Vietnamese Whirl Part 2 – Halong the Bay

One of the must-sees in North East Vietnam has to be the UNESCO listed Halong Bay and photos of its towering limestone casts and emerald waters placed it firmly on my bucket list.  Unfortunately, like many beauty spots, it was becoming more crowded despite the government’s best efforts to limit cruises and activities there.

We selected a cruise itinerary which centred around Bai Tu Long Bay, the less visited part of the area, in the hope of seeing more of the natural beauty of this famous spot.

Setting off early from Hanoi for the three-hour trip, we bounced along highways surrounded by rice paddies, and through bustling small towns, our driver scarily swerving around slow moving lorries and scooters.  Distracting myself by looking out of the window, I noticed a strange thing. Many of the buildings here were remarkably tall and thin.  Guessing correctly that this was something to do with tax, the “tube houses” as they were aptly called, were restricted to the width of a shop front – often with businesses on the ground floor – and built several stories high to accommodate whole families.  There seemed to be no limit on how deep they were however, which resulted in some very long, thin rooms!

After a rest stop at a factory purporting to employ amputees and disabled people affected by the war (they must work very hard judging by the vast warehouse full of marble statues, jewellery and various handicrafts), we continued on to the bustling port of Halong.

Our traditional Vietnamese wooden boat comprised of three decks and 14 cosy cabins and we were welcomed on board by our guide for this trip, Tony (his Vietnamese name was actually Tung, but it seems they adapt to help us “foreigners” remember!).  As we left behind the fishing boats and tankers, we made our way through the multitude of islets of varying sizes out into the bay.  The giant karsts reminded me of our stay in the Khao Lak National Park in Thailand, and we soon spotted sea eagles hovering overhead on the hunt for fish.

After a 5-course lunch (which we were to learn was to be the norm for the next few days!), we were shown to our cabins and allowed to relax for an hour.  I was beginning to remember why I had avoided cruises where possible over the years – but unfortunately this was the only way to experience the bay, as private boats were banned.

We worked off a few calories on an afternoon kayaking trip to a nearby beach where we flopped like overfed whales for a pleasant snooze in the sun.  I had expected the weather to be overcast and gloomy for this part of the trip as seemed to be the norm for the Northern Vietnam winter.  However, we had been blessed with wall-to-wall sunshine so far, which brought out the true beauty of this area.

Although drinks aboard were not included (and were about three times the price of those on the mainland), sitting on the top deck sipping my 3 for 1 “Happy Hour” cocktails made for a pleasant experience as the sun went down.

Our fellow guests seemed to be mainly French, and our very rusty language skills were put to the test on several occasions when we were called on as makeshift translators! Fortunately, we were sharing a table with a nice Dutch couple who spoke perfect English.

After another huge meal, the highlight of the evening was a fascinating demonstration on transforming vegetables into flowers (not a skill I could see myself using, if I’m honest!), after which we made our excuses and turned in for an early night.

Declining the tai chi session on deck at the un-godly hour of 6.30am the following morning, we were still compelled to awake far earlier than we would have liked, for breakfast, followed by an excursion to the fisherman’s village and pearl/oyster farm.  It is amazing how these floating communities still exist and survive, despite the typhoons that regularly hit the region and the draw of a more settled life on the mainland.  I was impressed to notice that Vang Vieng preserved its cultural identity in a small museum – and even had a floating wine/liquor store!

The afternoon’s activities included more kayaking (my poor arms!) to visit to a huge cave, before returning for a well-earnt rest on deck to watch the sunset. Our lovely, young intern tour guide, “Will”, kept us entertained that evening, as we attempted to give him an induction into the complexities of English pronunciation!  He explained how much he wanted to visit London to see the men in the big black furry hats, and the statue of “Robin Hood” in Picadilly Circus!!

Claiming a headache the next morning, we swerved the climb up a hundred steps to another cave (once you’ve seen one cave….) and admired the scenery for our last morning on the boat.  We were treated to a fresh spring roll cookery class (which, as I was now an expert, I obviously didn’t need!), before we were stuffed with even more food. I’m surprised the boat made it back to port with the amount we had all eaten, and with all the fried dishes (apparently chips were considered a vegetarian option!), I would need to go on a diet once back in Hanoi.

Arriving back at the port, I was amused to be accosted by a group of young Korean ladies.  I though they wanted me to take a photo of them, but it was ME who they wanted a photo with (apparently my white/blonde hair was a big novelty for them!).  Feeling like a film star, I had to make do with a bus back to town…where was my limo, eh??!!

Next Stop: City life