Apparently if you come to Hanoi you 'have to' visit Halong Bay. I think I missed that memo last time I was in Vietnam, hence it was on my itinerary this time.
As it is a 3-4 hour drive from Hanoi, we decided to do an overnight trip – and stay on a boat! When Tuesday morning came, it was overcast and cold, and the minibus picked us up early…I am such a morning person. It was so cold on the way that I considered warming my hands on the incense burning at the Buddhist alter they had set up at our rest stop.
The long tedious drive was worth it though. Halong Bay has almost 2000 islands, all massive limestone formations coming out of the water. Reminded me a lot of Phang Nga Bay in Thailand. It really was magic to see these formations, partially hidden behind fog and cloud , just appearing out of nowhere.
Our boat was great, and not full of 60+ year old tourists as we had feared. We could sit in our cabin and watch the view in heated comfort. Though, we did feel a bit like we were on a package holiday, with games, activities etc happening all the time. Maybe they do this to prepare people for old age?
We did a tour of a floating village, one of many in bay. Very 'Waterworld' like. A whole community that lives on the water. School, work, life, everything. The men work as fishermen and the women row boats for the tourists, only earning whatever tip they give after rowing them around for an hour. There is also pearl farming there which would bring in a little money.
We also visited the 'Amazing Cave' – that's what it is actually called. It was great, though hard to compare when you have seen other amazing caves. There were 3 cathedrals, each bigger than the previous. The whole of Halong Bay is a national park & World Heritage Site and the Vietnamese have done well to preserve it.
Though it was a huge 2 days getting there & back, I would highly recommend a trip to Halong. Even in the middle if winter it can captivate you. We spent much time rugged up with red wine sitting on the top deck of the boat admiring the view.
Below is a random selection of photos…..including me cooking!
