The entire bay covers 600 sq miles and includes nearly 2000 limestone islands, while the core area has 775 islets over 130 sq miles.
The whole coastal area by the bay is being developed to support tourism. The area where our hotel is located is reclaimed land. We could see and hear a large waterfront concert venue, and see cable cars and a ubiquitous large Ferris wheel in the distance.
We rode a junk through the maze of islands. Layer after layer materialized through the haze.
The smallest boats are fishermen, and the larger ferrying out other visitors.
The route is one way, with the entrance top left and exit top right.
Our Gate 1 group, charging up to the entrance
The cave had vast chambers and an unusual ceiling. Lots of stairs. My mom would have loved it.
Outside the cave was a good view courtesy of typhoon Yagi in September. The typhoon, the worst in 30 years, stripped much the vegetation from the limestone islands. (It also took out the huge ground floor windows at our hotel, now sealed with corrugated metal sheets.)
Also outside the cave entrance. Note the feet dangling above.
Flotilla heading out as we returned to port.
We arrived last night and got up to watch the sunrise from our hotel balcony.
The whole coastal area by the bay is being developed to support tourism. The area where our hotel is located is reclaimed land. We could see and hear a large waterfront concert venue, and see cable cars and a ubiquitous large Ferris wheel in the distance.
Hu Long means “descending dragons”. According to legend, long ago the gods sent dragons to defend the Vietnamese from invaders. The dragons spit out jade and jewels, which turned into the karst islands now protecting the bay.
We rode a junk through the maze of islands. Layer after layer materialized through the haze.
The smallest boats are fishermen, and the larger ferrying out other visitors.
Our destination was the Cave of Surprise, which we were forewarned included around 700 stairs. I hoped the Surprise was an exaggerated estimate and decided to try it.
The route is one way, with the entrance top left and exit top right.
Our Gate 1 group, charging up to the entrance
The cave had vast chambers and an unusual ceiling. Lots of stairs. My mom would have loved it.
Outside the cave was a good view courtesy of typhoon Yagi in September. The typhoon, the worst in 30 years, stripped much the vegetation from the limestone islands. (It also took out the huge ground floor windows at our hotel, now sealed with corrugated metal sheets.)
Also outside the cave entrance. Note the feet dangling above.
Flotilla heading out as we returned to port.
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