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GROTTOES
Halong Bay's limestone islands are done with caves of all shapes and sizes. Most of these are accessible only by charter boa:, but some can easily be visited on a tour Hang Dau Go (Cave of Wooden Slakes)
known to the French as the Grotto des. Merveilles (Cave of Marvels), is a huge cave consisting of three chambers, which you reach via 90 steps. Among the stalactite of the first hall, scores of gnome appear to be holding a meeting. The walls of the second chamber sparkle it bright light is shone on them. The cave derives its Vietnamese name from the third chamber This chamber is said to have been used during 13thcentury to store the sharp bamboo stakes that Vietnamese folk hero and war general, Tran Hung Dao, planted in the bed of the Bach Dang River to impale Mongolian general Kublai Khan's invasion fleet. It's the closest cave site to the mainland. Part of the same system, the nearby cave Hang Thien Cung has 'cauliflower' limestone growths as well as stalactites and stalagmites.

Hang (cave)Sung Sot is a popular cave to visit. It too has three vast and beautiful chambers, in the second of which there's an astonishing pink-lit 'penis rock' (really, it's the only way to describe it), which is regarded as a fertility symbol. It too requires a hike up steps to reach it, and a loop walk through the cool interior takes you back to the bay. Hang Bo Nau, another impressive cave, can be visited nearby.
Hang Trong (Drum Grotto) is so named because when the wind blows through its many stalactites and stalagmites, visitors think they can hear the sound of distant drumbeats.
Exactly which of these - or other - caves you visit will probably be decided or. the day you travel. It depends on several fac¬tors, including the weather, number of other boats in the vicinity, and the number of people putting environmental pressure on the caves.
There is a 30,000d entry charge that ap¬plies to these sights whether you visit one or all - buy the ticket at the tourist boat dock in Bai Chay.

 

MONSTER
The dragon that gave birth to Halong Bay may be legend, but sailors have often reported sight-ings of a mysterious marine creature of gargantuan proportions known as the tarasque. The more paranoid elements of the military suspect it's an imperialist spy submarine, while eccentric travellers believe they have discovered Vietnam's version of the Loch Ness monster. Meanwhile, the monster - or whatever it is - continues to haunt Halong Bay, unfettered by the marine police, Vietnam Tourism and the immigration authorities. Enterprising Vietnamese boat owners have made a cottage industry out of the creature, offering cash-laden tourists the chance to rent a junk and pursue the tarasque before it gets bored and swims away

KAYAKING
A leisurely paddle among the karsts I4- an activity that has taken off in recent year and Halong Bay is now following hard on the heels of Krabi in Thailand as kayakmg capital of Southeast Asia. There are several travel agencies (p79) in Hanoi that can arrange kayaking trips through the bay, including overnight camping on one of the many islands.