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Bach Long Vi Island trip will be an unforgettable experience for those who love sea and island tourism. This is a very unspoiled island located far from the mainland and has almost little tourist footprint. When you come to Bach Long Vi Island, you will be ecstatic with its wild features. Let’s explore this island with haiphongtours.com!
Where is Bach Long Vi Island?
To travel to Bach Long Vi Island, let’s find out general information about this island first. This is a remote island, an island district under the management of Haiphong city. The name Bach Long Vi comes from a Sino-Vietnamese phrase. Bach Long means White Dragon. The Vi is the tail. Thus, White Bach Long Vi means the tail of the White Dragon.
Because it is an unfamiliar island to many people, you will definitely ask where is Bach Long Vi Island? Bach Long Vi is considered an island of Vietnam located the farthest from the Gulf of Tonkin. And this is one of the eight major fishing grounds of the North of Vietnam. It also belongs to Haiphong city. The distance from the mainland to Bach Long Vi Island is about 110km.
This is an island with a strategic location in terms of the military as well as the economy of the city in particular and the entire Vietnam in general.
Legend of Bach Long Vi Island
When traveling to Bach Long Vi Island, I heard the legend of Bach Long Vi island which is very majestic. According to people told, since the beginning of the creation, our country was threatened by foreign invaders. To help people get rid of the misery, Ngoc Hoang ordered the Dragon’s mother and children to come down to suppress the enemy.
The Dragon mother and children had just come down and it was also the time when enemy ships and boats entered the coast of our country. The dragons then let out a fire that burned them all. At the same time, the dragons released Chau Ngoc into the sea to create strong walls to prevent the enemy entering.
After destroying the invaders, the mother and children of the Dragon family found the scenery here so beautiful. The people are so kind that they can’t afford to go to heaven. The Dragon mother and children decided to stay to help the people. And today, the place where the Mother Dragon landed is Halong Bay. The place where the baby dragons landed is Bai Tu Long bay. And Bach Long Vi is the position where the dragons waggled their tails.
Although this legend of Bach Long Vi island is fictitious, it is used by many tour guides. The tourists on Bach Long Vi Island also proved very excited to hear this legend.
History of Bach Long Vi Island
According to the history of Bach Long Vi Island, this island was formerly known as Vo Thuy. The word Vo in Sino-Vietnamese means No. The word Thuy means water. That is the island has no fresh water. In addition, Bach Long Vi has two other names that are Hai Bao and Phu Thuy Chau. Hai Bao is Bao Ngu (Bach Long Vi Island is known as the abalone world). And Phu Thuy Chau means Jade, Jewel floating on the sea surface.
Bach Long Vi island was still uninhabited by the early 20th century. People only come here in case of avoiding heavy rain or heavy storm. After the Franco-Qing convention was signed in 1887, the Chinese and Tonkinese borders were redefined. And according to the contents of this convention, a part of Bach Long Vi Island was divided to the Chinese side. The name of Bach Long Vi island has been named since then.
Until 1920, freshwater sources were discovered in the south of Bach Long Vi Island. The people of the two countries in Hainan, China and Quang Yen Bac Ky started to live and settle down on the island. 17 years later, King Bao Dai ordered 12 people to go to Bach Long V to guard and set up the regime of chief justice.
At the time of World War II, Japanese took the place of the French government in Indochina. And the soldiers of King Bao Dai were also forced to leave Bach Long Vi Island. But in 1946, the French colonialists reversed their position and fought again the right to control the island.
In 1949, the Nationalist Party of China completely occupied this island. Six years later, they were again attacked by the Chinese People’s Army and took control again. In 1957, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam troops took over the island. And the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam also signed Decree 49 recognizing Bach Long Vi Island as the adversary commune of Haiphong.
All residents on Bach Long Vi island had to retreat to the mainland at the end of 1965 after the US Air Force bombed the North. Since then, there were only garrisons on the island to protect sovereignty.
Bach Long Vi officially became an island district of Vietnam since 1992. 62 young volunteers and some fishermen were sent to the island a year later to develop economic and turn Bach Long Vi island to become a fishery processing and logistic service center for the northern coastal provinces.
