Halong Caves are one of the main attractions of this bay, rightly recognised as one of the natural wonders of the world. Halong has about two thousand karst islands of various shapes and sizes - from 50 to 100 metres. But its main feature - caves and grottos, the most beautiful natural formations of Vietnam.
The most famous is considered the cave "Surprise", discovered in the late XIX century by French explorers. It is located on the picturesque island of Hon Bo. Ancient, about 500 million years old, the cave is quite large - about 500 metres long. Inside it there are several shallow ponds, and the cave itself amazes with an abundance of stalactites and stalagmites of the most bizarre kinds. Thanks to a modern lighting system, they are reflected in the pools and shimmer with various shades.
Stalactites and stalagmites of another cave - "Amazement" - play with all colours even more beautifully. The cave consists of two halls, one of them is artificially illuminated, the second one is flooded with sunlight. To get into this ancient cave, you have to climb up more than a hundred steps. The reward for this is multi-coloured lighting of fantastic rock formations.
Paradise Cave is considered the longest in the country: its length is more than 30 kilometres. In it you can see underground streams, a stone arch and stalactite columns. Although the cave was discovered only recently, its age is estimated at 400 million years.
One of the caves on Catba Island was a Viet Cong military hospital during the war with the American army. This whole system of bunkers, medical wards and more is of interest to military history buffs.
In Me Cung Grotto you can see rock paintings of primitive people who lived there more than ten thousand years ago. In the wide and spacious Thien Kung cave, stalactites and stalagmites are illuminated by special spotlights, which provides an excellent photo opportunity. And in Chong Cave you can order dinner.
