The highlight of the Ninh Binh province in north-central Vietnam is the dry Halong Bay. Like its famous sister in North Vietnam, the landscape of Dry Halong Bay is shaped by steep karst rocks.
Except that they don't rise out of the sea, but are part of a mountainous landscape with caves, valleys, lush green rice fields and a widely branched river system.
There is no question of it being dry, the bay is a marvel of nature and has therefore been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014.
When the weather is nice, this one and a half hour rowing boat trip with a sampan is certainly a dream. Unfortunately, when it rains, you cannot see the beautiful karst mountains very well.
The boatmen row their sampans with their feet.
What at first glance looks like comfortable cycling while lying down is in fact a strenuous and sweaty affair in the heat and since they are rowing several kilometers.
There are boat docks in Tam Coc, Trang Ang and Van Long.