When to travel to Bach Long Vi island from Haiphong?
Bach Long Vi Island is separated from the mainland and up to 110km away. Therefore, the weather conditions to travel is very important. So when to travel to Bach Long Vi island from Haiphong? That is from April to September each year. At this time, the weather on the island is very cool and the air is fresh. This is a perfect place to avoid the heat.
In fact, you can also travel to Bach Long Vi island from Haiphong at any time. However, if you go at another time, you should pay attention to the weather forecast. Storms will make it difficult for you to travel.
How to travel from Haiphong to Bach Long Vi island?
Those who love traveling to unspoiled islands will definitely be interested in how to travel from Haiphong to Bach Long Vi island. Here are the answers:
1. Bach Long speed boat to Bach Long Vi island
Previously, the only way to travel to Bach Long Vi Island was to take the Bach Long high-speed boat from (# 6 Dinh Tien Hoang) Binh harbor Haiphong. When you arrive at Binh harbor, you should go to the booth to buy tickets for Bach Long high-speed boat. This is a high quality and very comfortable boat so you do not worry about heavy waves. However, the travel time from Haiphong to Bach Long Vi is up to 7 hours. You should be mentally prepared.
Because the number of people coming to Bach Long Vi island is not much, the Bach Long high-speed boat does not run on a fixed route like a boat to Cat Ba, Quan Lan or Co To. If you want to book the Bach Long high-speed boat to Bach Long Vi island, please go to 6 Dinh Tien Hoang to contact. You can also call 02253810507 to book in advance.
2. Hitchhike the cargo ship to Bach Long Vi island
Hitchhiking a cargo ship to Bach Long Vi island is just a temporary solution. It will be more suitable for residents or someone going to the island with work in need. As for those who want to travel to Bach Long Vi, this way is not very good option.
To be able to hitchhike, you should go to Mat Rong fishing port in Thuy Nguyen. Then contact the shipowner and ask them. However, the traveling speed of the cargo ship will be much slower than the speedboat. And you can’t guarantee they will start. You guys still have to depend on their schedule.
In general, hitchhiking a cargo ship to Bach Long Vi island is just the way people used to do it. And now there are high-speed boats available.
3. Hitchhike fishermen to Bach Long Vi island
If you have plenty of time, you might also consider hitchhiking a fishing boat to Bach Long Vi island. This will be an enjoyable experience if you have a lot of time. The idea of hitchhiking to the island has been around since ancient times. But even with a high-speed boat available, many people are still interested in this way of traveling from Hai Phong to Bach Long Vi island.
To do this, you still go to the Mat Rong fishing port similar to hitchhiking a cargo ship to Bach Long Vi. The difference is that you will be taking a fishing boat, not a cargo ship. This can take 10 hours or more. But in return, you will have a memorable trip to Bach Long Vi Island. You will have a chance to become a real fisherman.
4. Hoa Phuong Do speed boat to Bach Long Vi island
Hoa Phuong Do speed boat is located in the development project of Bach Long Vi Island, Haiphong. This is a speed boat that can both transport goods and transport tourists to Bach Long Vi island. The boat is officially put into operation in July 2020.
What’s inside the Hoa Phuong Do speed boat?
The Hoa Phuong Do speed boat to Bach Long Vi island is over 52 meters long and 11 meters wide. The boat’s payload is up to 220 tons. A Hoa Phuong Do speed boat from Haiphong to Bach Long Vi Island can carry 236 people and 50 tons of cargo. There are also 56 beds on board for customers to relax on long distances. The boat also has 4 luxury VIP rooms with higher costs. The rest are 136 soft seats.
How long does the Hoa Phuong Do speed boat take to Bach Long Vi island?
Because this is a modern boat, using a new generation engine, the traveling speed is very fast. How long does the Hoa Phuong Do boat take to Bach Long Vi island? The speed of the boat also depends on the wind speed, wave, and flow. If the weather is good, with waves of level 6 – 7 and winds of level 8 – 9 or less, the travel time from Haiphong to Bach Long Vi is only 5 hours. This reduction of travel time will promote Bach Long Vi Island tourism in the near future.
