Ha Long, Vietnam
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Halong Bay is a UNESCO site located about 3 1/2 hours east of Hanoi on the Gulf of Tonkin. You can easily book a tour in Hanoi for a two or three day trip, which is what I decided to do. For 45 USD, I got my transport to Halong, boat tours aboard a Chinese Junk-Ship, all meals, sea kayaking, and unforgettable scenery. If you have ever seen stereotypical pictures of China with the small, steep limestone cliffs, Halong is like that but in water. The color of the bay is a beautiful green, enhancing the experience. We boarded the boat at noon, and enjoyed fresh seafood while sailing across the water. There were only 11 people on my tour, most of them very chill, making for good conversation. After lunch, we took in the sights of the bay before docking at a floating village and transfering to small boats to visit the sea caves. This was followed by sea kayaking and then a swim in the bay at sunset. Dinner was good and large, and the drinks flowed all night as we sat up and played cards until the wee hours. We then retired to our private sleeping quarters on the boat, falling asleep to the sounds of the waves.
Nursing hangovers, we had a nice breakfast cruise followed by more swimming. This prepared us for the long trip back to Hanoi where the tour ended. Halong bay should rank up there on anyone's must see list, what an increadible place.
