Bai Tu Long bay – a pristine and glamor girl
[:en]Being the main attraction of Starlight Cruise’s itinerary, the area immediately northeast of Ha Long bay is Bai Tu Long bay, which is every bit as beautiful as its famous neighbor. In some ways, it’s actually more stunning, since it’s only in its original stages as a destination for travellers, unpolluted and relatively undeveloped. For Western travellers, it’s a laid-back alternative to the touristy bustle of Halong bay.
Why called Bai Tu Long bay? The legend told that when the ancient Vietnamese people newly formed, water was encroaching by invaders. Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to help the Vietnamese to fight. When the enemy boats entered from the sea shore, dragons sprayed pearls which escaped to sea and create thousands of islands and formed a solid wall to block the exit of the enemy boats. The invaders suddenly rushed, blocked, crashed into the islands or rocks in pieces. After the victory, Mother Dragon and Child Dragons did not return to heaven, they chose to stay at where the battle took place. The location Mother Dragon landed was Ha Long, Child Dragons descended is now Bai Tu Long. The place where dragon tails shaked and created white water called Bach Long Vi (in present day is Tra Co peninsula) with long fine sand beach over ten kilometers.
If Halong bay is a girl with gorgeous beauty, Bai Tu Long bay is a pristine and glamor girl, with many secrets needed to be explored. Bai Tu Long bay is also well-deserved to be ranked in the list of five wonderful tourist attractions in Southeast Asia in 2006 by ecotourism company Gecko Travel in Great Britain. It includes hundreds of islands and islets in which locals focus live in Van Don, Quan Lan, Ban Sen, Ngoc Vung island and Cua Ong, Ben Do region. The main topography here is limestone islands and caves with special shapes, all create a magical painting in the early morning and in sunset time. All the attractions in the bay are unspoiled by tourism infrastructure and large number of tourists. They still have a pristine beauty; people in here are also seemed to be friendlier than the famous neighbor. Visiting Bai Tu Long bay, you can not overlook Quan Lan island, a rough gem inside the bay. With smooth white sand, long beautiful beaches and specifically not affected much by tourists, Quan Lan absolutely becomes an ideal place for relaxing and enjoying your days off with friends and family. You also can visit Quan Lan temple and pagoda, where worshipping King Ly Cao Tong and other heroes. The peaceful scenery here will bring you a relaxed and comfortable feeling.
Another sparkling gem of Bai Tu Long bay is Co To island which owns lovely shores, diverse sea ecosystem and undamaged natural beauty. The fantastic, unspoiled beaches and smooth white sand beaches under the shining sunlight create a peaceful, romantic setting for you. Apart from these two familiar islands, there are many beautiful places in Bai Tu Long bay that you should visit one time. The pristine beauty of Bai Tu Long bay should be discovered by you once in life.
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