After a four hour drive east from Hanoi, we boarded our Vietnamese junk boat. Rich and I were embarking on a three day, two night sailing trip around Halong Bay, an area with over one thousand six hundred limestone islands jutting out of the sea, declared a world natural heritage site by UNESCO in nineteen ninety four.
Unfortunately the weather wasn’t really on our side as we set sail, the clouds above us turned grey and as the rain fell we enjoyed the misty views from underneath a canopy on the top deck. Even with cloudy, dark skies Halong Bay is beautiful.
As our junk boat chugged along at a relaxing slow pace, we had little to do but sit and be for a couple of hours until we arrived at Hang Sung Sot. There we explored huge caves within a giant limestone island which previous residents of Halong Bay had used to hide out when typhoons struck.
We saw hundreds of stalagmites and stalactites and places where the roof of the cave had been shaped into rounded indentations from when the ocean lapped against the rock millions of years ago. There was a rock shaped like a turtle, a very lucky omen in Vietnamese culture which signifies long life. Rich and I both gave the head a rub, in a bid for having a long and happy life.
Once we left the caves and started the descent down to the boat the heavens opened and rain poured down on us. It didn’t bode well for our afternoon activity, kayaking!
Undeterred completely by the rain we donned our swimmers and put on the ponchos provided before we headed out in our double kayak. We were able to kayak through Hang Luon cave, a very low and wide cave that provided access to a serene bay encircled by towering limestone cliffs.
It was a shame the sun wasn’t out as I’m sure the water would have glistened brightly against the stone of the cliffs. As it was, we still had a great sight to behold. Going through the cave was actually pretty scary, it was pitch black except for the light peeking through the opening at the other side. It didn’t take long to get through though, thankfully.
After an hour of enjoyable kayaking we were starting to get cold and hungry. Fortunately we had a feast laid on for dinner, nothing fancy just lots and lots of food, which was exactly what we wanted. After dinner we enjoyed a hot drink whilst playing cards. It seems I’ve become a fan of Vietnamese coffee. Brewed in a little pot that sits above the cup it drips into and served with condensed milk, it’s a sweet drink that tastes nothing like coffee at home but I liked it!
We spent the first night of our trip sleeping on the boat in a little cabin. It was very small and cosy but with an en-suite bathroom it was all we needed and it provided an excellent nights sleep.
We were up for breakfast at seven o’clock as our boat set sail, enjoying another feast of pancakes, toast, eggs and fruit. Straight after breakfast we docked for an hour and walked up to a look out point at the top of Tittop island that gave us fantastic views of Halong Bay. Our early start meant that we could see lots of other boats still anchored in the bay, surrounded by the limestone islands.
Once we got back down to where the boat was docked we saw monkeys up on the rocks beside the harbour. Crew from the boat were throwing bits of banana up to them, enticing them down for us to see. They were quick to grab the bananas and head back up the rocks, even ones carrying babies moved with great speed!
After our early morning exercise we sailed on to Cat Ba island, the largest island in Halong Bay and home to a national park, the perfect setting for us to do some hiking. As we started our hike through the national park I think it was the first time in Halong Bay that we were glad that the sun wasn’t shining.
The humid heat was enough to ensure we had sweat dripping from us as we walked through the shaded canopy of the rainforest. The path beneath us a mixture of mud, stone steps and rocks made it a tricky walk and at times we had to scramble up rocks where the going was too tough for the trail makers.
After an hour of careful foot placement we arrived at the top of one of the mountains in Cat Ba National Park and we realised that all the effort was well worth it. The view was breathtaking. Rows of limestone mountains spread out before us, covered in lush green rainforest stretching as far as the eye could see. It was a picture of untouched perfection.
The hike back down the mountain and the steep rocky sections were much harder than the walk up. The rainy weather earlier in the day meant that everything was slippery and we had to take great care. I slipped once but managed to get away without landing on my bum in the muddy path, unlike another lady on the hike.
Once back down at the park entrance we boarded our bus and headed to Cat Ba City where we were staying for one night in a hotel. We had a tasty lunch upon our arrival and had free time in the afternoon to look around before dinner was served. We ate a lot on our Halong Bay trip!
After the mornings activities Rich and I opted for a leisurely stroll around the harbour, watching the fishing boats come and go before sitting and watching the world go by with a drink in a cafe. I had a coffee, of course.
After dinner at the hotel we spent a quiet evening in a food coma digesting the copious amounts of food we just couldn’t seem to say no to on the trip.
For the final day of our trip the sun came out and bathed us in glorious sunshine. The morning boat ride back to Halong City showed us Halong Bay at it’s brightest and best.
Our lasting impression of Halong Bay will be the glistening turquoise water, clear views of towering limestone islands and bright blue sky. It was spectacular and we were thrilled we had the chance to see it.
Lambs on the loose 