Quang Ninh has a lot of potential from the sea, bays to islands waiting to be explored, mountainous areas, plains, historical sites and cultural and spiritual relics... Especially, in recent years, Quang Ninh has become more and more attractive in the eyes of domestic and international tourists thanks to strong investment in infrastructure as well as high-end tourism services.
VAN DON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Located in Doan Ket commune, Van Don district (Quang Ninh), Van Don International Airport was officially put into operation at the end of 2018. This is the first time in Vietnam that there is a private airport but it is designed and built according to international standards. As a level 4E airport according to the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), this airport can receive all modern aircraft in the world.
The first phase terminal capacity reaches 2.5 million passengers per year and is expected to expand to 5 million passengers by 2030. Van Don is also the only airport in Vietnam to be in the Top 5 airports with the best services in the world, according to the assessment of the Airport Quality Management Program (APMP) in the first quarter of 2019 announced by Vietnam Airlines.
In the immediate future, Van Don International Airport will pursue a strategy of expanding domestic routes while targeting international markets - in which populous Asian markets such as China, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Japan are the targets of the first phase, with many new international routes continuously being put into operation.
Since its operation, Van Don International Airport has affirmed its strategic position, connecting with many famous destinations, contributing to attracting a large number of tourists to Quang Ninh. From here, tourists can reach Quan Lan Island, Co To, Bai Tu Long Bay, Ha Long Bay, Bai Dai... in less than an hour.
In particular, located on an area of 325 hectares amidst the mountains and forests, with the highlight being the dome stylized from the image of sails filled with wind, Van Don International Airport is not only an important traffic milestone but also an impressive tourist attraction.
MODERN HIGHWAY SYSTEM
In recent years, the road traffic system has been invested in, making Quang Ninh a land with a golden location. From 2018 to now, three key highways connecting Hanoi - Hai Phong, Hai Phong - Ha Long, Ha Long - Van Don have been put into operation, making travel from the northern provinces to Quang Ninh and vice versa more convenient than ever. Travel time is significantly shortened, only 2 hours to go from Hanoi to Ha Long; about 2.5 hours to go from Hanoi to Van Don; and nearly 1 hour to go from Hai Phong to Ha Long.
With a total investment of over 11,000 billion VND, the Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway Project has also officially started construction to shorten the travel time between the two localities to just under 1 hour. The project is expected to be put into operation in 2021.
This investment in developing transport infrastructure has initially shown its effectiveness in general socio-economic development, directly impacting tourism activities, contributing to the take-off of Quang Ninh tourism.
DEVELOPING HIGH-CLASS RESORT INFRASTRUCTURE
In recent times, along with focusing on effectively exploiting this resource, Quang Ninh has attracted strong investment in tourism infrastructure to expand tourism space, focus on developing high-end tourism products, and increase the attractiveness of tourist destinations with a series of projects from strategic investors with strong brands.
The 4-5 star hotel and resort system is constantly seeing big names such as Novotel, Wynham, Vinpearl, Hilton, FLC... In addition, there is the investment and exploitation of large-scale commercial and entertainment complexes with many amenities such as: Ha Long Ocean Park; FLC Ha Long ecological resort complex including golf course, hotel, resort, conference center...; Sun World Ha Long park with many new tourism products and categories; Halong Marine Plaza commercial and entertainment complex owns the largest indoor entertainment area in Quang Ninh, the first artificial beach in Ha Long Bay and an international standard cinema... This focus on investing in high-end resort and entertainment infrastructure not only improves the quality of tourism services in Quang Ninh but also creates a strong attraction for tourists, while extending their stay.
In addition, the resort market in Quang Ninh also has its own strengths thanks to the combination with cultural and spiritual heritages. The most notable is the sacred mountain heritage site of Yen Tu, known as the majestic mountain and forest area, the ancestral land of Vietnamese Buddhism - Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect. Not only does it preserve many historical and cultural relics associated with the birth of the Tran Dynasty, one of the most brilliant dynasties in Vietnamese history, but it also has many ancient pagodas such as Dong Pagoda, Hoa Yen Pagoda, Mot Mai Pagoda, Giai Oan Pagoda... and many sacred Buddhist relics that attract a large number of pilgrims.
This area is currently implementing the Truc Lam - Yen Tu Cultural Center project with the highlight being the MGallery Legacy Yen Tu resort built in the Tran Dynasty architectural style hidden among the majestic mountains. Every detail is imbued with national quintessence such as the laterite wall, the lotus-shaped stone washbasin, the bronze bathtub. Not only that, this place also introduces many unique features of Vietnamese culture and history, a great place for tourists, pilgrims and those who are learning about zen - tourism combined with meditation according to Buddhism.
Another mark showing the comprehensive investment in the high-end tourism segment is the appearance of international standard golf courses in recent times. The first to be put into use is Mong Cai International Golf Club with an 18-hole golf course according to international standards, a 200-hectare grass field located next to Tra Co beach. This is the first beach golf course in Vietnam with a beach length of nearly 3 km and many 5-star amenities creating a perfect entertainment space.
