Ha Long Bay tourists pay extra $1 for new cruise terminal

By Vy An October 26, 2016 | 11:03 pm PT

Cruise ships at Tuan Chau Wharf on Ha Long Bay. Photo by Tuan Chau Group

The new wharf offers free Wi-Fi and space for 3,000 passengers.

Tourists who want to take a cruise through the famous Ha Long in northern Vietnam will have to pay an extra dollar for the use of the Tuan Chau Wharf of Quang Ninh Province.

The VND20,000 fee will come into effect starting November 1.

The new terminal opened Tuesday, providing enough room for around 3,000 customers at a time as well as stores, a kid's corner, a tourist information center and free Wi-Fi.

The wharf opened last July to replace the Bai Chay Wharf which sits roughly five kilometers away.

In recent years, Bai Chay saw up to 500 boats per evening -- 200 more than it was designed to accomodate. The wharf also lacked facilities to protect boats from storms.

The new facility can handle about 2,000 boats, including vessels that extend beyond 70 meters.

Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO heritage, and Bai Tu Long to the northeast, are popular destinations in northern Vietnam.

The bays drew nearly 7.8 million tourists to Quang Ninh Province in 2015.

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