Vietnam's Halong Bay is a jewel in the countries tourist sites. Halong Bay is like no other area in the world with over 1000 amazing islands.

They are in fact limestone karsts of all shapes and sizes which rise out of the sea like a strange apparition.

The area has World Heritage status and this is something the Vietnamese are very proud of.

The best way to see the area is take one of the many Halong Bay cruises so that you are out amongst these amazing rocky islands.

If you are visiting Hanoi then its just three and half hours to reach Halong Bay, you can easily book a trip in Hanoi, especially around the Hanoi Old Quarter, there are many tourist centers or your hotel will arrange a trip for you.

To get the best from your trip to Halong Bay, I recommend that you book a Junk Boat and stay overnight.  The first day your boat will cruise the waters and past these amazing limestone krasts. I recommend you the most luxury cruise in Halong : Indochina Sails – 5 stars Junk. That's better booking directly on Indo's website.

They rise spectacularly out of the water and you won't tire of seeing them as you float by on your boat.  Most of the boats have top decks where you can relax with a cold beer and let the scenery unfold before you.  Its a trip not to be missed.

Aside from over 1000 islands, many uninhabited, you can view kayak in the waters.

There are many caves in Halong Bay and a kayak trip through them is breathtaking as you leave the open waters of the Bay, go into the dark dank caves and then through into sunlight.  Many Halong Bay Cruises offer kayaking on Halong Bay as an option.   One trip I did you kayak into three such caves.

Halong Bay is the home to many fishermen and women. Their brightly colored floating home snuggles against the rocky backdrop of the islands.

Vendors approach the cruising boats offering to sell all sorts of tourist related goods, especially food and drinks to supplement the already gargantuan feasts offered on board the cruise ship. They move quickly through the water to try to reach the cruise ship first and make their sale.

Sung Sot cave is the biggest and the most popular cave in the Halong Bay located in the Bo Hon Island. Sung Sot means Cave of Surprises and inside are the different stalagmites and stalactites formations lighted with different colors. To enter the cave, one has to climb but on top is the postcard view of the Halong Bay.

Titov Island is one of the many small islands that dot the Halong Bay. According to the online sources, Titov Island was named in honor of Gherman Stepanovich Titov, the Soviet cosmonaut and the second person to orbit the earth. The island has a crescent shaped beach that is good for swimming and other water sports. It also has a good view point of the Bay on top.

It's easy enough to find information about Halong Bay and the various cruise options when you are in Vietnam.

If you are staying in Hanoi (which I recommend), then there are numerous tour operators. Most hotels, particularly around Hanoi's Old Quarter can also book a tour for you. They make it very easy and will pick you up from the door of your hotel, take you to the cruise boat and then back to the hotel again afterwards. It's very easy. As I know almost luxury junks in Halong include shuttle bus, they will pick you up from your hotel and back to again. I had chance to cruise with Indochina Sails and got wonderful experiences.

I don't recommend going up to Halong and trying to negotiate directly. There are literally hundreds of boats waiting in the harbor. Much better to have it organized for you. You also can check on Internet and email or call directly for the best one you chose.

(Reference: hubpages.com)

Bobby Nguyen Marketing Manager 27, A6 Dam Trau Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam Tel : (84-4) 984 2362 Fax : (84-4) 984 4150 Website: www.indochinasails.com