Cửa Ông (pronounced "kwa-eng") is a town in Halong Bay, in northern Vietnam.

Understand

A small town and possible stop-over on the way to Cái Rồng‎, one of the ports that provide access to the islands of Halong Bay (in particular Quan Lanh island).

Other than some tiny back streets, the town's basic layout is that it flanks the main east/west road up the coast but with two major T-intersections, about a kilometer apart.

Get in and out

Buses to Baichay Bus Station in Halong City and Hanoi ply the main road, and continue up the coast in the direction of China.

Buses to Cai Rong ply the road to Van Don Island (which is today joined to the mainland by bridge) and stop at an unmarked bus stop just opposite the market on the main (easterly) T-intersection of town.

Get around

The town is walkable.

See

• Temples (Cross the railway and walk down the road and over the small hill from the western T-intersection.). There are two Buddhist temples in the town, virtually opposite one another though one sits atop a hill and the other near its base. Free. 

Do

An evening walk past the temples from the western T-intersection of town eventually takes you somewhere you can see the water.

Buy

The market around the eastern T-intersection in town is the best place to buy things.

Eat

The proprietors of a restaurant near the market on the road to Cai Rong tried to rip us off significantly. For a less-hassle selection of local restaurants try the road running across the railway from the western T-intersection of town, around the temples.

Drink

Restaurants near the temples have beer.

Sleep

A well signposted hotel on the main road proved expensive. A couple of cheaper hotels opposite the western T-intersection proved more fruitful at 200,000 dong, though with some occasional rumbling train noise.

Connect

There does not appear to be anywhere with wifi in town.

Go next

Continue on to the islands of Cai Rong or Quan Lạn.