Watching Ha Long Bay from a seaplane is like getting lost in a beautiful natural picture or "postcard stepping into real life".
In addition to sitting on a yacht, watching Ha Long Bay from a height of more than 300 meters from a seaplane is one of the experiences visitors can try this summer.
Pictured is Tuan Chau ferry terminal, where seaplanes take off, seen from above during the flight on May 25.
Flight experience costs from 1,6 million VND for Vietnamese passengers and 2 million VND for international guests, flight time is 25 minutes. Guests can also rent charter flights or sightseeing flights from Hanoi to Tuan Chau for from VND 9 million.
After buying tickets, guests go to the seaplane parking lot by tram. Marco (blue shirt), has been to Vietnam many times, has been on a cruise on the bay but has not seen the scenery from above.
“I was captivated by the beautiful scenery with limestone mountains, turquoise water color. It's a scene from a postcard into real life," said the Dutch male tourist.
Before flying, visitors will be taken into the screening room for security check, ensuring that no sharp and dangerous items are brought on board.
Seaplanes have been put into operation by Hai Au airline for sightseeing flights in Vietnam since 2014. So far, it has welcomed more than 100.000 passengers.
Nguyen Quan Tien (black shirt), the 100.000th passenger from Hanoi, said he was a bit nervous when he first experienced it. Before flying, the captain also informed that it was windy, so the flight could be bumpy.
“I am proud because my country has so many beautiful scenes. This is an experience worth trying,” said Nguyen Quan Tien after the experience.
The flight departs from the ferry pier, passes through Tuan Chau Island, Reu Island, Hang Dinh, Ba Hai, But Moc, Tai Voi, Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island, Dinh Huong Islet, Thien Cung Cave and then back to the apron. .
From above, in addition to watching the limestone mountains, visitors can also admire the daily activities on the bay. The fishing boats soon returned to sell seafood at the market, and the harbor was crowded with boats carrying tourists and sightseeing.
Fishing boats cast nets to catch fish seen from seaplanes.
Nguyen Ba Hai, the captain of the flight carrying Mr. Tien and Marco, has nearly 10 years of flying seaplanes in Ha Long, said: “On clear days, Ha Long Bay looks like a picture from above. Every time I land, I not only feel like I'm landing on a UNESCO world heritage site, but I feel like I'm landing in a painting."
Each seaplane trip can accommodate up to 14 people, including 12 passengers and two pilots. The pilot will directly introduce visitors to the sightseeing tour as well as the places to go. Passengers are allowed to film, take photos, and even livestream.
A seaplane is a dual-use aircraft when 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 aircraft will move from the runway to the surface of 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 surface of the water and then goes up the runway.
The seaplanes in Ha Long are Cessna Caravan C208B-EX 2014, equipped with modern aviation equipment such as weather radar, storm tracking system and GPS. All flights and waters are surveyed and approved for use by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. It 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 Aviation Administration (FAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
