A Perfect Day, Ha Long Bay...

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

June 10 & 11, 2007
N 20°51.372
E 107°04.991

After a tasty bowl of Pho for breakfast, the five of us boarded an air conditioned minivan for HaLong Bay. Everyone seemed happy… we were off to see something we all heard was very impressive, we were getting out of Hanoi for a night, and most importantly, thunderstorms during the evening cooled the morning skies and the weather was bearable.

Weaving our way out of Hanoi, our very skilled driver did an excellent job of closely avoiding accidents with scooters, bicycles and pedestrians, but we did have a few extremely close calls as semi-trucks clogged the streets trying to make full u-turns on the two lane highway.

We arrived safely in Ha Long Bay and quickly boarded our lodging for the night—a brand new, beautiful junk boat. Elise was partnered in a room on the boat with Sara, an American currently living in Seoul, Korea; the two already got acquainted on the bus and hit-it-off like they had been friends for years. I am not sure why they refer to the boat as a junk boat, the wood work was perfectly polished and the rooms were immaculate.

Shortly after arriving on the boat, the crew fed us a fabulous lunch of shrimp, calamari, rice, cucumber salad and some kind of pork. We were amazed at the quality of service up to this point, not really sure what to expect from the tour on the bay. Between bites we would pause and stare out the window and snap a few pictures; islands and other junks passing by, provided an unimaginable backdrop. The bay is scattered with over 2000 small islands protruding through the calm water, each covered with lush, green vegetation; a perfect contrast to dark blue water. The weather was slightly overcast after the overnight thunderstorms, but this supplied much needed shelter from the brilliant sun.

Relaxing on the sundeck on the top of the boat, our heads were on a swivel, checking out the sites, as we cruised to our first landing at Surprise Caves. The massive caves looked man-made with perfect curves and contours on the ceilings and walls. The work of art evolved over thousands of years by crashing waves and subterranean rivers… all very natural—with Ha Long Bay winning a Geologic award in 2000.

After the caves we cruised to a small floating village located in a quiet cove where we jumped in kayaks to paddle around the bay at our own pace. We glided our way through caves in the islands and into little alcoves. As Marc and I floated in the kayak, occasionally bickering back and forth as to who was pulling the kayak to the right, we stopped to absorb the surreal surroundings. We were amazed we were actually sitting in the middle of a Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, no one else around except a few locals catching their dinner, occasionally glancing in our direction. We really felt a long way from home.

After returning our kayaks, the junk headed to the middle of a cove and dropped anchor, our final stop and where we would sleep for the night. We were given permission to swim in the Bay, even jump off the top of the junk boat. I think Bob was the first one in the water, quickly jumping from the second story—Elise quickly followed. As Marc was taking pictures of the sunset I took the opportunity to jump, almost chickening out before tightly closing my eyes and going for it. The water, although refreshing, still felt more like a bath than swimming in the middle of the bay. I swam around for a few minutes with Elise and Bob before Marc, and Teddy finally joined us.

After dinner the entire family (including Sara, who became an official member of the family) lounged around on the sun deck sipping wine, enjoying the serene surroundings without honking scooters and taking in the perfect weather. The evening air felt like a summer night along the Sacramento River, hot enough for a summer dress or a pair of shorts and a tank top, but not like the previous nights in Hanoi where there was no relief in site.

Overall, the tour to HaLong Bay far exceeded our expectations from all perspectives—natural beauty, sites, people, the boat and the food. As we headed to bed, I remembered something our tour guide told us during the day, “If you don’t see Ha Long Bay, you don’t see Vietnam.” I now understand what he meant...