Arriving in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and fabulous destination of 1,553 km² (600 sq miles), including around 2,000 limestone islets.  "Ha Long" means "descending dragon" and the core of the bay is  about 334 km² (129 sq miles) around 775 islets.  The limestone in the bay has formed over 500 million years, while the karst in the bay has developed over 20 million years in the tropical wet climate.

It is an incredibly beautiful place to visit, about 2.5-3 hours by car from Hanoi and we arrive to beautiful views of the bay and a few of the small islets.

Arriving, looking out on the bay

We stroll down the street and find lots of seafood for sale in the tanks of the restaurants along the way.

Seafood for all

We walk past the restaurants and find Sun World Halong, a fantasy amusement park with rides, trains, shows, dramatic architecture and grounds, and a gondola ride across the water to the other side of town.

Sun World

Walking back to our hotel, we find more fish.  I think we'll eat well here (and fresh)!

More fish

The bay is incredibly beautiful and the city lights up as the sun sets and people come out to the bay as vendors set up tables, chairs, and food stands along the water.

Another view of the bay

Night falls

What a great place.  Tomorrow, we'll take a day-long boat ride out into the islands of Ha Long Bay.