Recently, Lonely Planet - a travel guidebook considered the 'Bible' of global displacementism, published an article introducing unmissable experiences for tourists to Ha Long Bay for the first time. “This is a can-not-be-skipped destination with its magical beauty, caves, beaches, and various outdoor activities. The location once appeared in the blockbuster movie Kong: Skull Island and is easy to move, taking only a few hours to drive from Hanoi City.” Lonely Planet wrote about the famous heritage bay of Vietnam.

Ha Long is the can-not-be-skipped destination due to its magical beauty and various attractive experiences (Source: Shutterstock).

In addition to the most typical experiences when coming to Ha Long such as taking an overnight cruise to visit the bay, or outdoor activities such as kayaking and swimming, the author of the article - Lucas Nghia Vo, realised that this heritage land not only stops at traditional cruise tours but also contains various attractive experiences.

The experiences that Lucas calls “the top must-to-do in Ha Long” are visiting the large and small islands with unique shapes in the bay, especially the Dinh Huong islet printed on the 200,000 VND bill of Vietnam. Tourists are also advised to enoy the experience of flying on a seaplane with a 25-minute trip to see the bay from a completely different angle.

Experience the panoramic view of Ha Long from the Queen cable car.

Another unique way to view the bay suggested by Lonely Planet is cable car. “Taking the Queen cable car is an amazing way to see the whole view of Ha Long Bay and Ha Long City from above,” said the US travel guidebook. According to the writer Lucas, the double-decker cable car can accommodate up to 230 passengers, taking tourists from Bai Chay to Ba Deo Hill, with numerous outdoor games and amusement park activities at both ends of the Sun World Ha Long complex. “Families will love this park with its roller coaster, giant Sun wheel, and the largest water park in Southeast Asia,” Lucas wrote.

The other leading experiences suggested by Lonely Planet for tourists include spending time visiting Ha Long City to discover Bai Tho Mountain, Quang Ninh Museum and Library – all of which are exclusive architectural works.

In addition, the author Lucas also selected the things he loved most when visiting Ha Long. According to him, Ha Long is not only attractive for its sea experiences but also has many activities to do on land. Among them, hot mineral baths at Yoko Onsen Quang Hanh are an excellent suggestion.

Hot mineral bath is the leading experience recommended by Lonely Planet in Ha Long.

“This is an awesome place to relax,” commented Lucas. According to him, the advantage of Yoko Onsen Quang Hanh is that it only takes 15 minutes to move from Ha Long. Mountains and forests surround it, and a natural hot spring source rich in minerals. Moreover, the most notable is that the cost for this service is only half that of hot springs in Japan, but the quality is comparable.

Before Lonely Planet suggested it, Yoko Onsen Quang Hanh was also famous for tourists as an ideal destination after a long journey to discover Ha Long, allowing their bodies to fully recover after many days of continuous travel. In addition to hot mineral baths, Yoko Onsen also offers comprehensive health care, from salt stone saunas, and cedar wood, to the most quintessential Japanese massage therapies.

Besides, cuisine in Ha Long also “enchanted” the writer Lucas. He suggests that tourists must try bún cù kỳ (cu ky noodle) - a unique specialty of Quang Ninh. Squid snacks such as chả mực (squid cakes) are also suggested.

Traveling to Ha Long is extremely convenient with a diverse transportation infrastructure system.

From Hanoi, tourists can easily travel to Ha Long with a distance of 170km, taking only about 2 hours on the Hanoi - Hai Phong - Ha Long highway. The city also welcomes domestic and international flights to Van Don Airport, about 50km away. According to Lonely Planet, the best time to explore Ha Long is all four seasons because the city’s landscape changes with the seasons and is beautiful all year round.

“For adventurous tourists, summer is the perfect time to join water sports and the colorful Carnival festival. However, photography enthusiasts may prefer to come to Ha Long in winter, as early mornings are often foggy, creating an enchanting view for the islands in the Bay,” Lonely Planet commented based on the author’s actual experience.