Today, you can explore Ha Long Bay from unprecedented heights by going on a helicopter tour.
Ha Long Bay is the jewel in Vietnam’s tourism crown, a stunning geological formation that captivates even the most travel weary and jaded of visitors.
Most
people usually take a cruise around the bay. You can choose one or two
night trips to enjoy the mesmerising scenery and discover wonderful
coves and islets or simply enjoy the views from the top deck of your
boat.
As a repeat visitor I wouldn’t say I’m tired of Ha Long,
but I was certainly eager to discover another side of the UNESCO World
Heritage Site when a friend told me about the Minmax Travel’s helicopter
tour.
This
would be a great opportunity to fly over the bay and enjoy a bird’s eye
view of the limestone karst islets which, according to legend are the
shards of diamond and jade, that were spat out by a family of dragons
sent from heaven to help protect Vietnam from foreign invaders.
I
was so excited at the prospect of climbing into a helicopter, I could
hardly sleep the night before. But as the morning drew closer I started
to get increasingly nervous. What if, I am scared of heights? Having
never scaled any cliff faces, or jumped out of an airplane, how would I
know?
Morning departure
I begin to suffer
vertigo even before I arrive at Gia Lam Airport, 5km from downtown
Hanoi, where I am to meet my tour guide and the helicopter crew. The
flight departs at 8.30am. Still slightly anxious, I reassure myself that
by flying to Halong Bay I’m at least avoiding the long, rather
dangerous road from Hanoi to Hai Phong. Ha Long is normally more than a
three-hour drive but via helicopter we expect to arrive in 45 minutes.
Our
guide informs us that the Russian MI-17 helicopter seats 24 people and
will reach an altitude of 300m. We are also in luck; the sky is clear
and blue, a perfect day for flying. We set off and everyone is
immediately glued to the windows and we see vast, beautiful rice fields
pass below us.
The Red River looks like a long snake winding its
way through a terracotta garden. Tran Van Huong, the captain, informs us
that because a helicopter flies slower and lower than a jet, there is
less chance that people will feel sick while taking off or landing. The
helicopter is quite large and comfortable, but being a military chopper,
there is no air- conditioning, just fans.
We are told we can
visit the cockpit and talk with the four-member crew or, rather, shout
at the crew –it is hard to make yourself heard above the throbbing
engines!
The whole package
The Northern
Serviced Flight Company, who operate the helicopter, also offer trips to
Sapa in Lao Cai province and Dien Bien Phu, but tourists currently seem
to prefer Ha Long Bay. The whole tour with Luxury Travel includes a
cruise on a junk as well as a helicopter tour over the bay, plus
transfer from Hanoi and back by chopper.
Ha Long Bay
is certainly spectacular from the helicopter – it’s as perfect as a
painting: the white sandy coves, the thick green forest, the rugged
mountains and the jagged karsts jutting out of the emerald water.
I
snap as many pictures as I can before the chopper lands at a heliport
on General Giap Hill (named after General Vo Nguyen Giap as you might
guess) Who knows when I will be 200m above Ha Long Bay again?
The chopper lands smoothly and we are back down on earth. Everyone is buzzing after the trip and I almost feel sad it’s over.
We
are driven from the heliport to Bai Chay harbour, where boats and junks
have gathered to meet the hundreds of tourists arriving from Hanoi. I
can’t help but swagger a little smugly past the tired looking tourists
clambering out of the buses and mini-vans thinking, I came by helicopter
and I feel great! Coming by chopper I got to sleep in longer and had
plenty of room on board.
For
once, I am actually refreshed and energised as we set off to explore
the caves and beaches around Ha Long. Later on we grab kayaks and paddle
around, visiting floating aquaculture farms and beaches. On previous
trips I was often slumped in a chair, too tired and stiff to do anything
else, but today I am up for everything.
We enjoy a lavish
seafood lunch on board and everyone is still in high spirits, reflecting
on the amazing trip. It’s a little clichéd to say “this was
unforgettable” but that’s how we felt!
After lunch the junk
returns to port before we again climb on board the helicopter and set
off for the capital where we arrive at 2.30pm. It’s hard to believe we
still have the whole afternoon ahead of us!
