If you want to reach the top of the tallest mountain in Ha Long Bay, you certainly can, but getting to the hike isn’t all that easy. To begin, you have to find this small door hidden in this strip of shops. After walking in, you will most likely find an old lady who will take you farther in through her house, and you will have to pay her to get through to the start of the hike. The price varies; some people said they had to pay her 10,000 VND, and some 20,000, but she asked us to pay 500,000 VND per person, which was on the steeper side, but we wanted to do the hike so we paid, and she guided us through the rest of her house into the backyard. Her backyard was nothing less than interesting; there were tons of dogs and a few chickens that we weaved our way through and made our way up the side of the mountain, and she handed us a ladder so we could reach the beginning of the hike. Then we finally made it up a very steep side of the mountain until we ran into the old stairs and made it to the top. It was a beautiful view, but the hike itself was very challenging considering the humidity, heat, and constant incline. Definitely the best view of Ha Long Bay, but be ready for a crazy story if you want to do it yourself.