Tu Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay are both famous scenic spots in Vietnam, located within the UNESCO protected area along with Ha Long Bay. Both boast majestic limestone formations rising from turquoise, tranquil waters. While Tu Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay share many similarities, they offer distinctly different atmospheres, travel styles, and emotional experiences. Despite being close to each other, both bays attract a large number of tourists annually. Discover the fascinating aspects of these two bays in this article!
Bai Tu Long or Lan Ha Bay: which one should you choose?
Quang Ninh is famous for its many scenic spots in Vietnam, attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world every year. Besides Ha Long Bay, tourists often hesitate when choosing between Bai Tu Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay. This choice isn’t based on which bay is “better.” Both are wonderful, but they cater to different types of travelers.
Bai Tu Long Bay is often praised for its more pristine and peaceful beauty compared to Ha Long Bay. The pace of life here is slower and quieter, and there are fewer tourists from the surrounding areas. Therefore, it strongly attracts tourists who appreciate tranquility, authenticity, and nature in its most unspoiled form. These ideal characteristics offer visitors a relaxing and rejuvenating vacation experience.
On the other hand, Lan Ha Bay is like a more refined and modern version of Quang Ninh. Located just a short distance from Cat Ba Island, Lan Ha Bay benefits from more developed tourism infrastructure. Furthermore, it offers a diverse range of tourism activities, including cultural experiences, local specialties, and cruises. Because of these advantages, Lan Ha Bay is a top choice for travelers seeking a balance between natural beauty and comfort, adventure and relaxation. Cruises in Lan Ha Bay often offer a more modern feel, more advanced design, and greater flexibility for shorter trips.
Therefore, the choice between Bai Tu Long or Lan Ha Bay depends on individual preferences. Do you want a modern, activity-filled vacation or a peaceful retreat with picturesque scenery, easy access, and high-quality service?
Location and how to get there
Tourists should familiarize themselves with the geography of Bai Tu Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay before visiting these beautiful bays. This important information helps save travel time and allows for the discovery of many other beautiful areas. Additionally, Lily’s Travel will provide useful information about tours and reasonable ticket prices for tourists.
How to get Bai Tu Long
Located in the northeast of Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam, facing the Chinese border, lies Bai Tu Long Bay. It boasts a pristine and peaceful beauty, with traditional fishing villages preserved for hundreds of years. Tours to this tranquil bay usually depart from Hon Gai port, taking approximately 30 to 40 minutes by boat.
If traveling from Hanoi to Bai Tu Long Bay, the journey typically takes 3.5 to 4 hours. Tourists often choose to travel by car or bus via the Hanoi-Hai Phong expressway, which takes about 3 hours (prices range around 350,000 VND). From Hon Got port, a boat trip to Bai Tu Long Bay is then available (boat fares range around 600,000 VND). While the journey is quite long, this distance has helped Bai Tu Long maintain its unspoiled, peaceful beauty, unaffected by the urbanization of surrounding areas.
How to get Lan Ha Bay
Lan Ha Bay, located in Hai Phong City (the city of red flamboyant flowers), lies south of Ha Long Bay. The bay is situated south of Cat Ba Island (Vietnam’s largest island), surrounded by the bustling eastern coastline. Trips to Lan Ha Bay usually depart from Got Pier (Hai Phong) or Tuan Chau Pier, taking approximately 45 to 90 minutes (prices range from 500,000 to 800,000 VND). However, many tourists choose Got Pier instead of Tuan Chau Pier due to lower prices and faster travel times.
If traveling from Hanoi, Lan Ha Bay is faster and more flexible, taking only about 3 hours on the highway, followed by a ferry ride. From Hanoi, tourists can travel by bus, taking about 2.5 hours (approximately 300,000 VND) to Hai Phong City. Afterward, the boat trip from Got Port (Hai Phong) to Cat Ba Island takes about 15 minutes (approximately 20,000 VND). Finally, the boat trip from Cat Ba Island to the center of Lan Ha Bay takes about 30 minutes (approximately 450,000 VND).
