / Hanoi
Cai Rong's breathtaking limestone scenery and fishing village life is visible during our morning's time on the island. We enjoy our relaxing last day on the Island, we stroll around the local fishing market and watch village life.

Those who are energetic can enjoy a bicycle ride through picturesque part of the island. En route, we mingle with the local people going about their day, before we journey back to Hanoi, arriving there at about 5pm. (Breakfast and lunch are included).

The facts….

Physical activities:

Easy cycling and kayaking with:

- a 1-2 hour kayaking ride on Day 1.

- a 10-12 km bicycle ride on Day 2.

- a 4-8 km bicycle ride on Day 3.

Transport:

- junk.

- kayak.

- bicycle.

- vehicle.

Tour Guides:

All of our experienced and friendly Tour Guides speak excellent English or French.

They are extremely knowledgeable about local cultures, history and the environment.

Meals:

- 2 breakfasts.

- 3 lunches.

- 2 dinners.

We choose local ingredients, typical of the way people eat in the area, at local restaurants, markets or homes.

We also cater for Vegetarians but please request this at time of booking.

Accommodation:

- home stay (1 night).

- hotel (1 night).

A clean and comfortable home stay with mosquito nets provided.


The cost of the trip includes:

- accommodation.

- transportation.

- Tour Guides.

- meals listed on the itinerary.

- admission fees.

- permits where applicable.

The cost of the trip does not include:

- travel insurance.

- drinks (soft drinks, alcohol, bottled water).

- personal expenses.

What to take:

Pack essentials, including light comfortable clothes suitable for outdoor activities, comfortable walking shoes.

Take a small day pack for cycling. We also recommend packing: swimsuit, personal articles, insect repellent, sun cream, raincoat and sun hat...

Have a great journey!!!  

There’s more to northeastern Vietnam than Halong Bay. The sinking limestone plateau, which gave birth to the bay’s spectacular islands, continues for some 100km to the Chinese border. The area immediately northeast of Halong Bay is part of Bai Tu Long National Park

Bai Tu Long Bay is every bit as beautiful as its famous neighbour. Indeed, in some ways it’s more beautiful, since it has scarcely seen any tourist development. This is good news and bad news. The bay is unpolluted and undeveloped, but there’s little tourism infrastructure. It’s pretty hard travelling around and staying here, and unless you speak Vietnamese, it’s difficult to get information.

Charter boats can be arranged to Bai Tu Long Bay from Halong Bay; boats range  per hour depending on size and amenities. See the Halong Bay entry for more details; the one-way trip takes about five hours. A cheaper alternative is to travel overland to Cai Rong and visit the outlying islands by boat from here. Foreigners are almost always charged double the going rate on the ferries around Bai Tu Long Bay.