Halong Bay

On an overcast day we boarded our mininus in Hanoi for Halong city on day one. Although the distance is about 126km, it took about 3 hours with long bathroom break at a tourist shop.

Soon as we arrived at the dock, the returning tourists boarded our minibus and head to lunch and back to Hanoi.

Our boat wasn't very nice looking, but it floats.

We have 12 people of in our group, a family of 5 vietnamese, an American couple from Oregon, a Singarporean, a newly wed from Australia, the Irishman that I have been travel with since coming to Vietnam.

We had lunch on the boat, which was quiet nice. Although all drinks are not include and so they charge highly-inflated price for any drinks. I ordered nothing.....

After lunch we started into the heart of Halong Bay and went upper deck to take in the view and some photos.

We then stop by a cave to see some formation. An interesting cave with slightly different formation than I seen before. The view over the boat below was pretty good (see photo).

We then dock next to an floating fish farm and 6 of us went sea kayaking. the guide took us through a opening in one of the karst formation and into a almost total enclosed (other than the opening) area. We saw some monkeys among the cliff faces. Not sure how they got there in the first place. May the tourist industry put it there :0

When I get back to the boat (almost dark), we were told that instead spending the first night on the boat, we'll be spending first night on Cat Ba Island. It was first of many change of plans....

O, we picked up a passenger from another boat, there was some confusion as to her status...

Anyway we got to Cat ba island and there are many tourist there, changing boats, going to hotel, etc. The extra passenger was told to sleep on the boat, she wasn't very happy to say the least. that was the last time we saw her.

Our hotel was decent, no promised sea side view.
We had our dinner in the hotel, but this time we had 7 in our table (5 in another - the Vietnamese family). it did not help the serving was so small. We all still hungry when finished. Again drink prices are inflated. Anyway we head to street to do a little sightseeing and food hunting.

There wasn't much to see on the only "main" street we stayed. Resturants and convenient stores are very expensive, and "massage" palor girls inviting you to have a massage. the town existed purely for tourist, nothing more. Anyway the Singarporean (Jeffery) and I got some so so tasty food, but enough to stop our hunger.

On day two, we were greeted by increasingly steady rain, not a good sign. there wasn't much wind. After a very small breakfast, we went on 2.5 hours visit/hike in a national park on the center of the island.


After they showed us a very poorly produce video (obvious copied too many times), we started our short hike up one of the karst formation on the island. the rain make the trail kind of slipperly, but I was fine with it. When we get to the top, we can really feel the wind. There is a observarion tower there, but no one climb it, because the strong wind. There is really no need, one already at top, no need to be any higher (not sure whos stupid idea was it to put the tower on top of a mountain). Anyway we took some pictures and headed back down.

O, we lost 7 people in our group after the breakfast (the family and the newly wed), they are on the 2 days one night tour vs our 3 days 2 nights. But we did pickup 4 people from another group who stayed on the boat last night. Again the constantly change of the people and itinerary...

We have the whole rainy afternoon off to explore the main street, what a great oppurtunity. I did nothing, but get online for about an hour of painfully slow and highly expensive internet access. I waited in hotel lobby afterward. we're picked up around 5 by motor-bikes for a night on the boat.

the boat we were to sleep was awesome, only one month old! There are 7 other on board alreay, our new friends. Another small dinner (people from another table send over their left over as they saw we have cleaned everything on our table, we promptly cleaned it up as well) After dinner we played cards to pass the rainy time.

I did not get a good night sleep, even though the sea was pretty calm at where we anchored.

The 3rd day greeted us a little break in the rain, and we actually had a decent breakfast. We went back to Cat Ba island to pickup those 4 tourists we saw yesterday and head back to Halong City and the whole cycle of returning and departing continues.

Lunch in a Resturant was plenty for the first time, although not too tasty. Anyway, another 3 hours (in downpur part of the way) later, we'er all back in Hanoi.

I guess that is how tourism works in Vietnam, you never know what what you are going to get.

The Halong bay is defintely worth a visit even if it is cloudy (may be not in rain). But its true beauty is with blue sky and whie puffy clouds. A two days one night option on the boat is probably best and avoid the tourist trap of cat ba island. O, yes, bring your own food and drinks!