How much is the ticket of Hoa Phuong Do speed boat?
Hoa Phuong Do speed boat is so modern and convenient. So how much is the ticket of Hoa Phuong Do boat? Initially, the boat will be free of charge for transferring. Because this is a public service boat, it operates on the budget of Haiphong city.
After developing, the city will consider collecting boat tickets later.
Where to book Hoa Phuong Do speed boat?
To book Hoa Phuong Do speed boat to go to Bach Long Vi Island, you need to contact in advance to arrange with Haiphong union. You can contact this phone number: 0868747396
How to travel to Bach Long Vi island from Hanoi?
According to the information above, Hai Phong Tours shared how to travel from Haiphong to Bach Long Vi. So how to travel to Bach Long Vi island from Hanoi? Not only in Hanoi, if you are in other provinces and cities for example Ninh Binh … then you can also apply this way. To reach Bach Long Vi Island, the only way is to transfer to Haiphong. Therefore, even if you live in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sa Pa …, you must move to Haiphong first.
1. Travel to Bach Long Vi island from Hanoi by motorbike
Traveling to Bach Long Vi Island from Hanoi by motorbike is a way that backpackers love. Riding a motorbike always brings a sense of freedom and autonomy in many situations. In particular, if you go with your lover on the same motorbike, it is nothing more romantic.
To travel to Bach Long Vi Island from Hanoi by motorbike, you just go straight 5A (old road 5) to Haiphong. The distance from Hanoi to Haiphong is about 100km. Motorbike driving time is about 3 hours. You should rest along the road in Hai Duong to ensure health and safety while driving. When you arrive at Binh harbor, Haiphong, you can park your bike overnight at the station or at a nearby hotel. Remember to get your ticket!
You can only ride a motorbike from Hanoi to Haiphong. For the rest, do the same thing as How to travel from Haiphong to Bach Long Vi island above.
2. Travel to Bach Long Vi island from Hanoi by bus
If you do not want to drive by yourself, traveling to Bach Long Vi island from Hanoi by bus is an effective solution to save money and be safer. Currently, many bus companies go from Hanoi to Haiphong. In particular, Haiphong has just put into operation another bus station, Vinh Niem bus station. The travel density of the vehicles is about every 30 minutes. So it is very simple to take a passenger bus to Haiphong.
However, for the distance to move to the nearest Binh harbor, you should find a bus from Hanoi to Thuong Ly bus station, Haiphong. From Thuong Ly bus station, you can even walk to Binh harbor. If you go to other bus stations such as Niem Nghia bus station or Vinh Niem bus station, you will have to take a taxi to Binh harbor and incur additional costs.
You can refer to Anh Huy bus. (https://www.facebook.com/xekhachdatcang). The price per turn is 85k / person / way.
3. Book private car transfer in Haiphong to pick up in Hanoi
A more luxurious, genuine and smooth solution is to book private car transfer in Haiphong to pick up in Hanoi. You can contact to book a car in advance. Then, when it is time to start, the car driver will pick you up in Hanoi and then go to Haiphong on the 5B highway. Travel time will be more than 1 hour of driving. This will help to keep your strength to take the boat to Bach Long Vi Island.
Private car transfer in Haiphong ranges from 1.4 to 1.7 million depending on the type of 4-seat or 7-seat car. If traveling in a large group, you should contact to book a larger car such as a 16-seat or 29-seat bus, 45 seats …
How long should I travel to Bach Long Vi island?
With such a journey and travel time, how long do you think you should travel to Bach Long Vi Island? Surely you can not go and return within the same day. Total travel time from Haiphong to Bach Long Vi has fluctuated from 5 to 10 hours. When arriving on the island, the first thing most tourists do is find a place to bathe, rest and eat to stay healthy. Thus, in general, it will take you 1 day to go and 1 day to return.
