"Vinh Ha Long" a Ha Long Travel Page by aukahkay

Ha Long means `dragon descending'. According to legend, a celestial dragon and her offspring were ordered by the Jade Emperor to halt an invasion from sea. The creative dragons spewed out bits of jade that turned into wondrous islands, thereby scattering the enemy ships. I went on a private tour of Halong Bay with my father arranged by Exotissimo Travel. A 3-hour drive from Hanoi took us to Ha Long where we stayed the night at the Ha Long Dream Hotel. The next day, we boarded our private boat, the Bai Tho for an idyllic 4-hour cruise on one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, comprising over 1600 limestone islands spread over 4000 sq km.