Discovering Hang Co - A hidden gem in Halong Bay

Located on the 4th route of Halong Bay cruise, Hang Co (Co cave) with its poetic and lyrical landscape of mountains, rivers, and caves makes it easy for visitors to leave an unforgettable impression. Perhaps, this is also the reason why Hang Co is the most attractive destination in the offshore area of ??this beautiful heritage site.

Hang Co is located halfway up Hon Co Island - a small island far from the shore in Halong Bay, about 20km from Tuan Chau International Tourist Port. The cave is not too large in scale with a small entrance, suitable for each person to comfortably enter through short steps. The two compartments of Hang Co are connected by a small path, in which the first compartment is smaller in scale than the second compartment. The landscape in the cave is naturally created with a system of stalactites and stalagmites that possess unique features compared to many other beautiful caves in Halong Bay.

Not far from the entrance, visitors will be surprised to see a stalactite dome resembling a giant stone shell, just like a large pearl oyster opening its two shells with sparkling light inside. Or like a stalactite column pouring from the ceiling to the cave floor like a marvelous sculpture with unique natural patterns. The stalactites and stalagmites here are high and low, hanging down like stalactite curtains with brown-yellow or pure white colors, captivating the hearts of visitors.

The special cave has enough cracks to let natural light in. On sunny days, the sunlight diffuses through these cracks, creating unique magical light strips. At the end of the cave, visitors follow a small path to exit, which is a great place to admire Halong Bay through the lush green leaves. If lucky, visitors can look down at the bay in the distance and see a tourist boat gliding gently carrying passengers to the cave. The scene is so real and beautiful, it is like a dream.

Hang Co currently has only one entrance and exit, so when returning, visitors will see Halong Bay from a different angle from the back of the mountain. This angle overlooks the rocky islands with very different shapes here. And on the way down, visitors can turn sideways to reach the small sandy beach right at the foot of the mountain. At high tide, the sandy beach is still not completely submerged, revealing a smooth white sandbank, interspersed with large rocks protruding from the clear blue water. However, Hang Co sandbank is especially poetic at low tide, the curved sandbank looks like a crescent moon when viewed from above. In particular, the scenery here is so quiet that visitors can hear the sound of waves lapping against the sandbank, both peaceful and charming.

The poetic scenery, peaceful space, and relative lack of people are the plus points that help Hang Co attract mainly high-end guests. Lucy Fleetwood, a British tourist said that she chose to experience on a private cruiser to have space for only 2 people. The scenery of Halong Bay is very beautiful, bringing her wonderful and impressive emotions right from the first sight. Hang Co is located in a relatively deserted area, which also helps her and friend immerse themselves in the natural space with deep feelings.

Research shows that many tourists, like Lucy, are willing to pay a high price to have private experiences and visit beautiful places in offshore areas such as Hang Co. Specializing in exploiting this type of customer in Hang Co in particular and route 4 on Halong Bay in general for the past 15 years is Dong Duong Cruise Joint Stock Company, the cruise manager said that on average, the company welcomes about 24,000 guests, mainly European guests, to Hang Co each year.

Currently, Hang Co is also the only cave on route 4 cruise tour that is being exploited. With many factors, this is also the scenic spot that attracts the largest number of visitors compared to the destinations on the two offshore tour routes in recent years. According to statistics, in 2024, Hang Co welcomed more than 74,000 visitors and in the first 6 months of this year, this attraction welcomed nearly 44,000 visitors, mainly foreign visitors, belonging to the high-end group staying on overnight cruises in Halong Bay.

Travel service in Halong Bay, one of Vietnam's most famous destinations, is centered around its cruise industry. And booking a private Halong bay cruise will bring visitor unforgettable memories, while the bay's natural beauty is undeniable, the quality of travel services can be a mixed bag, with both incredible luxury experiences.