Hiking trail overlooks limestone karsts and fishing boats in misty Ha Long Bay, Vietnam's emerald waters below.

Núi Bài Thơ Ha Long Bay


Is Poem Mountain safe?


My judgment may have been clouded by the foggy weather, Despite the poor visibility and the overall grey atmosphere, the view was still impressive. However, after seeing photos on Google reviews, I could tell that on a clear, sunny day, the views could be breathtaking. Even so, the view I had was still captivating and served as a fascinating introduction to Vietnam. I had been in the country for less than eight hours at that point. Coming straight from Hanoi Airport to Ha Long after a flight from Athens, I was still in the wonderfully delirious state of jet lag, having barely slept.

I hopped onto my rental scooter (which, by the way, had a broken speedometer and fuel gauge), parked outside a bank on Le Thang Tong, and tried my best to appear as though I wasn't completely lost. Within seconds, I found myself following an older woman down a dark alley, soon to be handed off to a teenage girl through someone's house.


Aerial cityscape view of modern high-rise buildings and residential neighborhoods in a foggy urban setting with mountains.


A lot of Google reviews mention a blue door, but I never encountered this magical blue door. The older woman spotted me before I had a chance to start making mental notes of door colors, so my experience may differ from those who found the blue door.

The Vietnamese girl led me through the house, up some stairs, and into the garden at the top. In the distance, I spotted a ladder. After giving the girl 100,000 VND, she pointed to the ladder and then left. I have to admit, I was enjoying the randomness of the situation. However, as I scrambled toward the ladder, my initial enjoyment started to give way to concern about its safety. The ladder was attached to the rocky cliff by thin metal wires, and I couldn't help but feel uneasy. Not wanting to embarrass myself in front of the locals, I quickly pushed aside my fear of heights and ascended the ladder. The adventurer in me loved this little taste of danger, but the more rational side of me would advise anyone else that the ladder is far from safe. The razor wire in the foliage just past the ladder, combined with the general slipperiness of the rocks, makes this ascent quite risky.

A wooden railing lines a winding hiking path through lush green forest vegetation in foggy conditions.
Rustic stone steps wind up a steep path through lush bamboo and tropical foliage on a mountainside trail.
Metal ladder mounted on steep limestone cliff face surrounded by tropical vegetation and greenery.
A weathered iron gate with bamboo leaves stands against a stone wall in a garden path covered with fallen leaves.
A small cave entrance in rocky terrain surrounded by dried leaves and branches with natural light filtering through.
A metal ladder attached to a steep rocky cliff face leads upward through dried brush and vegetation.
Metal steps with handrail descend down a rugged dirt path surrounded by brush and rocks in a natural setting.


After carefully making my way further up the hill, I was greeted by some steps. From this point on, the hike became much easier, though I still had to climb over and under fallen trees and dodge a few hazards typical of an abandoned trail. The hike to the top didn't take too long, but it was enough of a workout that I was drenched in sweat by the time I reached the summit.


In conclusion, Poem Mountain offers stunning views of Ha Long Bay and reaching the summit is a bit of an adventure in itself. However, I’d recommend skipping it if you’re not comfortable with some steep and slightly sketchy climbing

Aerial cityscape of Halong Bay in Vietnam showing urban buildings against dramatic limestone karst formations and boats in water.