Co To is a stunning peaceful island

Part II: What to visit in Coto Island

- From the port, covering a distance about 400m, you will reach the town of Co To and it was about 10,000 VND/person if taking a moto taxi. Coto Island is busy at the weekend because of visitors; therefore, you should make a reservation of accommodation or come in weekday. Room rates range from 350,000 VND to 600,000 VND/night/room. Recommending some guesthouse is Coto lodge, Coto Green…

- Electricity was provided 23/24 hours and cut off an hour from 5AM to 6AM there. Here are some destinations you should go: + Ho Chi Minh Monument: This is the only place where Ho Chi Minh allowed to put his statue when he was alive. It is 100m from the town

+ My bridge (or Thau My Bridge): The highest point with the majestic scenery, the most special place to enjoy the first sunlight of the day and the Pealit rocks where preserved tectonics of nature. It is 3 km from the town

 + Lighthouse: An ideal place to have a panoramic view of beautiful island. Ticket price is 5000VND/person. It is 4km from the town

+ Van Chay beach: Water is so clean and clear. Perfect place to enjoy sea atmosphere, hear waves swashing, swim, sunbath and play beach sport. It is 11km from the town

+ Hong Van beach: An unspoiled and rustic beauty of fine sandy beach. Sand turns into pink in the evening as its name. It is 5 km from the town

+ Tau Dam rocks: An amazing rocks!

Part I: How to come Co To Island from Hanoi

Co To is a stunning peaceful island

Part I: How to come Co To Island from Hanoi

Coto is an island located in the eastern of Van Don, Quang Ninh Province, area of 46.2 km², about 6,000 inhabitants. This is a relatively unspoiled island with quite untouched beaches and beautiful rocks. The water of the sea is so clean and clear, you can even see the seabed in shallow water less than 1 meter. Coto is located quite far away from the center of Ha Long Bay, it is about 50 km by land and about 20 knots by sea; it means to take 2 hours by bus and 2 hours by speed boat from Cai Rong port. Therefore, Coto should be traveled by young people who are interested in exploring

 Here is the itinerary from Hanoi to Coto Island. The price is charged for 2013.

 - From Hanoi: Booking a private car or just catch a bus from My Dinh bus station (Hanoi - Cua Ong) or may take a bus Hanoi - Bai Chay (Kumho Viet Thanh 100,000 VND/ticket; Duc Phuc 120,000VND/ticket). When visiting Vietnam, you should not miss a chance to explore the beautiful Halong Bay. By starting from Hanoi at 6AM, you can arrive to Bai Chay bus station round 11AM. Take a taxi to your hotel to put your luggage there and ask hotel staff to take care it for you (check-in time at 2PM), then go to Bai Chay harbor to get in the boat visiting the Halong bay for 4 hours. Just 4 hours will not be enough to see all the beauty of the bay, but due to the short time that it should be enough for you to cover the world's natural heritage

 - Near the Bai Chay port is night market selling many items. Do not forget to bargain before buying anything. Overnight at hotel and ready for a trip to Co To island the next day

- The next morning you should be at the Bai Chay bus station at 5AM to catch the bus number 01 to Cai Rong. Full-fare ticket is 25,000 VND. Let ask driver in Vietnamese “Vui lòng cho tôi xuống bưu điện Vân Đồn” (please drop me off at Van Don Post Office). From here, it is about 1.5km to get to Cai Rong port, so you should go taxi to get there, about 20,000 VND of taxi fee

- From Cai Rong port (Van Don District) can catch the boat or speedboat to Quan Lan Island or Co To Island. It takes you around 2 hours with speedboat and from 3 to 4 hours with normal boat. Therefore, I highly recommend using speedboat. There are 2 firms of speedboat, Manh Quang and Phuc Thinh. Ticket prices range from 135,000 VND to 180,000 VND for weekdays and weekend days (weekend is Friday, Saturday and Sunday). If going with speedboat of Manh Quang, you should choose a sitting position on the 2nd floor because it is convenient to enjoy views of bay and reduce the seasick feeling

Time departure (Cai Rong port – Co To Island): 8:30 and 13:30 weekdays
Time departure (Co To Island – Cai Rong port): 8:00 and 14:30 weekdays.
It might appear enhanced one on the weekend

Be Noted: you should ask boat staff exact time departure to avoid missing it.

