Lan Ha Bay |
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They share the same emerald sea, and the limestone pinnacles and scenery are every bit as beautiful as Halong Bay, but these islands have the additional attraction of numerous white sand beaches. Lan Ha Bay is a long way from Halong City, so virtually no tourist boats based there venture to this side of the bay. In short, Lan Ha Bay has a more isolated, off-the-beaten-track appeal (and far fewer visitors).
Around 200 species of fish, 500 species of mollusc, 400 species of arthropod and numerous hard and soft coral live in Lan Ha Bay. Larger marine animals in the area include seals and three species of dolphin.
Sailing and kayak trips here are best organised in Cat Ba Town. With hundreds of beaches to choose from it’s easy to find your own private patch of sand for the day. Camping is permitted on gorgeous Hai Pie beach (also known as Tiger beach) which is used as a base camp by the Cat Ba adventure tour operators and also hosts occasional full-moon parties. Lan Ha Bay also offers superb rock climbing and is the main destination for trips run by Slo Pony Adventures Older news items:
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The 300 or so karst islands of Lan Ha Bay are directly south and east of Cat Ba Town. Geologically they are very much an extension of Halong Bay, but geographically these islands lie in a different province of Vietnam.