Beside beauty of stone, water and sky, legend of history, love… Halong Bay owns attractive mystery even in the dark of caves. Halong Bay Caves is able to compare to “Wikipedia” holding so many scientific and sightseeing values for visitors or anyone explore it.
Halong Bay owns so many caves. According to scientific result from Fauna and Flora International (FFI), living environment is very stable in Halong Bay because of dark and high humidity. Therefore, faunas live in caves not only accommodate to natural severe conditions but also adopt lack of food. So quantity of faunas in caves is very small to compare to outside caves faunas.
Today, almost Halong Bay caves get used to serve tourists for sightseeing and discovery. According to scientists, if tourists concentrate too crowded temperature and carbon will increase to affect natural environment in caves. Therefore, Vietnamese government limited number of persons to visit caves at the period of time. We would like to introduce the most 10 famous caves in Halong Bay for tourists as below.
Surprising Cave (Sung Sot Cave) – Halong Bay Caves
Located in the center of the world heritage named Halong Bay, Sung Sot or Surprising Cave is placed in Bo Hon island and one of the most beautiful cave in Halong Bay and this is also gathered by good-shape limestone which is not able to find in other place.
The road to Sung Sot Cave is under left canopy with stone footsteps, visitors have both enjoying mountain climbing and going to the sky.
The cave is divided into two main parts, the first part look like a large theater. Cave ceiling is covered by a “shimmering” layer with variety of beautiful stalactite, stone statues… all seem between dream and reality. Not ending surprise in the first part, we step to the second part by a small path. This is absolutely a new brilliant scene with a large part to contain even thousands of people. To the peak of cave, we will be surprised by a “paradise” decorated by clean water lake, beautiful landscape, trees and birds are singing. Monkeys are used to get here to find fruit and create agitate in the area.
From the harbor we climb about 50 stone steps and go down about 10 stone steps to reach cave gate with the height of 25 meters. The cave area is widened about 10,000 square meters with thousand of stalactites. In the cave, there is a system of stone paths from gate to the exit with length of 500 m. Two sides of the paths are lampposts and signposts for decoration and lighting. The system of lamps with soft light makes the cave more beautiful.
Sung Sot Cave ceiling has the height of 30 m including concave shapes like decorated softly theater ceiling. Near to the gate, there is huge stones pile up to cave top. This is one of typical limestone cave with high scientific value.
Beside exit gate is a horse-shaped stone and a long sword. Legend said that after battle with invaders Giong God (traditional god) help people here to expel ghosts and devils and then he fly back to the sky. He leave his sword and horse in land to set people’s mind at ease, drive devils away. Today, the cave still has many natural pictures as evidence for the violent battle, horse marks become small lakes or ponds along with broken huge stones.
Visitors is walking in Surprising Cave – Halong bay
Luon Cave – Halong Bay Caves
Luon Cave is located in Bo Hon island, 14 km far from Bai Chay to the south. In front of the cave is Tortoise island, on the right side is Heaven Gate. This place has bristled cliffs, blue and clean water as a mirror in the four seasons. Beside water edge, there is a bow-shaped gate in the foot of island called Luon Cave.
Passing through the gate, we meet a quiet lake with luxuriant trees, high and dangerous rock. Around the lake, each gang of monkey is playing below ancient trees, wild orchids bloom fragrantly, and sea life is exciting below water level…
This is a closed group of islands which connect to the sea by a gate with wide of 4 m, height of 3 m and 100 m in length. The lake in the cave is enclosed by mountain with the area of nearly 1 km2. In the cliffs, there are fossil snail skins to prove that people are living here many years ago and this place must be a deep valley.
There is no longer this style of cave in Halong Bay, but the attraction is natural scene. That is the harmonious combination between mountain, sea and trees look like no shortcoming from The Creator.
The gate of Luon Cave in Halong Bay – Halong Bay Caves
Thien Cung Cave (Paradise Cave) – Halong Bay Caves
Legend
Thien Cung Cave in Halong Bay
Dau Go Grotto – Halong Bay Caves
The cave called Dau Go (Wooden Head) because legend told that national hero Tran Hung Dao ordered to prepare many ironwood stake here to set up in Bach Dang river, create a famous sea battle to defeat invader in the history. After that, so many wooden pieces still remain in the cave called Dau Go.
If Thien Cung Cave is modern and imposing, Dau Go Grotto is serene and impressive. The book Merveille de Monde (world wonders) is published by French in 1938 specializes in travel and famous landscapes in the world, called Dau Go Grotto as Grotte des merveilles (Grotto of wonders). That is absolutely correct.
Dau Go Grotto in Halong Bay
Trinh Nu Cave (Virgin Cave) – Halong Bay Caves
Stepping into Virgin Island, we will see a stone virgin girl statue in the middle of cave with long hair, her eyes look toward the sea hopelessly and long desperately form someone.
In front of Virgin Cave is Trong Cave (called Male Cave) with stone boy statue is facing to Virgin Cave. We are able to listen his hopeless shout still to be heard from a distance.
Additionally, Virgin Cave and Trong Cave attract visitors by other legends. Today, if you visit Virgin Cave and meet fishermen here you will hear a love story at the second hand fancifully: “Once upon a time, there are two lovers, they love each other but not able to get married because they are too poor. He decides to get to the open sea for a catch of fish to have money for marriage. And the girl was waiting desperately with no information from her future husband. She is crazy about memory and take a small boat to find the husband. Sea is too large and too many islands, he is not able to hear her shout. He also lose the way to a cave and call the girl desperately. She is exhausted and lay down in the cave, face toward the sea, turn into stone after final call. He is lost in the cave, call the girl desperately, finally turn into stone also – now called Trong Cave”. Today, when boat or cruise go over here visitors seem to hear their call from the caves.
[…] we would like to introduce other posts which you maybe take interest in: Halong Bay Travel Guide, Halong Bay Caves, Halong Bay Beach, Halong Bay to Hanoi, Halong Bay Day Trip, Kayaking Halong Bay, Hanoi to Halong […]
[…] Bay is being operated by Vietnam Helicopter Corporation. This service provides an overview of Halong Bay to tourists from the sky. It helps visitors to watch and enjoy Halong Bay by different way from […]
[…] You will see Incense Burner Rock, Dog Rock, as well as Fighting Cock Rock before heading to Sung Sot Cave. And then, you can visit Luon Cave to enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the bay. Overnight on […]
[…] choose Kayaking as the best way to explore. With this amazing way, you will be visited the whole Halong Bay scene with visit secret caves, paddle through islets; unspoiled beaches, lagoons and floating fishing villages… The visitor […]