This is an amazing complex of 3000 chalk islands rising out of the South China Sea. The area is strange, eerie and very beautiful. Many of the islands contain bizarre cave formations and grottoes. Near Ha Long Bay is Catba Island , a designated National Park and a rich repository of plants and wildlife. This area is inhabited by the Hmong and Zhao hill tribes.
Every weekend there is a market when the local tribes people come into town to trade.
In the evening they celebrate with huge amounts of potent rice alcohol. It is absolutely vital that when visiting this area tourists are sensitive to local culture and traditions. This is a wild, beautiful and remote region. Terms and Conditions apply.