Transfering is so difficult, in my opinion, you should stay on the island for at least 2 days or 3 days 2 nights. Thus, you will have more time to relax and enjoy all the interesting things when traveling to Bach Long Vi Island. The total duration for such trip is 4 days 3 nights or 5 days 4 nights.
Things to note when traveling to Bach Long Vi island
Because Bach Long Vi is a remote and still untouched island, it lacks a lot. So please consider things to note when traveling to Bach Long Vi as follows:
Prepare yourself for the best health before going: On Bach Long Vi Island, the health care system is still poor, only able to cure simple diseases. If you are having health problems, consider traveling to Bach Long Vi Island on another occasion. If you need an emergency, transportation costs will be very high and it can not be timely.
Fully equipped with essential luggage and personal items: Although at present, on Bach Long Vi, electricity system is equipped for the whole district. But as a precaution, bring flashlights, high-capacity batteries (power bank), yeast or digestive medicine, cold medicine, and first aid kit. You can also consider bringing fast food, a few bottles of water … In general, the more you equip yourself, the more advantage you will find when you go to the island.
Bring insect sprays: On the island, there may be many mosquitoes or strange insects, even the squeezed ones. You should bring insect sprays to protect yourself. It will be especially helpful for those with sensitive skin.
Bring cash: Because it is a remote island district of Haiphong, when traveling to Bach Long Vi Island, remember to bring cash to pay for meals, accommodation, boat tickets … Payment by card, transfer, QR scan is not common here.
Bring more clothes to change: On the island, there is no laundry service, so if you run out of clothes, you have to wash and dry by yourself … Ideally, bring more to save washing. Furthermore, while playing on the island, you can get wet at any time. Moreover, if you want a beautiful set of photos of Bach Long Vi Island, changing your outfits will make your photos more lively and attractive.
Hotels, Guesthouses on Bach Long Vi Island
1. Minh Hang Guest House, Bach Long Vi Island
Minh Hang guest house is located on the main road from Bach Long Vi wharf. This is a popular hostel on the island and always serves restaurants and dining. If you travel to Bach Long Vi island and want to organize a party, you can also contact Minh Hang guesthouse to prepare in advance. Room price is about 250k 1 night
Contact Minh Hang Guest House Bach Long Vi Island:
- Phone: 0977731648
2. Bach Long Vi Youth Volunteer Guest House
The Bach Long Vi Youth Volunteer Guest House is the headquarters of the youth volunteer team on the island. It is located on a low hill. There are 3 rows of 2 storey houses built long ago. Including cafeterias and guest houses can be rented. However, with the destructive power of the sea breeze, the Bach Long Vi Volunteer Youth Guest House has also deteriorated.
But in general, coming to a pristine island and finding a place to rest, eating and drinking is very good.
Contact Bach Long Vi Youth Volunteer Guest House
- Phone: 02253757588
3. Minh Hoan Guest House
Minh Hoan Hostel is one of the rare guesthouses on Bach Long Vi Island. Currently, Hai Phong Tours has not been able to contact this hostel yet, so I do not have a picture or contact phone number. If anyone go there, please help me!
What to play on Bach Long Vi Island?
Because this is a very unspoiled island and has not had much investment in tourism, when you come here, you must find your own pleasure. You can get to know fishermen and go fishing by boat. You can also snorkel to watch the corals, live life like a real fisherman.
There is a wind power station on the island. There is also the abalone-like center. You can go there to visit and experience with the people. The people there are very friendly and certainly no one will refuse!
The beach on Bach Long Vi Island must be said is excellent. Since it is the farthest island located, the sea water here is very clear and blue. The sand is white, smooth and can see the bottom of the coral reefs. You can also walk around the pristine cliffs and up to the lighthouse to take pictures and see the panoramic island.
If traveling in a large group, you can organize outdoor parties on the beach. It will be an unforgettable event. But here, the facilities for tourism are still poor, so you should prepare your own take away.
In addition, you can go to the following tourist destinations on Bach Long Vi to visit and take photos:
- Temple of Tran Hung Dao
- Bach Long Vi Pagoda
- Bach Long Vi Fish Sauce Factory
- Bach Long Vi Border Guard Station
- Bach Long Vi Island Market
What to eat when travel to Bach Long Vi island from Haiphong?