Also an 18-hole golf course of international standards, FLC Ha Long Bay Golf Course is located in an extremely impressive and unique "mountain-sea" setting in Ha Long City. With a location on a high hill, the view embraces the entire beautiful scenery of Ha Long Bay, looking a little further, visitors can see the entire Ha Long City with the city's symbols such as Bai Chay Bridge, Ha Long Museum, the Sun Wheel, or watch the sunset on the bay...
With international standards for high-class tourists, the 27-hole Tuan Chau - Ha Long International Golf Course has an investment of up to 1,500 billion VND, including a synchronous system of golf course works. The project has completed 18 holes and is expected to complete 27 holes in 2019, becoming the largest international night golf course in Quang Ninh.
CRUISE ON HALONG BAY
Choosing a cruise to enjoy the majestic beauty of the World Natural Heritage and spending the night on Ha Long Bay has been a familiar experience for many years, but the appeal of this service is getting stronger. The first reason is because this journey brings visitors many emotions through exciting activities such as kayaking on the calm blue water all year round, admiring the limestone mountains of various shapes, exploring the magical beauty of the natural cave system, immersing yourself on the beach of the pristine rocky islands, visiting fishing villages on the bay, night squid fishing... But the appeal of this service also comes from the meticulous, sophisticated and increasingly luxurious investment in the cruise ships operating on the bay.
Along with the development of the need to experience overnight services on the bay, there are also many units providing this service. Cruise ships operating on the bay are increasingly invested in more luxury, modern design; spacious guest cabins, full amenities and luxury; cruise routes are built with many new features. The fleet of international 5-star cruise ships is launched one after another such as Paradise Cruise, Calypso, Star Light, Aphrodite Cruise...
Among them, the Paradise Cruise brand is one of the cruise brands that always deeply inspires tourists thanks to constantly introducing pioneering services, bringing a new definition of luxury tourism in Ha Long Bay. After the success of the Paradise Luxury wooden cruise system, in 2018, the 5-star Paradise Elegance cruise launched with a steel hull design combining contemporary style with pure Vietnamese style, truly a masterpiece of luxury cruise lines in Ha Long Bay.
In 2019, Paradise Cruise launched a half-day or full-day cruise to explore the bay on the Paradise Explore cruise. In addition, this year, Paradise Cruise will introduce to visitors the beauty of Lan Ha Bay through a new cruise project - Paradise Grand. The first restaurant cruise on Ha Long Bay - Paradise Delight will also launch later this year, offering visitors a new and unforgettable culinary cruise. These new projects of Paradise promise to open a new beginning for cruise services on the bay.
Along with the development of cruise services is the development of the passenger port system. The Tuan Chau International Passenger Port System includes Port 1 merged with Port 2 with a total area of 200 hectares, the length of the berth is more than 10 km. Port 1 was built on a modern scale in the style of a European port and put into operation since 2009. The length of the berth is 2,000 m, the capacity to receive more than 200 large and small ships coming in and out to pick up and drop off passengers. The central area of the port is the terminal, waiting room, and operating area with a luxuriously decorated space of more than 8,000 m.2can receive about 3,000 passengers waiting to complete procedures. Along with that is Tuan Chau International Artificial Cruise Port (Port 2) which is 11 times larger than Port 1 with a total investment of up to thousands of billions of VND, qualified to receive about 2,000 ships anchoring and picking up and dropping off passengers. Every year, the cruise port welcomes more than 3 million domestic and international visitors and is recognized by the Vietnam Record Organization as the largest artificial cruise port in Vietnam.
After opening the international cruise terminal at the end of 2018, this year, Ha Long International Passenger Port has opened an inland waterway terminal - a marina belonging to Ha Long International Passenger Port located right in the center of Bai Chay tourist area, opening a new gateway for tourists to visit Ha Long Bay more conveniently and safely. The project is designed with 4 modern wharves, with a maximum capacity of up to 300 tourist and accommodation ships traveling to Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay and Gia Luan Wharf (Cat Ba), with the function of serving cruise ships, sightseeing ships, overnight ships and large speedboats. Not only creating conditions for Vietnamese tourists to visit the heritage bay from the cruise port, foreign tourists from luxury cruise ships will also easily move to domestic ships to explore Ha Long Bay as soon as the cruise ships dock at the international port.
HALONG BAY SEAPLANE
If you are still not satisfied with the cruise, a flight around the bay will probably satisfy you. Currently, the experience of viewing Ha Long Bay from a seaplane is only operated by Hai Au Airlines.
Each flight can carry 12 passengers with windows designed to ensure great views for everyone. Although it is a luxury service and more expensive than some other tourist services in Quang Ninh, using a seaplane not only helps tourists save travel time but is also the perfect way to fully enjoy the beauty of this UNESCO natural wonder.
Departing from Tuan Chau Port with a take-off and landing on the water, this 25-minute flight will offer a completely different view: a magnificent seascape with nearly 2,000 limestone islands rising from the emerald green water, spread over an area of nearly 2,000 km.2From this angle, visitors will clearly see the shape of the overlapping mountain ranges on the bay, curving like a dragon descending to the sea. The New York Times (USA) once voted the experience of viewing the bay by seaplane as one of the most attractive tourist services on the planet.
