Having been traveling and guiding people for the last 15yrs in the area, I have seen how fast Halong Bay has been pursuing unsustainable development and wholesale commercial tourism. The bay is now over-used by nearly 200 mega “5-star” junks, which weave everyday through the well-worn mass tourism routes of the once emerald waters of the Tonkin Gulf. However, in the far southern end of Halong Bay,
the forgotten National Park island of Cat Ba is awakening. With its sleepy Lan Ha Bay and a multitude of beaches, caves and jungle terrains, the island is starting to change but still remains largely wild and untouched. So we at BlueSwimmer Adventure decided to pursue low-impact eco-tourism to try and do our bit to keep the island's very special purity as long as possible by offering more green outdoor activities for nature lovers from around the world. Sometimes when travelling, you can feel like there's nothing you can do to stop the environmental destruction going on around you. It feels all too hard and you don't believe anything you will do will really matter or change anything. But eco-tourism in itself is a very new concept in Vietnam that needs your support to convince the authorities and other mega tourism operators that there is an alternative to McDonalds-style tourism. Once people see the value in our environment, they will do more to protect it, and that's where you can make a difference. I believe low-impact eco-tourism has the power to change the mindsets of business people greedily pursuing profits at any cost. I believe we can all make a difference and I invite you to join BlueSwimmer Adventures in spreading the word in northern Vietnam.
