Along with Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay is known as one of the most beautiful bays in Vietnam. Not only possessing similar characteristics in terms of geology, geomorphology, landscapes, Bai Tu Long Bay has its own advantages that Halong Bay does not have.

Bai Tu Long Bay is located in the Gulf of Tonkin, in the Northeastern Vietnam. The bay covers a sea area of Halong City, Cam Pha City, and Van Don District. It shares borders with Halong Bay to the southwest, Co To Island District to the northeast, Cam Pha City to the west, and the ocean to the east. Bai Tu Long Bay has hundreds of small and big islands, many of them are inhabited islands. Its population exceeds 30,000 people, of which, the majority of the population live in Van Don Island District, Quan Lan Island, Ban Sen Island, Ngoc Vung Island and in coastal areas in Ben Do and Cua Ong. The locals here mainly earn a living by fishing and aquaculture.

Legend has it that when Vietnam was newly founded, the country was attacked by foreign invaders. Being sympathy for the patriotism of Vietnamese people, the Creator sent a Mother Dragon and her children down to help the Vietnamese in fighting the enemy. The family of dragons spat out jewels and jades, which immediately turned into a great number of islands and islets in various shapes and sizes. Due to sailing at the high speed, the enemy boats crashed into these islands and broke into pieces. After the battle, the Dragon Family didn’t come back to the heaven; instead, they decided to stay here. Accordingly, where Mother Dragon descended was called Halong Bay, meanwhile, the place where dragon children lived was named Bai Tu Long Bay.

According to the statistics, Bai Tu Long Bay has hundreds of impressive karst islands and islets with many famous attractions such as Bai Tho Mountain, Con Coc Islet, Tien Ong Islet, Con Rua Islet, Mat Quy Islet, Con Co Islet, Thien Canh Son Cave, Tam Cung Maze, Me Cung Cave… In addition, the bay also owns many alluring and unspoiled beaches like Con Co, Van Don, Quan Lan, Co To, Minh Chau, etc. Last but not least, Bai Tu Long also has the high biodiversity with typical eco-systems including mangroves, coral reefs, and tropical forests. Many cruises in Halong Bay are now operating tours to visit well-known attractions in Bai Tu Long Bay with interesting activities such as swimming, kayaking, cave excursions, boat rowing to visit floating villages, and so on. Bai Tu Long Bay is really an off-the-beaten-track destination for those who are seeking unrivaled experiences.