Halong Bay brings back Kayaks

QUANG NINH, 3 May 2017: Kayak tours are making a comeback on Halong Bay after the Quang Ninh People’s Committee gave boat operators the green light effective 1 May.

Halong city’s authorities halted kayak tours, 1 April, prompting protests from travel firms. They argued it was an arbitrary decision without first seeking feedback from the travel industry.

Kayak sightseeing trips, usually sold by overnight cruise boats on Halong Bay, are popular with tourists, according to the Halong City People’s Committee. But authorities said tour companies were over charging tourists and boat crews were leading kayak tours instead of attending to the safety of their cruise boats. Read more

Halong bay kayaks are back

QUANG NINH, 12 April 2017: Quang Ninh province authorities have lifted the ban on kayaking trips on Halang Bay after the city’s authorities faced huge opposition from travel firms that feature boat trips.

Local media reported that the ban of kayak service on Halong Bay came into effect, 1 April, prompting protests from travel firms.

Tour operators complained that they were given just three days notice before the ban took effect, leaving them little time to make changes to their scheduled tours. Read more

Halong bay raises fees

QUANG NINH, 4 April 2017: Quang Ninh has set new sightseeing fees for Halong Bay effective 1 April.

Local media reported that new fees for sightseeing routes in Halong and Bai Tu Long Bays will range from VND200,000 to VND250,000 (USD9 to USD11) per route.

Previously, visitors paid an entrance fee of VND120,000 (USD5.27) and additional fees for each single site they visited, ranging from VND30,000 to VND50,000 (USD1.32 to USD2.2) per one site. Read more