Alternatively, if tourists wish to take a 2 days 1 night cruise to Lan Ha Bay, contact Lily’s Travel for the best discounted prices. Luxury cruises are usually much more expensive than regular tours but offer a better and more convenient experience for foreign tourists.
Based on the geographical location of both Bai Tu Long or Lan Ha Bay, Lan Ha Bay clearly has an advantage in terms of accessibility. However, Bai Tu Long requires fewer boat transfers and boasts impressive, unspoiled natural scenery.
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Scenery and natural highlights
Both bays have geological structures formed from karst limestone. This is also an important part of the formation of many of the world’s scenic spots. However, each place possesses its own unique landscape beauty, and only through experience can one truly appreciate the distinct differences.
What makes Bai Tu Long special
Bai Tu Long Bay stands out with its pristine and expansive natural beauty. It is home to numerous large, scattered limestone islands, isolated on steep, high peaks. The towering peaks of these rocks are covered in moss, lichen, and low-lying vegetation, creating a majestic yet rustic and peaceful natural landscape. Because Bai Tu Long is isolated and undeveloped for tourism and commerce, visitors will feel more immersed in nature rather than simply observing from afar.
Furthermore, a visit to Bai Tu Long Bay offers a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, surrounded by majestic limestone mountains. You’ll see fewer tourist boats, oil rigs, and signs of commercialization. Additionally, Lily’s Travel’s tours allow visitors to experience the nearby fishing villages. Most notably, fishing villages like Vung Vieng and Cong Dam still largely operate according to generations of tradition, offering a lifestyle entirely connected to the sea.
Beyond Bai Tu Long Bay’s magnificent, unspoiled natural beauty, it also boasts stunning natural caves. One of the most worthwhile caves to visit is Thien Canh Son Cave. Thien Canh Son Cave is renowned for its peaceful atmosphere, brilliant light, and natural formations. Furthermore, if visitors wish to explore Bai Tu Long Bay by kayak, they should navigate the narrow channels between the limestone formations. These moments of tranquility, only broken by the sound of paddles on the water, are particularly appealing to foreign tourists.
For those considering Bai Tu Long Bay versus Lan Ha Bay based solely on scenery, Bai Tu Long Bay attracts those seeking to experience the pristine, imperfect, and incredibly peaceful beauty of nature.
What makes Lan Ha unique
Lan Ha Bay boasts a gentler, more modern beauty with many new and exciting tourist services. Instead of the typical bay with towering limestone cliffs rising from deep waters, Lan Ha Bay is a perfect blend of limestone formations from shallow lagoons, covered in lush green vegetation. Viewed from above, most of the rock formations are covered in vegetation, creating a soft and inviting natural beauty.
Lan Ha Bay is famous for its network of small bays and hidden beaches. Furthermore, because the water in this bay is relatively shallow and sheltered from the wind, it is safer for children and the elderly when participating in activities such as swimming, kayaking, and even snorkeling. Lily’s Travel suggests renting a boat near the crescent-shaped beaches that appear between the cliffs, making access easier.
Lan Ha Bay’s advantageous geographical location near Cat Ba National Park allows visitors to easily experience a different aspect of the bay. The bay boasts abundant natural beauty, encompassing both mountains and sea, allowing for more diverse tourism activities and attracting more tourists.
From a scenic perspective, when comparing Bai Tu Long or Lan Ha Bay, Lan Ha Bay offers a more vibrant and convenient experience compared to the tranquil Bai Tu Long with its spectacular scenery.
Activities and travel experience
Each bay offers different activities based on its geographical location, scenery, and participants. Below is a detailed description of the activities and services in Bai Tu Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay:
Bai Tu Long Bay is unique compared to other bays because the Vietnamese government wants to preserve this area. In Bai Tu Long Bay, most activities prioritize minimizing environmental impact and focusing on nature. The most prominent tourist activity is kayaking through towering limestone formations, allowing you to experience the grandeur of Vietnamese nature. The next stop on the bay is the floating fishing villages, helping visitors understand more about the culture and lifestyle of the local people.