Do you think what to eat when traveling to Bach Long Vi island from Haiphong? As I mentioned above, the island has an abalone center. Therefore, the abalone dishes in Bach Long Vi Island are delicious and very cheap.
There are 2 types of abalone to choose from: abalone and stone abalone. This is a dish listed on the list of trenches. It has loads of nutrients and many uses such as tonic, cool down, eye light, cough treatment, indigestion. In particular, eating abalone will help men to be incredibly strong.
To eat the best abalone on Bach Long Vi Island, people often eat with mustard (Wasabe) or dot with soy sauce. You can also use the abalone to cook porridge. If you are the elderly, abalone will be an ingredient in the traditional herbs combined with sea cucumber.
Restaurants on Bach Long Vi Island
1. Hanh Nga Draft Beer, Hotpot, and Grill
Hanh Nga draft beer, hot pot, and grilled is the place where you can enjoy a drink from morning to night on Bach Long Vi Island. This is an absolute open space restaurant because tables and chairs are displayed in the yard…
Coming to Hanh Nga beer, hot pot, grilled, you will enjoy seafood, chicken, goose, beef or cat meat, pigeon meat, quail … In addition, they also serve night porridge.
Contacts Draft beer, Hot pot, grilled Hanh Nga
- Phone: 0962997775
2. 502 Coffee on Bach Long Vi Island
502 Coffee is one of the rare cafes on Bach Long Vi Island. After a tiring day of fun, you can come here to sip a cup of coffee to relax and restore lost energy.
Contact 502 Bach Long Vi Island Coffee
- Address: Residential Area 2 Bach Long Vi, Hai Phong
- Phone: 0979960723
3. VIP Coffee 69 Bach Long Vi Island
VIP Coffee 69 Bach Long Vi Island is the second rare cafe on the island. The coffee here is very tasty with a rich flavor. On the island, having this quality of coffee is so great. The price per cup of coffee here ranges from 15k to 20k.
Contact VIP Coffee 69 Bach Long Vi Island
- Address: Zone 1, Bach Long Vi, Bach Long District, Hai Phong City
- Phone: 0812793666
4. Bach Long Vi Fish Sauce Factory
Bach Long Vi Fish Sauce Factory is not a place for you to eat and drink. It is the address to buy typical souvenirs when traveling to Bach Long Vi Island. Fish sauce here is very good quality, fragrant and clean. You can buy it as a gift for your loved one very valuable.
Contact Bach Long Vi Fish Sauce Factory
- Phone: 0828415666
5. Minh Hang Restaurant
Minh Hang Restaurant is Minh Hang Hostel, Bach Long Vi Island mentioned above. This unit provides both accommodation and dining services at the same time. So it is very convenient for tourists. When you come here, you both have a rest room and do not have to go far to eat.
6. Tan Phuong grilled hotpot
Tan Phuong barbecue hotpot is a restaurant located right next to Minh Hang restaurant. Here, you can enjoy chicken, heart, mixed hot pot or quail. If the group is crowded, you can also contact to book a party here.
Contact Tan Phuong grilled hotpot
- Phone: 0397569574
7. Minh Hoan Restaurant
Like Minh Hang restaurant, Hai Phong Tours has not updated the image and contact information of Minh Hoan Restaurant. If you have more information about this unit, please leave a comment to let me know.
8. Minh Anh Coffee
Minh Anh Coffee Shop is located right opposite Minh Hoan restaurant. And information about this cafe, haiphongtours .com is also updating. forgive me!
Conclusion
Above are experiences to keep in mind when traveling to Bach Long Vi island from Haiphong. This is a pristine, remote island so the network signal may be flicker. Currently, only the Army’s telecommunications network is the strongest because they have the best infrastructure. Belong to the the military, so of course, everything must be genuine. You should use sim Viettel to connect.
Hopefully with these experiences, you will have a memorable trip to Bach Long Vi Island. Don’t forget to support haiphongtours .com by sending your photos in the comments. Have a nice trip!
