The still water
«The bay without waves».
Hòa Nguyễn — CC BY 2.0 · JakobHosp — CC BY 4.0 · Charles J. Sharp — CC BY-SA 4.0
The largest wetland reserve in the Red River delta: a sheet of shallow water and reed beds around isolated limestone peaks, created after a dyke was built along the Day River in the 1960s. Bamboo boats rowed by villagers glide over water so still that the peaks are mirrored in it, which has earned Van Long the nickname «the bay without waves». The reserve holds the largest population of Delacour's langur, a black monkey with white hindquarters found only in northern Vietnam and one of the world's most endangered primates; with luck and binoculars you may spot one on the cliffs. Herons and other water birds feed among the reeds, especially in winter. The boat trip passes beneath the cliffs and through a short cave. It is quieter and less commercial than Trang An or Tam Coc, a good choice for the same scenery without the crowds. Van Long is listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
«The bay without waves».
One of the rarest primates.
A quiet trip without crowds.
Gia Vien area, about 20 km north of Ninh Binh city
Yes. It is far less crowded and the scenery is similar, still water among limestone peaks, with a chance of seeing the rare Delacour's langur.