Only a few of the islands are inhabited, meaning the rest are in pristine condition, making the bay a very important natural habitat for a variety of flora, fauna and marine life. On the coast there are several quaint towns and villages, and also some nice beaches and magical temples. Cat Ba Island: is one of most popular bases for mounting excursions in the Halong Bay region. Cat Ba itself is part of a national park of the same name, and it also has the largest settlement of any island in Halong Bay. Tuan Chau: is another of the few inhabited islands in Halong Bay, and is preferred to Cat Ba by many due to its more traditional atmosphere. A unique attraction is a hut that is rumoured to be the place where Ho Chi Minh stayed on his visit to Halong Bay. The hut has been turned into a shrine by the local inhabitants. As with Cat Ba, Tuan Chau is a great base for exploring Halong Bay, and kayakers can even paddle across to nearby Dau Go Cave if conditions are favourable. Hang Bo Nau: is not as large as some of the other popular Halong Bay grottos, however the view looking out of the cave is nothing short of stunning. The cave entrance looks like a mouth, with several stalagmites and stalactites forming ‘teeth’, creating the illusion of staring out of the jaws of a monster. Framed within the mouth is a fantastic view of nearby islands with deep blue water in between. Despite the ‘monster’ illusion, the cave is named after brown pigeons, not pelicans as mistranslated by westerners. Hang Trinh Nu: is the Virgin Cave, named after a local legend. The cave itself is amazing and travels for two kilometres through the islet, with many chambers along its length. One of the largest chambers is named as a separate cave, the Cave of Awe or Hang Sung Sot. | 
