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Introduction to Bai Chay
When talking about tourism in Quang Ninh, most people immediately think of Ha Long Bay. However, another stunning tourist destination not to be missed in Quang Ninh is Bai Chay.
With its characteristic landscape of low hills stretching gracefully towards the sea, Bai Chay is ideal for resort areas. Moreover, it boasts a famous man-made beach running along the Ha Long Bay. The beach spans over 500 meters in length and 100 meters in width, attracting many tourists during the summer.
Traveling to Bai Chay
Best Time to Visit Bai Chay
When is the Best Time to Visit Bai Chay? You can visit Bai Chay at any time of the year, but the most suitable time is during May, June, and July. During these months, Bai Chay enjoys a cool, pleasant climate, and the clear blue waters are perfect for swimming. Especially in the evenings, you can enjoy sightseeing and exciting experiences.
According to travel experience in Ha Long, to fully enjoy the attractions here, it's advisable to spend 3 days and 2 nights in Bai Chay.
What to Prepare When Traveling to Bai Chay
What to Prepare for Bai Chay Travel? When traveling, you should optimize your luggage. Besides essential items such as clothes, personal documents, cash, and cards, you should also prepare some additional items:
- For beach activities, you need swimwear, beachwear (shorts, maxi dresses, tank tops, etc.), flip-flops or sandals, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, and especially sunscreen. Sunscreen is indispensable when traveling, especially to the beach. Choose SPF50 sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun's harmful effects. Additionally, bring sports shoes, comfortable clothes for sightseeing and activities here.
- Don't forget to bring a selfie stick and a waterproof phone bag with a power bank to capture memorable moments here.
- Additionally, you should bring a raincoat or umbrella as the weather may be rainy or too sunny.
Preparing Luggage for Traveling to Bai Chay
Means of Transportation When Traveling to Bai Chay
Getting to Bai Chay
From Hanoi to Bai Chay
Hanoi is approximately 160km away from Bai Chay. If you're traveling from Hanoi to Bai Chay, it will take an average of 2.5 to 4 hours. Nowadays, there are various transportation options to Bai Chay. You can choose the most convenient mode of transportation based on your schedule, time, and distance.
You can opt for several transportation methods to get to Bai Chay, such as: buses (ticket prices range from 100,000 VND to 200,000 VND), trains (tickets starting from 120,000 VND per person per way), motorbikes, or self-driving cars.
From Ho Chi Minh City to Bai Chay
If you're departing from Ho Chi Minh City, you can choose to travel by car or, most conveniently, by plane. The flight tickets to Van Don range from approximately 299,000 VND to 900,000 VND (prices exclude taxes and may vary depending on the time of booking). Then, you can book a taxi to travel from the airport to Bai Chay, which takes about 1 hour.
>>> Detailed guide on the most convenient transportation options to Halong Bay.
Map for transportation from Van Don International Airport to Bai Chay
Modes of Transportation in Bai Chay
Unless you have your own vehicle, you can choose one of the following modes of transportation for your trip to Bai Chay:
- Renting a motorbike: This is the most common mode of transportation, with rental prices ranging from 120,000 VND to 150,000 VND per day. Some rental places include Kim Dung (address: 16 Cao Dat, Bai Chay. Contact: 0912 026 766), Tien Minh (Sunrise Apartment, Hung Thang, Bai Chay. Contact: 0979 221 718),...
- Taxi: This mode of transportation is suitable for families or large groups. Popular taxi companies in Bai Chay include Mai Linh Taxi (phone: 02033 628 628) and Bai Chay Taxi (phone: 0203 3646 464).
- Electric Scooters: This could also be a good option for your trip, as they are environmentally friendly. You can rent the whole scooter for 40k/km.
- Additionally, you can also take a motorbike taxi, cyclo, or horse carriage. If you opt for a horse carriage, the price is around 200,000 VND for a one-hour ride (for 1 – 2 people).
Booking Accommodation in Bai Chay
If you're unsure where to stay when visiting Bai Chay, you can consider some of the hotels below:
- Novotel Hotel Halong: Located on Halong Road, Bai Chay Ward, Halong City. This is one of the most beautiful and luxurious hotels in Bai Chay Beach. Novotel Halong Hotel is elegantly designed, blending modernity with traditional Asian features. The hotel offers fully equipped 4-star standard rooms, combined with all-glass windows providing panoramic views of Halong Bay from above, with prices ranging from 2,600,000 VND/room/night (for 2 adults).
- Golden Halong Hotel: Situated in Dong Hung Thang urban area, Bai Chay, Halong, this is a 4-star hotel according to international standards. With room rates ranging from 1,200,000 VND/room/night (for 2 adults). The hotel has 10 floors with a total of 102 rooms designed with modern amenities overlooking the sea. The hotel offers full services such as restaurants, bars, massage area, karaoke, and souvenir shop,...
Golden Halong Hotel Lobby
- Some budget-friendly hotels with basic amenities include:
+ Viet Nhật Hotel: Located at house number 66, Dao Garden Street, Bai Chay Ward. Room prices start from 190,000 VND/room/night (for 2 adults).
+ Peace Hotel: Number 39 Dao Garden Street, Bai Chay Ward. Prices range from 550,000 VND/room/night (for 2 adults).
+ Công Đoàn Halong Hotel: Halong Road, Bai Chay Ward. Prices range from 630,000 VND/room/night (for 2 adults).
