No more kayaking in Halong Bay

Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province is one of the top attractions in Vietnam. It has around 1,969 islands that form a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars.
The bay was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994. In 2011 it was named among the world’s seven new natural wonders by Swiss organization New Open World.
Officials say some service providers overcharged tourists and put the reputation of the favorite travel destination at stake.
Tourists visiting Vietnam’s wonder Ha Long Bay will have to drop kayaking from their list of fun things to do as the local authorities will suspend all service providers from April 2017 to tighten price control.

Local authorities announced the decision on Wednesday, amid accusations that some kayaking services have been overpriced. It is unclear when these services will be resumed.

Kayaking is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the bay. The number of kayaks here has been growing rapidly even though many service providers have not been registered properly, according to local authorities.