  To be continued

Some tips for traveling in Ha Long

You are excited for a Halong trip and feeling like a fish out of water and interesting in this tour but you wonder what should be prepared to travel. Hence, I would like to share with you some notes when travelling in Halong as a world natural heritage site.

  1. Best time to travel Halong Bay:

Halong Bay is located in the north, there are 4 seasons in a year: spring, summer, autumn and winter. You could visit Halong at any time throughout the year; however, the best would be around from April to October and from December to February. It is cold and foggy in winter, drizzling rain sometime.

  2. Prepare luggage:

You need to prepare before traveling things like: sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher), shower gel, shampoo, eye drops, sunglasses, swimming goggles, bathing suits, shorts, short-sleeved dress shirt with cool stuffs, hats, sandals or flip-flop

  3. Roadmap and Transportation to Halong:

- There are many means of transports for you to choose to go to Halong. It depends on preference and conditions. From Ho Chi Minh City, you can take a train to Hanoi, then go to Halong by coach or take a coach Sai Gon – Hai Phong then go Halong by boat or bus. Weak point is going to take you a lot of time. To save time, you can catch a direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi or Haiphong then ride to Ha Long.

 - It is 170km from Hanoi to Halong and should take around 3-4 hours drive. At the bus station such as Luong Yen, My Dinh, Gia Lam have high quality coaches for Halong: Kumho Việt Thanh, Đức Phúc... In addition, there is a train Hanoi - Halong starting at Yen Vien station daily at 4:55 am.

 - Fare to take a coach from Hanoi to Ha Long around 120,000 VND; motorcycle taxi from the bus station to Bai Chay tourism area is about 25,000 VND per person. If you go to Hon Gai, you can take up to 60,000 VND per person. If your group of 3 or more, you should take a taxi.

  4. Good priced hotels in Ha Long:

- You can find many 3-star or 4-star hotels at Bai Chay tourism area. Average prices of 3-star hotels are 700,000 VND/room/night. To book a room easily with inexpensive price, you should come in weekday. At the weekend from Friday to Sunday, there are a lot of tourist come here, therefore, rates are up and full booked.

 - Recommending some hotels: Van Hai Hotel (08 Halong street, Bai Chay); Heritage hotel (88 Halong street, Bai Chay), Ha Long Plaza hotel (08 Halong street), Ha Long Dream hotel (10 Halong street); Mithrin hotel (Hung Thang street), Ha Long Pearl hotel (Chay beach); Moon Light (Hung Thang street)...

  5. Eating and Restaurant:

There are many restaurants from budget to luxury for you to choose when visit to Ha Long. Here are some typical restaurant: Yen Nhuan restaurant (Cai Dam, Ha Long); Cua Vang (Golden Crab) restaurant (0333 819 919); Pho Bien restaurant (0333 640 968); Thang Long restaurant (0333 845 916); Tequila restaurant (0983 519 198); Mithrin restaurants inside Mithrin hotel (Hung Thang, Bai Chay); Panorama restaurant (168 Ha Long and Bai Chay); Son Ca restaurant (98 Ben Tau); Bien Xanh (Blue Sea) restaurant (08 Le Thanh Tong); Hai Ninh restaurant (zone 3, Peach Garden-Vuon Dao); Thien Ly restaurant (Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Cua Ong) ... If you would like to enjoy Halong seafood specialties, you could try at Sea Food restaurant (Halong street); Thu Huong restaurant (Halong street); Noi Nho restaurant (Tran Hung Dao) ...

  6. Transportation and visit at Halong:

 - To visit the city, you should use taxi: Taxi 886 - Mong Cai (033. 886 886), Ha Long (033. 62 62 62); Hon Gai (033. 84 84 84); Mai Linh (033. 628 628) ...

