Boasting a natural heritage, Halong Bay is a premier destination for tourists due to its otherworldly beauty, featuring thousands of limestone islands of varying sizes, several of which stand out. Tourists especially marvel at Cong Do Island, Dau Be Island, Bo Hon Island, Dau Go Island, Bai Dong Island, Titop Island, and Soi Sim Island. Here are the top 7 Islands in Halong Bay that you should visit.
1 – Top 7 islands in Halong Bay: Cong Do Island
Cong Do Island is located southeast of Halong Bay, about 20 km from Tuan Chau Pier and Halong International Cruise Port. The island has an area of 23,363 km2 with a coral reef more than 700 m long and 300 m wide, with numerous natural lakes, home to many marine creatures such as shrimp, crabs, squid, algae, etc. The southwest of this Halong Bay island is characterized by giant and colorful coral reefs, many of which are extremely rare, called red and horn corals.
The area around Cong Do Island is also the place for Halong Bay cruise ships to anchor overnight. At night, the entire bay becomes glorious with the light from the cruise ships. The most exciting activity on the island of Cong Do is kayaking, which helps you immerse yourself in the untouched nature. There are several other attractions in Halong Island, including Co Cave Thay Cave, which are unique places for kayak tours.
2 – Top 7 Islands in Halong Bay: Dau Be Island
Dau Be Island is located in the southeast of Halong Bay, about 24 km from Tuan Chau Pier, with an area of nearly 23,000 m2, with a diversity of fauna and flora such as ferns, orchid species, cordyline fruticosa, yellow-furred monkeys, birds, etc. The island is characterized by cliffs that look like solid walls, standing in the middle of the sea. The island in Halong Bay consists of 6 lakes, the most famous being Ba Ham Lake, which includes three wide round holes connected by a narrow winding tunnel featuring colorful stalactites in many different shapes.
3 – Bo Hon Island
Bo Hon Island can be considered one of the most prominent islands in Halong Bay, about 20 km from Tuan Chau Pier and more than 10 km from Halong International Cruise Port with an area of 3.8 km2, including myriad renowned caves such as Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave, Dong Tien Cave, Trinh Nu Cave, and Trong Cave, etc.
The most well-known cave is Sung Sot Cave, the world’s top 10 most impressive caves, with glowing stalactites and stone statues in unique shapes like elephants, flowers, seals, etc. This is also home to abundant endemic plants and rare animals. High mountain peaks and cliffs reflect their images on the water’s surface, creating a wonderful picture of nature.
By visiting this Halong Bay island, you can have numerous exciting experiences such as hiking, kayaking, or just sightseeing and admiring the beautiful scenery. In particular, kayaking through Luon cave is a must-do activity on the island, where you can discover the ultimate beauty of the cave. The rental fee for a kayak is 50,000 VND per way for two people (2.2 USD). Renting a boat is a more suitable option for a crowded group of people with only 30,000 VND/person/trip ($1.3). Also, you can get on a speedboat with a fee of 120,000 VND/person ($5.3)
Other fun activities while visiting Halong Island include fishing, squid fishing, watching the sunset on the beach, sunbathing, and doing yoga on the terrace.
4 – Top 7 Islands in Halong Bay: Dau Go Island
Dau Go Island is located southwest of Halong Bay, about 4 km from Tuan Chau Pier. The island has an area of almost 700,000 m2, with limestone mountains, of which the highest peak can reach 189 m. From a distance, Dau Go Island looks like a giant wooden stick in the middle of the bay with blocks of jagged rock.
There are three beautiful caves on this island in Halong Bay: Dau Go Cave, Thien Cung Cave, and Thien Long Cave. The Dau Go cave is located at a height of 27 m above sea level with an area of about 5,000 m2, with colored stalactites of different sizes and diverse fauna and flora. Thien Long Cave is an archaeological site belonging to the Halong culture of the post-Neolithic era. Thien Cung Cave on Dau Go Island in Halong Bay is located deep in the mountain with a height of hundreds of stone steps, erected in a spiral, which attracts visitors with its large area of about 10,000 m2, divided into three compartments. Stalactites formed millions of years ago with many shapes and small transparent lakes are inside the cave.
5 – Top 7 Halong Bay Islands: Bai Dong Island
Bai Dong, or Dragon Eye Island, is located in the east of Halong Bay, about 28 km from Tuan Chau Pier and about 25 km from Halong International Cruise Port. Bai Dong Island stands out from the rest of the islands in Halong Bay thanks to its unique arc shape in the middle of the sea, surrounded by soft white beach, blue sea water, and wild pineapples, boasting its serene poetic beauty. One of the most impressive features of Bai Dong Island is a unique circular turquoise lake with an area of approximately 3,000 m2, featuring abundant vegetation, pristine and romantic scenery, and mangrove forests. To get to the lake, you need to follow the route, which is also an opportunity to admire the beauty of the surrounding landscape at different heights.
Some activities on this Halong Bay island include swimming, mountain climbing, kayaking, or hosting a barbecue party on the beach. Since there are few services and little fresh water on the island, you must be well prepared for your trip to Bai Dong Island.
6 – Titop Island
Titop Island is known as one of the most impressive islands in Halong Bay, about 7-8 km southwest of the Bai Chay tourist spot. The island rests on Cua Luc Bay; in front of the island are Bo Hon Island and Sung Sot Cave, and on the right is Dam Nam Island. The island features pristine scenery and a peaceful environment, stretching along soft sandy beaches and clear turquoise seawater where rapids can be seen at the bottom of the sea. This Halong Bay island includes Vang Trang Beach, famous for its serenity and airy space. This is also one of the most popular destinations in summer.
There are many activities on Titop Island, such as kayaking at a fee of 150,000 VND/hour ($6.6), admiring Halong Bay with a panoramic view from the peak of Titop Mountain, etc.
7 – Best Halong Bay Islands: Soi Sim Island
Soi Sim Island is located in the southwest of Halong Bay, about 10 km from Tuan Chau Pier, and attracts many tourists for its pristine beauty and tranquility. The island covers an area of 7.8ha, with the enchanting and alluring beauty of the turquoise sea, white sand beach, and majestic mountains. The island comprises rock and feral soil, creating a diverse and romantic flora for this “Jade Island.”
Arriving at Soi Sim Island, there are a lot of fun activities you can join, such as swimming and soaking on the rustic beach, discovering the coastal ecosystem, driving around the island, conquering the Soi Sim mountain peak with more than 400 steps, or just watching the pink-striped myrtle, etc.
Nature bestows Halong Bay with spectacular landscapes and vast, impressive islands, making it one of the must-see tourist magnets on a Vietnam trip. And above is the list of the top 7 islands in Halong Bay that you should not miss.