| | Apr 2, 2006 - Halong Bay, Vietnam -- Islands Lurking in the Mist | (click to enlarge)
 |  | (click to enlarge)
 | | (click to enlarge)
 | | (click to enlarge)
 | Sailing around Halong Bay
| | Classic Halong Bay Junk
| | Inside Halong Bay Caves
| | Missed the tide?!?
| (click to enlarge)
 | | (click to enlarge)
 | | (click to enlarge)
 | | (click to enlarge)
 | Junks docked at Halong Bay
| | Anchor line on our boat
| | Kayaking around Halong Bay
| | On board our junk
| (click to enlarge)
 | | (click to enlarge)
 | | (click to enlarge)
 | | (click to enlarge)
 | Pig going for an unintentional dip trying to avoid a motorcylce ride!
| | Hiking on Cat Ba Island
| | Floating village in Halong Bay
| | Sailing through Halong Bay
| (click to enlarge)
 | | | | On board our boat
|
|
|
|
| Halong Bay - Islands Lurking in the Mist
After shopping around Hanoi to try to find a tour operator we could trust, we eventually settled on one and got ourselves booked for a two-night/three-day excursion to Halong Bay. The tour took us from Hanoi to Halong Bay City where we boarded a traditional Vietnamese junk for our first day and night. Just over twenty tourists were on board. Originally, we were looking for a small tour and were told there would be a maximum of fourteen people on this one. However, we were lied to, again, but somehow it came as no surprise to us. Just another match we lost.
The sail through Halong Bay provided incredible scenery with thousands of rocky limestone islands jutting out of the emerald sea to be hidden behind the mysterious mist that creeps around the bay. We sailed past floating fishing villages, stopped to kayak around the rugged islands and ventured through one of the larger caves in the region.
Our first night we spent anchored in a bay just off Cat Ba Island in the calm, peaceful waters. In the morning, we moved to a hotel on the island where we spent our second day and night. While there, we did a somewhat challenging hike through one of the island parks. We scrambled and slid along a rocky and muddy hiking trail through the lush island forest. We hiked past locals out working in their gardens growing vegetables and pineapples and up into the mountain ascending to a high rocky peak with panoramic views of the bay and craggy islands lurking in the mist.
By our second day we had determined our tour guide was totally useless and relied on him solely for getting us on the right boat and bus to we make it back to Hanoi. Anytime we asked him a question he seemed to pause for about five seconds pondering what we asked, push his little wire rim glasses up on his face and say "Well, umm...." with an accent that sounded almost German. He then proceeded to give us some answer we are sure was totally made up and follow it with this quirky little chuckle. We would then say, "Okay, thank you." and not believe a word he said and wonder, once again, why we bothered to even ask. A perfect example is when we asked what celebration the town was setting up for. The streets were lined with banners, a huge stage with speakers and lighting was being put up for some big event. Our guide tells us it is a celebration for the beginning of the tourist season. In our mind, we think this is possible, as the island's whole economy is based on tourism but the banners certainly didn't appear to reflect that with historical dates listed. Therefore, we opted for a second opinion. In town, while having a drink I ask the bar owner what the celebration is all about and get the real answer, "It is a celebration of when Ho Chi Minh first visited the area." Now that seemed to make sense! But of course our guide, in his little five-second pause made up a story that he thought we would like best and us a happy customer. We began to wonder if the word 'honesty' could even be translated into Vietnamese?
The trip ended on our third day with a leisurely cruise through the calm waters and a transfer back to Hanoi in time for us to catch an overnight train to Sapa in the north. We managed to spend the whole day without asking the guide any questions and just soaked in the scenery around us for what it was.
TRAVEL TIPS FOR HALONG BAY
1. If you are short on time in Vietnam, just do a day trip sailing around Halong Bay so you are able to see the bay and islands. You should be able to arrange this from Hanoi without having to stay overnight in Halong Bay although it will be a long day when you include the round trip transfers from Hanoi.
2. For overnight trips on the traditional junks, book your boat carefully, as many of the boats are old and in poor condition - the cheaper the price the greater the chance that your food and sleeping conditions will be of poor quality.
3. Cat Ba Island is a popular place to stay in Halong Bay. The island has many nice hikes, a few beaches and small town with restaurants, internet and a few bars offering a bit of nightlife.
4. If you have the time and money arrange for a tour that will take you to the less touristy areas. Many of the boats follow the same routing and each stop you make is shared with numerous other boats and an overload of tourists.
5. For overnight tours, make sure your package includes an overnight stay on the boat to get the full effect and experience of Halong Bay.
|
| |
| |
