Traveling has kept many people busy at this time of year, including myself. My first destination was Halong Bay with some friends visiting from Singapore. We were fairly disorganised with our travel plans which usually makes for the best trips. Getting to Halong turned out to be no problem. Traveling and everything involved with Halong Bay is very efficient and trustworthy. People journeying here don't need to worry about much other than packing their bags. We took a minibus from Hanoi towards Halong Bay that took about four hours and some change. The feeling at Halong Bay is quite comfortable. The bay was busy, and tourism is clearly the economic force here, but it wasn't overcrowded. Despite the holiday, plenty of poeple had flocked to the area to enjoy the holidays. When we arrived, 16 of us packed a boat and set out to sea.
After meeting some of our fellow travelers we boarded a boat and began the journey. There were plenty of stops including caves and beaches, but the highlight was likely jumping into the icy water from the 3rd level of the boat. We were adamant about doing this, and our captain refused to let us unless we went further out to sea. "Further out we shall go," was our reply. We made the leap, and eventually about half of the people on the boat did as well.
We enjoyed the tour although it can be a little much to be with a large group of people. Sometimes, I just want to soak in the sights for myself. The Sung Sot cave is large and well-worth seeing, although you hardly need a guide to do so. Unfortunately, it appears to be the only option. Dragons were the main topic for our guide and eventually I wandered off to listen to my own sounds.
There are peaks scattered throughout the bay, giant rock formations, randomly spread out as if God took a can of paint and splattered it across the sea. There are certain peaks that you can climb to the top, and the view is wonderful.
The seafood here is amazing and fresh, the company was great, and staying on a boat in such a large body of water is a unique experience. It was cold and clouds prevented us from having a clear view, but this created a certain nostalgia about the place. Halong Bay certainly lives up to its reputation as one of the many amazing places one must visit in Vietnam.
Tet has been off to an amazing start and the next stop is Sapa.
