Vung Tau is a lot more commercialized compared to the Con Dao Islands and there's a lot more to do in the mainland town. This is partly because this area was used as a rest & recreation destination for American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Later on when Vung Tau became the centre of the oil business in the country, many Russians came to work in the oil fields and started a large resident compound here. Many of them socialised downtown and revitalised the place. If your idea of a good night out is a game of pool and chatting with girls who work as hostesses in some of the more ‘colourful’ cafes and bars, Vung Tau is the place to be. Con Dao is beautiful and very quiet at night. Nightlife activity here is still very limited. It can be quite simple – eating out at one of the local restaurants, followed by drinking Vietnamese coffee or tea or beer probably at the same venue. 

Though there are limited options for shopping in Halong Bay, what is actually available can be very interesting. Try the night market at Bai Chay Town. It is set up with many small open-air stalls with good collections of Vietnamese products includes the famous traditional Vietnamese silk dress (ao dai), lacquerware, chopsticks, trinkets, ceramic tea sets, Vietnamese conical hats (nón lá) and dolls. Experienced shoppers recommend bargaining hard to 30-50% of the original offered price. Most shops accept US Dollars as well as the local currency, Dong. Another fun way of shopping is from small floating shops. Local people row boats filled with goods such as beer, vodka, cigarettes, potato chips, cookies and other snacks. Their small boats are usually laden with goods in a very organised way and even if you're not buying anything these vessels are fascinating to see and photograph. It is important for shoppers not to encourage vendors selling stalagmites and stalactites as they should stay where they belong – inside Halong’s caves and grottos.