(VOVworld) – Ha Long Bay is famous as one of the world’s natural wonders. There visitors can explore beautiful scenery and at the same time participate in the daily life of local fishermen.

Departing from Bai Chay port, tourists take a boat to the Bai Tu Long Bay. On the trip, they pass several beautiful islands of different shapes. Local people named the islands according to their shapes: Hon Am or Teapot islet, for example, and Hon Mat Quy or Devil's face islet. On the tour “Being a fisherman for a day”, tourists learn about the daily life of local fishermen. Do Thi Thu Hien, Director of Datmo Travel Company which offers this type of tour, says: "This tour gives tourists a chance to experience community life and at the same time explore the natural beauty of Ha Long Bay. They learn about the lives of local people by fishing, sailing in a bamboo boat and visiting floating houses in Ha Long Bay".

After 4 hours on one boat, tourists then step onto the fishing boats of Vung Vieng fishing village, located 24 km from the mainland, in a peaceful and scenic corner. The 160 local fishermen in the village still retain the traditional lifestyle of a fishing village in Ha Long Bay. This is the reason the village has become a magnet for tourists. Dinh Minh Hang, Manager of the village, says: “We cooperate with travel companies to help local fishermen raise their income by benefiting from tourism. This business also helps raise local people’s awareness about protecting natural resources and their heritage”.

Tourists are divided into small groups, provided with lifejackets and let aboard bamboo boats.  They then row their boat to a fishing area and are guided to do what a fisherman does. First, they launch the fishing nets, which is not as easy as they might have thought, because without care, the nets will get tangled. After that, the fishermen row the boat while beating the water to attract fish to the net.

By noon, it’s harvest time, the most interesting moment of the day. If they are lucky, they catch a lot of fish. The fishermen help them get the fish out of the net. Tran Minh Ha, a tourist, says: “I have caught a lot of fish and I know that fishing is not easy. It requires a great deal of know-how”.

Lunch consists of fresh fish prepared by the fishermen's wives- a simple meal, but what flavor!

Phuong Anh