Ha Long Bay

Early in the morning we were picked up by our guide, Chuong, for the trip to Ha Long Bay. We had chosen APT Travels as our tour operator for a three day, two night trip, because they had a unique combination of boat trip and small village experience, including biking. Our guide was extremely friendly, very knowledgeable and reliable. We had a mixed group of travelers, with families from Australia and Vietnam, groups from China and Malaysia, and couples from the UK and Holland. International fun!

We drove the three hours from Hanoi to Ha Long City with our group in an air conditioned mini-van (thank goodness!), and boarded our 10-cabin wooden boat in time for a delicious lunch. Although the boat looked a bit worn down from the outside, inside it was quite luxuriously appointed, with a large fancy dining room and beautiful cabins. Deep down inside we had been hoping for rickety old wooden boats with sails and hammocks for sleeping in with a bit of a party vibe…this was very different from what we expected, but we adjusted rapidly to the surprising luxury.

The boat set out from harbour and soon was motoring under cloudy skies between some of the beautiful limestone islands that dot Ha Long Bay.

Our first stop was a famously beautiful cave on one of the islands, where we disembarked for a look inside. This place was most definitely on the tourist trail, with many boats of both foreigners and Vietnamese coming to visit the impressive site. The cave was enormous, dripping with stalactites and stalagmites rising from the ground to form bizarre shapes and structures. This particular cave was discovered in the 1980s by a fisherman looking to take cover from a typhoon, and despite the subsequent development and large crowds it was worth the visit.

We then motored our way through the islands to a floating fishing village. These people can remain nearly their whole lives in this isolated water world, and it was only recently that the government provided a small school for the local children. They live a very simple life, fishing daily and selling their wares in the nearby city of Ha Long. They also generate some income from tourism and we participated in the local economy by exploring the area through their kayak program.

We kayaked around the village and the base of the islands, and found a few caves that were fun to paddle through. Further away from the boats and the village it was quiet and peaceful, with only the calls of the birds for company and the stunning view of the tropical plants clinging to the limestone over the still blue-green waters.

In the afternoon the sun finally broke through, enhancing the colours of the jewel green vegetation on the islands and the water to a vivid aquamarine. We enjoyed a glass of wine on the deck, and at sunset we stopped in time for the guys to enjoy a jump into the warm waters from the top deck of the boat.

Dinner was a fancy affair, with dish after dish of delicious food presented with Vietnamese culinary flair. That night it was Karaoke time, and after Patricia got the party started with the first song, we all rocked the boat with our mix of English and Vietnamese tunes until the crew had to shut us down for the night (Bohemian Rhapsody was a strong finish), but not before they added in their own voices to the cacophony of music.

The next morning we awoke to a strong downpour which lightened into a drizzle that lasted until early afternoon. We switched from our large boat to a smaller boat, with some of the passengers who were on a two day trip leaving our group. On the way to our next destination, we sat up with the captain who offered us the use of his tobacco water pipe. Ben gave it a valiant try, and it was hilarious to see the look on his face after his first hit of the incredibly strong tobacco. The effects were powerful and lasted much longer than expected and our advice for others who are crazy enough to try is to make sure there is actually water in the pipe despite what the captain claims!

In the afternoon the sun broke through the clouds just as we reached Monkey Island where we disembarked for an hour to enjoy a swim on the beach. There were certainly monkeys around, boldly patrolling for food from the tourists. The water was refreshing in the sweltering heat of the afternoon.

Our next stop was Cat Ba Island and the Cat Ba National Park, where we would be staying the night in a small village inside the Park called Viet Hai. We reached the village by bicycle, the best part of our trip as we got to cycle through the tropical forest along the waterway and down the main (and only) street of the tiny village.

The villagers were going about their usual business, including hanging laundry, working on their scooters and roasting a dog (yep, that’s right!). We hoped that the poor fella wouldn’t’ make its way to our dinner table…

We arrived at our accommodations in the village (Whisper Bungalows) dripping in tropical sweat, and were happy to discover that the bamboo and wood bungalow we would be staying in was large with a private bathroom, air conditioning, a huge bugnet and veranda. The quaint gathering of bungalows was situated right beside a small stream with a wooden bridge, and a local woman was doing her laundry in the picturesque setting.

After cooling off with a drink on the veranda, we headed by bike with a couple from the UK who were also staying at the bungalows for a refreshing dip in the river. In the late afternoon the four of us set off on a mini adventure walk along a trail in the jungle that supposedly lead to a cave.

The trail was partially submerged in water due to the rains, and Patricia’s flip flop broke off halfway so the girls turned back home while the boys trucked on in hopes of an amazing discovery. When they finally arrived at the cave, just past the entrance everything was pitch black, and by the orange light of the camera they made it a few steps in, looked up… and discovered an enormous grouping of bats hanging from the cave ceiling – AWESOME!

It was like a scene out of Indiana Jones, and after an exhilarating photo shoot, they headed back home like excited school kids, eager to share the tale over shots of homemade honey wine that Ben bought from the owners of the bar and restaurant where we had dinner that night.

That evening we decided to be a bit adventurous and left the window open to listen to the night sounds of the animals, snug in the safety of our bug net. We awoke halfway through the night to the drumming of a torrential downpour, and although there were a few leaks in the bungalow, none were located over our bed. Above the sound of the rain we were occasionally awoken by a few resident bats scratching around in the roof leaving us a bit tired in the morning but happy with the experience of sleeping very close to nature. The coffee definitely tasted better than usual that morning!

We cycled back to the boat and motored through the sunshine amidst the limestone islands for the last time, returning to the mainland for a big lunch and the three hour drive back to Hanoi. As we bumped along the highway we reflected on all the fun of the last few days and looked forward to the train that we would catch that very night bound for the north of Vietnam, near the Chinese border. A hiking adventure was about to begin…