Chopper way to see the bay

It’s a nice day for tourist guide Nguyen Manh Cuong and his 11-strong group of visitors when they travelled Ha Long Bay by chartered helicopter.
Cuong, who works for a Ha Noi-based Luxury travel company, has accompanied tourists on a helicopter five times, but it’s his first journey to Ha Long Bay.
He woke up very early in the morning to pick up visitors at their hotel before driving to Gia Lam heliport 15km from the city centre and located on the outskirts of Ha Noi where the flight begins at 8.30am.
Although Cuong was acquainted with helicopter, he feels a bit nervous with the noise from the Russian-made MI-17 helicopter.
As a few weeks earlier, the guide and his group did not waste time getting in the 24-seat helicopter before reaching an altitude of 300m, where tourists can get a bird’s-eye view of the landscape of the Hong (Red) River Delta and Gulf of Tonkin.
"It’s lucky day for us because the sky was so clear that we could see everything on the ground," Cuong recalled.
"As the tour began during July, the rice fields – which create a mixed colour of yellow and green – were very beautiful from the sky. The Red River looks like a big snake crawling through a colourful garden."
He said passengers can look at the landscape below through helicopter’s windows, but the engine noise means it’s best not to open them.
The guide also reminded passengers that a helicopter flies slower and lower than a jet, so there is less likeliness of becoming sick when the chopper takes off or lands.
The MI-17 helicopter is quite large and comfortable as it carries 24 passengers and luggage, but it needs air-conditioning, rather than just the current fans.
"During the tour, passengers can visit the cockpit and talk with the four-member crew, but they have to speak loudly," Cuong said
The aerial route, which is offered by the Northern Service Flight Company, can take visitors not only to Ha Long Bay, but the other tourist sites in Sa Pa of Lao Cai Province or Dien Bien Province. However, tourists prefer Ha Long Bay because it closes to Ha Noi.
"Flying by helicopter saves tourists lots of time. Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage in Quang Ninh Province, is 165km from Ha Noi and takes nearly three-hours driving. But it’s only 45 minutes by helicopter," said Luxury travel company’s sale manager, Nguyen Cuu Hung.
"We try to offer tourists a daytrip tour with different vehicles from car, helicopter and cruise. I can say that it’s amazing tour for travellers in Viet Nam," he said.
The aerial route flies past Cat Ba Island, offshore of Hai Phong city, and just five minutes over Ha Long Bay.
"It’s fascinating. An overview of Ha Long Bay from helicopter is likely a painting with blue of the sea, white sand and green forest, dotting with mountains and islets," said the guide.
"We can take photos of the bay just five minutes from the windows before the copter lands at the heliport, which was built on General Giap Hill (a hill in Ha Long city that was named of general Vo Nguyen Giap)."
As planned, tourists can take a cruise to explore caves, beaches and around the bay in four hours with a seafood lunch on board.
"We want to provide a variety of views in a day for tourists. They can explore the UNESCO World Heritage with different angles. As Ha Long Bay has been the most favourite destination in the north of Viet Nam, the tour is an option for tourists wanting another perspective on the site," said Luxury travel company’s director Pham Ha.
Excursion
After 45 minutes, the group arrived at General Giap Hill in the centre Ha Long city and boarded on a wooden cruise boat for a four-hour excursion around hundreds of karst cliffs and caves.
The cruise is equipped kayaks to help sightseers adventure on the quiet bay and see floating aquaculture farms or beaches.
The captain anchored in the middle of two cliffs and seafood was the main course for lunch.
"Summer is always the best time visiting Ha Long as tourists can swim or have a rest on Titov beach, 14km east of Bai Chay port," Cuong said.
After lunch the cruise returns to port before the helicopter arrives in Ha Noi at 3.15pm.
"We have only had 10 minutes flying over Ha Long Bay, but it’s an unforgettable moment to all visitors," he said.
Cuong, says tourists should confirm their trip two days in advance because trips can be cancelled due to bad weather.
The Northern Service Flight Company has been offering 20 registered tourist routes by different helicopters such as the French-made EC-130 B4, Russian MI-17, MI-8 and the US manufactured S76C.
"We provide various services from oil and gas operations, MIA programme, rescue and aerial photographing or filming with the best and safest helicopters," said the company’s marketing office’s Vu Thu Ha.
"For the rising tourist demand, the company also offers a bird’s-eye view of Ha Long Bay by helicopter every Saturday, provided that at least 15 passengers book their seats for the flight," Ha said.
Luxury travel offers the Ha Long Bay tour for a group of between nine and 12 and costs over US$9,300, while the weekend package tour service is priced at $616 per passenger.