In complete contrast to our first stop in bustling Hanoi, Ha Long Bay offered a serene landscape of soaring limestone pillars, calm waters, fascinating caves, and a community of cheery junk boats cruising its inlets.
Comfy Junk
We explored this area, which is home to 1,600 islands, by boat, kayak, and bike. Our junk (traditional Asian sailing boat) was completely charming and featured elegant staterooms with private balcony.
Worthy of the hype
Ha Long Bay comes with a lot of hype and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam, but it does not disappoint. It’s worthy of its designation as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
Village life in Tra Ban
One of our stops in Ha Long Bay was the island of Tra Ban. Expansive rice fields and mildly curious water buffalo marked our path as well as one enthusiastic villager who proudly ran up to the side of the road with a boa constrictor he had just caught. Now that was something this urban prairie girl was not expecting to see.
We also learned the traditional way to process tea from a woman whose shy granddaughter would only take an occasional peek at the strangers in her yard.
The woman and her husband very graciously allowed us to peer inside her home, which included a typical outdoor kitchen. We learned from our guide that it was only a month previous that the island was furnished with electricity. In anticipation of this major development, many villagers saved their money for the purchase of … wait for it … a big screen television. I wonder about the long-term affect of this addition on village life.
Han Sung Sot
After a night on the junk we ventured out early to visit Hang Sung Sot (Amazing Cave) on Bo Hon Island. The cave is a massive 12,000 square metres and contains thousands of stalactites and stalagmites. The queue to get into the cave (even at 9 a.m.) seemed impossibly long, but moved quickly. We thought the cave would be crowded and cramped, but it completely swallowed up the hoards of visitors in its shear size allowing for an enjoyable experience. The area is fairly commercial and completely geared to tourists, which detracted a bit from the visit, but the actual cave is remarkable.
Kayaking best way to explore
Kayaking in Ha Long Bay is a must from my perspective. Being right on the water and paddling through archways and along the rock formations is awe-inspiring. The two days of kayaking were the best part of this tour for us.
Floating fishing villages
Ha Long Bay is also home to floating fishing villages. Villages comprise more 400 households. Occupants live and make their livelihood on the bay. When typhoons threaten the bay, residents pull up stakes and move inland until it is safe to return.
A luxe break on Cat Ba Island
After bidding farewell to our junk boat, we got treated to a bit of luxury on Cat Ba Island at the Sunrise Resort for two nights. As an avid swimmer, this place rocked for me because it had both a beautiful pool and a lovely beachside.
Reaching the peak at Cat Ba National Park
The most strenuous activity of our tour was likely the hike we took through Cat Ba National Park to the top of the island’s highest peak. The steep, old growth forest terrain required close attention in order to navigate over rocks and uneven passageways. The heat and humidity posed the biggest challenge. Hikers are rewarded for the effort with a breathtaking view at the top that overlooks the bay on one side and the Hai Viet commune on the other.
Next stop: Hue
From here we cycled back to a small jetty, loaded up the bikes and prepared to leave the area of Ha Long Bay for an overnight pit stop in Hanoi and on to the old imperial city of Hue.
This is the third post in a series on an IslandHopping tour we took through Vietnam. Visit the first post to go back to the start of it all.
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