Halong Bay- "Princess Junk" Cruising the Bay

We were on the "Princess Junk," the first deluxe one-cabin junk on Halong Bay. The interior is all hard wood and very lovely. The crew was fabulous. Everyone was so nice. Look at the gorgeous bird the cooks carved out of vegetables. They bought all new pots and pans for us and cooked all vegetarian meals, after many consultations with our travel agent.

The name Halong means "the dragon descending to the sea." It is a picturesque bay with some 3000 islands rising form the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. The islands are home to many species of animals seldom seen on the mainland including- monkeys, tropical birds and a rich abundance of marine life. Vung Vieng is a floating fishing village which you can see above.

Halong Bay- Peaceful Beauty!!

Situated in the northeast region of Viet Nam, Halong Bay is made up of a dense cluster of 1969 limestone islands of various sizes, 989 of which have been given names. Viewed from above, Halong Bay resembles a geographical work of art. While exploring the bay, you feel lost in a legendary world of stone islands. along has been proven by scientists that it was one of the first cradles of human existence in the area. It is also a region of highly concentrated biological diversity with many ecosystems of salt water-flooded forests, coral reefs and tropical forests featuring thousands of species of animals and plant life. Specially, the 18th meeting of the World Heritage of UNESCO (in Thailand on December 17, 1994), officially recognized Halong Bay as a natural heritage site of worldwide importance.