 - To visit Halong bay, you could book a reservation through travel agent or at the Bai Chay harbor (033. 846 592); Halong Bay Service Center (033. 844 631) Price depends on time and type of boat. If traveling in a group of 10-15 people, look out for a small wooden junk. If you are single travelers, you should share junk with other visitors. In this case, hotel staff and travel agent could make it for you. Ticket price depends on route:
 + Route 1 is 80 000 VND/ticket/person: Thien Cung cave - Dau Go Cave - Dog Rock - Ba Hang fishing village - Dinh Huong rock – Fighting Cock rock – Hoa Cuong fishing village
 + Route 2 is 90,000 VND/ticket/person: Sung Sot cave - Ti Top Island (or Soi Sim Island) – Me Cung cave - Fairy Lake Cave (or Drum cave or Virgin cave or Bo Nau cave or Luon cave)

 You can visit on the morning or afternoon depending on your schedule.

  7. Entertainment:

- Tuan Chau Island: You could swim at Tuan Chau beach or enjoy many performances: Dolphin, Crocodile, and Water Musical…

 - At evening, take a walk or take a cyclo or a carriage around Bai Chay and enjoy the sea atmosphere. Price per 1 hour is about 150,000 VND for cyclo and 250,000 VND for carriage.

 - It is interesting if standing at the Bai Chay Bridge and look down. You can go up there by lift. Price is 4,000VND/ticket/person.

 - Bars along Bay Chay street

 - Shopping at Night Market: Selling many kind of souvenirs that you can buy as a gift. Do not forget to bargain before buying anything here.

Emeraude Cruise Halong Bay - Surprising Halong

Every day, the Emeraude Cruise Halong journeys through one of the world’s most dazzling natural wonders and into the sepia realm of a dream. Named for a cruising vessel that plied these waters between 1906 and 1937, the Halong Emeraude Cruise aspires to the magnificence of the bay itself. Its air-conditioned cabins, en suite bathrooms, award-winning cuisine and spacious deck space set the stage for the voyage of a lifetime.

Emeraude Cruise Halong Bay

RATE: EMERAUDE CRUISE HALONG

Valid from 1 Jan 2013 to 31 oct 2013

Itinerary	Cabin type	1st Jan 2013 - 30th Apr 2013		1st May - 31 Oct 2013
		Single	Double (Twin) Shared Cabin	Single	Double (Twin) Shared Cabin
2 days 1 night	Standard	US$214	US$132	US$197	US$122
	Superior	US$257	US$157	US$240	US$147
	Deluxe	US$300	US$182	US$282	US$172
	Suite	US$427	US$257	US$410	US$247
3 days 2 nights	Standard		US$275		US$260
	Superior		US$312		US$297
	Deluxe		US$350		US$335
	Suite		US$462		US$447

(Price per person in US Dollar)

ITINERARY: EMERAUDE CRUISE HALONG

Itinerary 1: Emeraude Cruise Halong 2 days 1 night

Day 1: Hanoi - Ha Long Bay - Emeraude Cruise (L/D)

08.00-13.00: Pick up & transfer to Halong Bay. Spend 3 hour sight seeing country Vietnam on the way to Halong city. Arrive at Emeraude Pier

12.00 . Welcome by Emeraude staff and embark with the shuttle boat for short transfer (approximately 5 minutes) to the Emeraude. Welcome cocktail and check-in on board the Emeraude

13.00-16.00: Cruise on the Emeraude on Halong Bay passing by some of the most scenic locations including Yen Ngua, Con Coc mountains and a floating village. Vietnamese buffet lunch is served in the Emeraude restaurant from 13.00-14.30. Followed by an excursion to Sungsot Grotto (Grotto of Surprises) with optional gue to the grotto. En-route, enjoy the view from the sun deck, or relax for professional massage (this optional service is not include in our quote). Continue cruising on Halong bay.

16.00-18.30: Anchor near Trinh Nu & Hang Trong caves. Swimming, Kayaking if weather permitted (Kayaking is optional, so not included in our service)

19.00-21.00: Vietnamese buffet dinner is served in the Emeraude dinning room. The Emeraude anchored between breathtaking Trinh Nu and Hang Trong Cave.

Day 2: Emeraude Cruise - Ha Long Bay - Hanoi (B)

Early moring-07.00: Attend in a Tai chi course to relax yourself in the early morning of Orient or wake up early to see Sunrise.

