After six days of rain in Hoi An and Hue, it was like heaven to arrive in Hanoi on the overnight sleeper train and see the sun shining in the early morning. We hopped off the train as easily as we could with massive rucksacks on our backs and took a three hour bus journey to Halong City, where we were going to lay our head that night (more about this later). Down at the harbour we stocked up on some cheap beers to drink during the afternoon, as we had been told that the prices onboard the boats were highly inflated due to the number of tourists that flock to the area. Refreshments sorted, we headed onboard to begin our cruise into Halong Bay.
The boat itself was wonderful. We were served a fresh seafood lunch which consisted of tiger prawns cooked in garlic oil, spring rolls, whole sea bass cooked with tomatoes, rice, chips, fried squid and then fresh fruit to follow. Probably wasn’t the smartest idea to stuff my face right before kayaking, cave exploration and sunbathing, but who could resist such delicious food?? The captain and skippers couldn’t contain us downstairs for long, however, as we were desperate to enjoy the sun for the first time since Saigon.
When people had said to me before my trip that you can’t really explain how beautiful Halong Bay is unless you have experienced it yourself, I had never imagined how true that statement could be. The limestone karsts rising out of the sea provided the most amazing backdrop to our boat journey. Even though there are lots of boats sailing around the Bay every day, I never felt as though the tranquillity was disturbed by other visitors. This was particularly true when we docked at one of the floating markets and decided to do a spot of kayaking. Me and my kayak partner Hannah navigated our way into a deserted lagoon surrounded by limestone cliffs and the silence that engulfed us was breathtaking. I can honestly say it gave me goosebumps to be there at that moment in time.
I think the photos speak for themselves here, although they can never truly do the scenery justice (and my poor camera was suffering some water damage from all of the rain at this point). We were lucky in that the weather was clear and sunny on the day we were there and even then visibility wasn’t 100% so it can be a bit hit and miss as to how much you can enjoy the Bay to its fullest. If you can only visit one area of Vietnam make it this one, as it truly is the jewel in the country’s crown.
Hi Julia
Really enjoying your blog. We are off to Vietnam in October and I wanted to know how you go about booking the boat in Halong Bay? Can we jump on one on the day or need to be better organized and do it beforehand?
Thanks!
Hi Helen! If there’s a particular cruise you want to go on, I’d recommended booking beforehand to ensure you’re not disappointed or end up with a lower standard of boat. Having said that, if you don’t book before you go, your hotel/hostel should be able to advice you on the best local agent to use, or may even be able to book something directly for you. I wouldn’t recommended wandering into agencies when you’re there – some can be unscrupulous and charge a crazy fee for a sub-par experience.