South Pacific Travel, Vietnam tourism

There isn't much 'there there' in Ha Long City -- most people pass through it quickly after booking a Ha Long Bay tour that begins and ends in Hanoi. Probably the wise move. Those that stay usually only linger a day or so.

The provincial capital of Quang Ninh province, Ha Long City is actually comprised of two towns, Bai Chay and Hon Gai which are connected by bridge The former is the tourist town part of Ha Long City, while the latter is more of a local scene. Bai Chay is packed with cookie-cutter hotels and hosts the pier from which the Ha Long Bay tour boats leave -- chances are, if you're overnighting in Ha Long City, you'll find yourself in Bai Chay.

While we definitely can't recommend either Bai Chay nor Hon Gai as a travel destination, there is a small, so-so beach on the bay, and an effort is underway to build an amusement park along the water that might make family travel more attractive in the future. Also, the biggest hotel in Vietnam is going to be built on the bay, with construction commencing in 2007.

At present, there are some luxury hotels with decent swimming pools and high-altitude rooms that have fantastic views over the bay. Otherwise, Ha Long Bay is known for its mini-hotels -- scads of them, all clustered together in and around Vuon Dao Street (which means "Peach Garden).

These hotels fill up with Vietnamese in the summer, who come mostly in transit to the new beach resort on Tuan Chau Island -- occupancy in Ha Long can reach 100% during festivals and holidays, so if you're travelling across festivals, be sure to check ahead before showing up to find a room. The rest of the year, the mini-hotels are more or less empty, or closed. Some get by letting their downstairs lobby double as a shop, selling everything from French wine to cell phones. Others make it through the winter renting out rooms by the hour for private massages.