Halong cruise deals
In Hanoi you will find plenty of agencies that offer tours to Halong Bay. Usually they offer one-, two- and three-days trips. One day is definetly not enough to visit the bay. Only the bus ride from Hanoi to Ving Ha Long takes almost five hours! With the one-day excursion you will only be able to do a small boat tour. Two days is the minimum stay I recommend
Halong boat cruise . If you add a third day, you will be able to sleep in one of the islands, Cat Ba Island for instance.
The trip from Hanoi is done by bus. Your guide will bring you to Halong Bay port, where you will get on one of the boats.
The best time to visit the Halong Bay area is in Spring and Summer.
During Fall and Winter the sea is not very clear because of the muddy
waters the rain in the region brings to the sea. In Summer, days are
clearer and temperatures are high. In winter the area may be visited,
but you won't be able to swim.
For the two- and three-days tours there are two options of
accommodation. One is sleeping on a boat. The other is sleeping on one
of the islands in the bay. Tourism is developing in the area. New
hotels are being built in the bigger islands. I recommend sleeping one
night on the boat, but if I were you I would not sleep a second night
on board. Boats are small, noisy and do rock a lot. If you want a tip,
sleep in a hotel the second night.
The local legend says Halong Bay was formed after a dragon visited the
area to protect Hai Phong from the Chinese invaders. The dragon's
mighty tail carved the rocky seabed. Vinh Halong —Halong Bay— means Bay
of the Descending Dragon.
Halong Bay is not only a natural wonder, but a symbol for Vietnamese. Some of the islands in the bay have their own legend.
Some of the bigger islands have grottoes. They are open to the public.
Most of the organized tours will stop in one of these islands, and take
you on a guided tour of a grotto. The visit to these caves lasts around
an hour. Some of them are in better conditions than others, but it is
always a magical experience to get inside the mountains, and see how
powerful water is.
The tour guide will give you some explanations about the geological
origin of the formations. He will also show you some stalagmites and
stalactites that resemble animals and plants. This is an experience
that will amuse kids and grown ups alike.
In this picture you can see the view from one of the grottos in an island in Halong Bay. The boats you see are tourists boats.
Halong Bay is a paradise for photography lovers. Each of the rock
formations is unique. If you visit the area in Summer, the air will be
clearer. In Autumn and winter, the air is almost always misty.
Locals live mainly from the sea. Most of the rock islands in the area
are too poor to be cultivated. Halong Bay is very rich in fish and sea
food. In this picture you can see some floating houses. Locals live in
these houses. Every morning they go fishing. They sell their catches to
bigger boats, that bring the fresh fish to markets in the continent.
Travel Guide 