Booking a room in Bai Chay during weekends or holidays can be quite challenging. Therefore, it's recommended to book in advance at least a week ahead to avoid fully booked situations or high prices.
>>> Book your stay at the best-priced Hạ Long hotels with Mytour.
A small tip for you is that you can book combo Hạ Long travel packages including transportation and hotel rooms. With these combos, travelers can save some money compared to booking each service separately while still ensuring a customizable itinerary.
Highlighted attractions at Bai Chay
- Bai Chay Beach: Visiting Bai Chay Beach offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in the clear blue waters along the white sandy shore. Bai Chay Beach is the largest artificial beach in Halong City. Running along the beach is a line of coconut trees creating a fresh, peaceful, and relaxing atmosphere with the sea breeze. It's a truly romantic and charming scene.
- Sun World Halong Complex: A prominent entertainment spot at Bai Chay that has attracted many tourists recently. This amusement park complex consists of two main areas: the amusement park on top of Ba Deo Hill and the beachside amusement area at Bai Chay. Visitors to the Ba Deo Hill area will have the opportunity to explore the Mysterious Castle, experience the world's tallest Ferris wheel, the Sun Wheel. If you're a fan of adventurous games or water activities, you can visit the Dragon Park and the Water Park in the beachside amusement area of this complex. Details on how to conquer Sun World Halong are available in this article.
Have fun at Sun World Halong
- Bai Chay Night Market: To buy seafood or souvenirs, don't forget to visit the Bai Chay Night Market! Tourists feel completely comfortable choosing souvenirs here. Souvenirs are mainly made from shellfish shells. The market starts at dusk. Every day, the market welcomes from 5,000 to 7,000 visitors for shopping and sightseeing. You can also buy seafood as gifts at this market.
>>> Discover more about the 8 local specialties you'll regret not buying when visiting Halong.
- Bai Chay Bridge: This bridge occupies a beautiful geographical location. Tourists often choose Bai Chay Bridge as an ideal tourist spot for sightseeing and strolling to appreciate the romantic beauty here.
What to eat when traveling to Bai Chay?
In terms of dining experiences in Bai Chay, you should choose eateries at the night markets in Halong, where there are plenty of delicious and affordable food options. For detailed reviews of the best and most budget-friendly dining spots in Bai Chay, check out here.
There are many types of seafood that you shouldn't miss on your trip to Bai Chay, such as lobster, crab, sea fish, clams, shellfish,... All of them are prepared in a rich variety, turned into many delicious and enticing dishes that once tried, tourists will surely never forget. Some Halong specialties like grilled squid, razor clam, pillow cake, fermented pork roll, fermented sticky rice, squid sausage, sticky rice with squid sausage,... should also be on your list of foods to try when you're here.
Exploring Bai Chay independently is best paired with a small Halong Food Tour to fully indulge in the local cuisine. In addition to the specialty dishes and seafood mentioned above, Bai Chay is also loved by tourists for its numerous delicious street food stalls such as Halong yogurt, squid sausage rolls, sweet soup,... The prices are very affordable, ranging from 10,000đ to 100,000đ.
>>> Recommendation for the top 8 amazingly delicious and cheap street food stalls in Halong
Squid sausage rolls
Suggested itinerary for traveling to Bai Chay
Day 1: Hanoi – Bai Chay – Sun World Halong Complex
09:30 AM: Depart from Hanoi, check-in at the hotel, relax, and have lunch.
01:30 PM: Enjoy activities at Sun World Halong Complex. There are plenty of attractions to explore such as the Sun Wheel, Japanese garden, Samurai slide, kids' play area, gaming zone, wax museum,...
08:00 PM: After dinner, you can rent a tandem bicycle and ride around the beach.
Day 2: Halong Bay - Bai Chay Beach
07:00 AM: Have breakfast at the hotel.
07:45 AM: Depart from the hotel to the tourist pier, then start the Halong Bay exploration tour at 8:00 AM. You can choose to buy tickets to visit Halong Bay by specific attractions, or for convenience, opt for tickets along predefined routes. If you have more time, you can also consider booking Halong Bay cruises to experience the most exciting activities here.
>>> Check out the latest Halong Bay ticket prices here.
Halong Bay
07:00 PM: Explore the night market area, enjoy street food, and take a stroll on Bai Chay Bridge.
Day 3: Halong Museum - Hanoi
08:00 AM: Have breakfast at the hotel.
09:00 AM: Explore Quang Ninh Museum.
11:00 AM: Visit the seafood market for souvenirs.
01:00 PM: Enjoy lunch, check out, and board the return trip to Hanoi.
Travel Tips for Bai Chay
- Book services such as hotel rooms, coaches, and flight tickets about 2 weeks to 1 month in advance to get the best prices and avoid situations where rooms or tickets are sold out, affecting your trip.
- Before participating in outdoor activities, warm up your muscles to avoid cramps.
- Do not swim too far from the shore and avoid swimming in areas with still water without waves. Choose crowded beaches for timely assistance in case of emergencies.
- Some restaurants may have high prices, so make sure to research thoroughly to avoid being overcharged.
With the experience of 3 days 2 nights traveling to Bai Chay above, Mytour hopes you have gained many useful tips to prepare for your upcoming trip. Wishing you and your family a joyful and memorable journey exploring Bai Chay!
>>> Check out more affordable Halong tours at Mytour for the most budget-friendly trip!
Quynh Kiu
Image source: Internet