07.00-09.00: The Emeraude sails once again through the breathtaking scenery of Halong Bay heading for Halong city, it is your time to take breakfast with European buffet breakfast at the Emeraude restaurant.

09.00-09.30: Check out of cabin.

09.30-10.00: Transfer by shuttle boat to Emeraude Pier. Pick-up by our car.

10.00 till afternoon: Transfer back to your hotel in Hanoi.

13:30 End of service in Hanoi.

Itinerary 2: Emeraude Cruise Halong 3 days 2 nights

DAY 1 Ha Noi - Halong

08:00 - 08:30 Pick you up at the hotel, transfer to Halong by Shuttle Bus

12:00 - 12:15 Register/Check-in at Emeraude Café

12:15 - 12:20 Embarkation

12:20 - 12:25 Captain Raises Anchor

12:25 - 14:30 Cruising Halong Bay

12:45 - 14:00 Vietnamese & International Buffet Lunch

14:00 - 15:00 Free & Easy

15:00 - 16:30 Guided Shore Excursion to Sung Sot Grotto and Floating Village

16:30 - 17:00 Crepe Station on Sundeck

17:00 - 18:00 Kayaks* or Swims

18:00 - 18:30 Vietnamese Fresh Spring Roll Cooking Class (Sundeck)

18:30 - 19:30 Complimentary Canapes on Sundeck

19:30 - 21:00 Vietnamese & European dinner buffet served

21:00 - 22:00 Bills Settlement (Optional)

20:00 - 22:00 Squid Fishing (Seasonal)

20:30 - 23:00 Silver Screen "Indochine"

DAY 2: Halong - Emeraude Cruises
Rock Climbing, Cruising, Kayaking on Moody Island

06:00 - 07:00 Complimentary cafe gourmand served on the Sundeck

06:30 - 07:00 Learn ancient art of Tai Chi on Sundeck

07:00 - 08:00 Energizing breakfast served

07:45 - 08:00 Transfer to fishing boat

08:15 - 10:15 Cruise through Ha Long Bay to less traveled Lan Ha Bay

10:15 - 11:30 Visit beaches, Archways and Kayaking

11:45 - 12:30 VIP Lunch and transfer to Moody’s Beach

12:30 - 15:15 Rock Climb on Moody’s Beach (option kayaking)

15:20 - 17:15 Cruise through Lan Ha Bay to rejoin Emeraude

18:30 - 19:00 Free Canapes on Sundeck

19:00 - 21:00 Vietnamese & European dinner buffet served

21:00 - 22:00 Bills Settlement (Optional)

20:30 - 23:00 Squid Fishing (Seasonal)

20:30 - 23:00 Silver Screen "Indochine"

DAY 3: Halong - Hanoi

06:00 - 07:00 Complimentary cafe gourmand served on the Sundeck

06:30 - 07:00 Learn ancient art of Tai Chi on Sundeck

07:00 - 08:00 Leave Luggage/Bags Outside Cabins

07:30 - 09:30 Cruising Halong Bay

07:00 - 08:30 Energizing breakfast served

08:30 - 09:00 Check-Out

09:30 - 10:00 Disembarkation

10:00 - 10:15 Drop Off Point: Emeraude Café

11:00 - 11h30 Pick you up at the off point, transfer back to Hanoi NB: Cruises with 14 persons and below set menus will be served.

For more information please access http://surprisinghalong.com/halong-bay-cruises/emeraude-classic-cruise-halong-bay.html

Big Promotion from An Nam cruise Halong Bay

To welcome summer season, An Nam cruise Halong have a big promotion for Cruise Halong Bay: You will have wonderful experience on An Nam cruise Halong

  BE NOTED: Supplement single US$30

Service Including: -Welcome drink, 3 main meals, 1 breakfast, fresh fruit, free tea and coffee on boat after meal, visit ticket, insurance, - 1 night accommodation on board in deluxe room on Annam Junk. - Shuttle bus Hanoi-Halong bay . - English Speaking Guide on boat.

Excluding: Drinks , telephone , laundry, personal expense, 10% VAT.