Photo: Viewing Ha Long Bay from a seaplane

Watching Ha Long Bay from a seaplane is like getting lost in a beautiful natural painting or "a postcard coming to life".

Besides taking a cruise, viewing Ha Long Bay from a height of more than 300 m from a seaplane is one of the experiences tourists can try this summer.

Pictured is Tuan Chau ferry terminal, where the seaplane took off, seen from above during the flight on May 25.

Flight experiences start at VND1.6 million for Vietnamese visitors and VND2 million for international visitors, with a flight time of 25 minutes. Visitors can also rent charter flights or take scenic flights from Hanoi to Tuan Chau starting at VND9 million.

After buying tickets, passengers go to the seaplane parking lot by electric car. Marco (in blue shirt), who has been to Vietnam many times, has taken a cruise on the bay but has never seen the scenery from above.

"I was captivated by the beautiful scenery with limestone mountains and turquoise water. It was a scene from a postcard come to life," said the Dutch tourist.

Before flying, passengers will be taken to the screening room for security checks to ensure they are not carrying sharp or dangerous objects on board.

Seaplanes have been operated by Hai Au Airlines for sightseeing flights in Vietnam since 2014. To date, they have welcomed more than 100,000 passengers.

Nguyen Quan Tien (in black shirt), the 100,000th passenger from Hanoi, said he was a bit nervous about his first experience. Before the flight, the captain also announced that it was windy so the flight could be bumpy.

"I am proud that my country has so many beautiful landscapes. This is an experience worth trying," said Nguyen Quan Tien after the experience.

The flight departs from the ferry terminal, passes Tuan Chau Island, Reu Island, Hang Dinh Island, Ba Hai Island, But Moc Island, Tai Voi Island, Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island, Dinh Huong Island, Thien Cung Cave, then returns to the parking lot.

From above, in addition to viewing the limestone mountains, visitors can also admire the daily activities on the bay. Fishing boats return early to sell seafood at the market, the harbor is bustling with boats carrying tourists to sightsee.

Fishing boats casting nets as seen from a seaplane.

Nguyen Ba Hai, the captain of the flight carrying Tien and Marco, who has nearly 10 years of flying seaplanes in Ha Long, said: "On clear days, Ha Long Bay seen from above is as beautiful as a painting. Every time I land, I not only feel like I'm landing at a UNESCO-recognized world heritage site, but also like I'm landing in a painting."

Each seaplane flight can accommodate up to 14 people, including 12 passengers and two pilots. The pilot will directly introduce tourists to the sightseeing tour as well as the places they will pass. Passengers are allowed to film, take photos, and even livestream.

A seaplane is an amphibious aircraft equipped with wheels and floats mounted under the fuselage. This allows the aircraft to take off, land, and float on water.

When taking off, the plane will move from the runway to the water and accelerate to fly into the sky at an altitude of more than 300 m. Landing is similar, the plane descends to the water and then goes up to the runway.

The seaplanes in Ha Long are 2014 Cessna Caravan C208B-EX, equipped with modern aviation equipment such as weather radar, storm tracking system and GPS. All flights and water areas are surveyed and approved for use by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. This is the largest single-engine aircraft in the world as well as the safest single-engine aircraft to land on water, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).