Majestic and mysterious, inspiring and imperious:words alone cannot do justice to the natural wonder that is HaLong Bay. Imagine 3000 or more incredible islands rising from the emeral waters of the Gulf of Tonking and you have a vision of breatheaking beauty. Halong Bay is pure art, a priceless collection of unfinished sculptures hewn from the hand of nature. In 1994 it was designated a World Heri-tage site. Visitors can’t help but compare the magical, mystical landscape of limestone islets to Guilin in China and Krabi in southern Thailan,but in reality Halong Bay is more spectacular.These tiny islands are dotted with and waves, and have sparsely forested slopes ring-ing with birdsong. Beyond the breathtaking vistas on a boat cruise through the bay, visitors to Halong come to explore the caves –some of which are beautifully illuminated for the benefit of tourists and to hike in Cat Ba National Park. There are few real beaches in Halong Bay,but Lan Ha Bay (off the coast of Cat Ba Island) has more than 100 sandy dtrips. Halong city is the gateway to Halong Bay but not the ideal introfuction to this incred-ible World Heritage site.Developers have not been kind to the city ans most visitors sensibly opt for tours thar include sleeping on a boat in the bay.In short, Halong Bay is the attraction; Halong City is not.For more on tours in and around the bay,see the boxed text. As the number–one tourist attraction in the northeast, Halong Bay draws a steady stream of visitors years round. From February to April the weather in this region is often cool and drizzly.The ensuing fog can make cisibil-ity low, but this adds an ethereal air to the place and the temperature rarely falls bellow 10 dgree C. During the summer months tropical storms are frequent, and tourist boats may have to alter their itinerant's, depending on the weather. Halong Bay is the stuff of myths and naturally the Vietnamese have concocted one. Halong translates as 'where the dragon descends into the sea'. Legend has it that the islands of Halong Bay were created by a great dragon that lived in the mountains. As it charged towards the coast, its flailing tail gouged out valleys and crevasses. When it finally plunged into the sea, the area filled with water, leaving only the pinnacles visible. Dragons aside, the biggest threat to the bay may be from souvenir-hunting tourists. Rare corals and seashells are rapidly being stripped from the sea floor, and stalactites and stalagmites are being broken off from the caves. These items get turned into key rings, paperweights and ashtrays, which are on sale in the local souvenir shops. Obviously the fewer people buy, the less the local people will take to sell, so don't encourage the trade.

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