Tourism services in Bai Tu Long always aim to connect nature and people. At dawn, the locals often practice Tai Chi; you can ask permission to join in and experience it. At noon, you can enjoy the distinctive riverine cuisine of Vietnam. Finally, in the evening you can enjoy the vast starry sky and cool air. However, there are hardly any interesting activities to participate in at night in Bai Tu Long.
On the other hand, Lan Ha Bay offers a variety of tourist services, providing many interesting experiences for visitors. Besides the usual activities like kayaking and swimming, visitors can cycle through Viet Hai village on Cat Ba Island and participate in short hikes in the forest. Lan Ha Bay benefits from tourism development, resulting in a more vibrant atmosphere and a more diverse and packed tour itinerary.
Exploring Lan Ha Bay by boat is an experience not to be missed. The price for luxury boat trips is quite reasonable, and visitors are provided with excellent services ranging from entertainment and upscale bars to lavish parties. After a long journey exploring Lan Ha Bay, you can pamper yourself with spa treatments and an infinity pool overlooking the stunning scenery. If travelers enjoy rich experiences and diverse outdoor activities, then Lan Ha Bay is an excellent choice.
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Cruise choices and pricing
The cruise industry plays a significant role in shaping the experience at Bai Tu Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay, and the differences in cruise styles are considerable:
Because Bai Tu Long Bay is located within a protected area, the number of cruises is smaller and the boats are smaller in size. Most boats operating here are boutique-style wooden boats or mid-range vessels (prices range from approximately 400,000 to 700,000 VND per person). Alternatively, visitors can also take luxury cruises (prices range from 4,500,000 to 7,000,000 VND per person or higher), but there will be fewer choices compared to the smaller wooden boats.
Overall, cruise prices in Bai Tu Long Bay are quite competitive; however, if you travel in a large group on a tour with Lily’s Travel, the price will be much more affordable. Because Bai Tu Long Bay is less crowded, visitors can enjoy more privacy and better admire the majestic natural scenery.
Conversely, Lan Ha Bay has experienced rapid tourism development, offering a wider variety of cruise services (small boat prices range from approximately 300,000 to 600,000 VND per person). Due to the bay’s significant infrastructure development, the cruises offered are the newest and most luxurious in the region. The interiors are modern, the cabins spacious with many attractive amenities, and the dining options are high-end (luxury cruise prices range from approximately 5,000,000 to 9,000,000 VND per person). Therefore, cruise prices in Lan Ha Bay are generally more expensive than in Bai Tu Long.
However, Lan Ha Bay is offering many short-term cruise services with various budgets, making this high-end service more accessible to tourists. In addition, Lily’s Travel offers luxury cruise packages at extremely attractive prices for large groups visiting Lan Ha Bay, to provide the best possible experience.
Who should choose each bay?
The deciding factors between Bai Tu Long or Lan Ha Bay are based on needs, amenities, context, and tourism services. Below are some insightful observations about the two bays that travelers should consider to make the right choice:
Bai Tu Long Bay is an ideal place for travelers to enjoy a peaceful, authentic vacation and connect deeply with nature. Its picturesque scenery, with majestic natural rock formations, is perfect for couples seeking a romantic getaway or travelers who enjoy exploring pristine natural beauty. Certainly, after Ha Long Bay, this place will satisfy the visual senses with its rare, unspoiled natural beauty, allowing you to appreciate the grandeur and masterpiece that nature has bestowed upon Vietnam.
On the other hand, Lan Ha Bay offers many exciting activities, making it more suitable for first-time visitors, families, or large groups. Lan Ha Bay offers excellent accommodation, cruises, and exciting sightseeing activities. It’s especially ideal for short stays. Visitors can also enjoy luxury cruises and explore Cat Ba Island from the mainland.
Ultimately, choosing between Bai Tu Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay isn’t about which is better, but rather depends on your travel goals and style. Both bays represent the future of sustainable tourism in Northern Vietnam and are protected by the Vietnamese government, preserving the magical beauty of their limestone seascapes.
Lily’s Travel, with years of experience in tour design, promises to bring exciting experiences to travelers on their trip to the beautiful Bai Tu Long or Lan Ha Bay. In particular, the tour will combine visits to nearby attractions so that travelers can fully enjoy their journey exploring this new land.
