Exotic Bai Tu Long

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Exotic Bai Tu Long

Scenic Bai Tu Long Bay is nestled in the Gulf of Tonkin, along with the world famous Ha Long and Lan Ha bays.

The turquoise gulf, which covers nearly 2,000 sq. km, is dotted with thousands of mesmerising limestone islands.

According to the legend, God sent a mother dragon and its babies to protect the area from overseas invaders, the dragons breathed out pearls and gems which magically turned into rocky mountain walls and stopped enemy’s attacks. Bai Tu Long is where the baby dragons landed.

Tourists can take a local bus from Hanoi to Ha Long City, then to Cai Rong town. From there take a 3 to 4 hour boat trip to Quan Lan Island which is the gateway to the gulf.

The boat gets dwarfed in water valleys between the high walls of smoky blue limestone monoliths, passes craggy islets, rocky towers rising from the water, aquaculture farming villages and Ba Mun Island which is home to many endangered species.

Quan Lan has stunning white sandy beaches with blue green water, like Ngoc Vung and Minh Chau. Minh Chau beach is hidden away behind sleepy hills covered in a blanket of flowers; to get there you must walk beneath noble arhat pines towering on the cliffs hundreds of feet overhead. In the late evening at low tide, starfish lie on the wet sand, but disappear when you approach, leaving their shape in the wet sand.

In Quan Lan Town, you can find budget mini hotels and eateries. But if you decide to stay in the untouched heaven of Minh Chau, the only available accommodation are the rustic rooms run by an old man Mr. Ty with cheap clean beds and meals served.

The area, which is all National Park, is home to 672 species of plants and 170 terrestrial animals. Bai Tu Long is famous for its rich biodiversity with 26 species listed in Vietnam’s Red Book for endangered species. It also has a unique inland stream system, corals and aquatic flowers.

A project is underway to encourage residents’ involvement in community based ecotourism development and environment conservation. The locals have been creating a sustainability plan for their own future, deciding how they would like their area to kept. What they wish to offer tourists is a great destination with pristine beaches, while adding more services like fishing, cuttlefish harvesting at night, diving and snorkelling on the coral reefs, trekking through dense old growth forests, boating and bird, monkey, tortoise and dolphin watching.

Source ThanhnienNews

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