Hanoi / Cat Ba / Ha Long Bay 🇻🇳

Now we are already on the way from Hanoi to Cat Ba, so we are in Vietnam. But let's start from the beginning: I have actually been on the road for almost 4 weeks, spent a week in Bangkok, a few days on Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe, and 6 nights in Penang.

It was nice, but not much new. A completely new Bangkok experience thanks to Primo, who I met last year in Penang. I could stay with him, and the highlight was definitely the infinity pool on the roof. The general highlight, of course, was meeting Hemi and spending a few days together. I also ran into familiar faces again and again on Koh Lanta and other stops, and Jannis & Katha and I had a similar route, so we sat together in the evenings or did something together. It made me happy!

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And now we're already on the way from Cat Ba to Tam Coc. We spent a few days in Hanoi with Lewis (whom we met in Penang, Malaysia) and didn't do much cultural stuff except visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Lewis's great idea to watch the national water puppet show. We walked around, went out to eat, and bought some new clothes. I wasn't prepared for the weather and you can find North Face here at a very good price.

The Mausoleum was a curious experience because it seemed extremely crowded. You are not allowed to stand still, so it was quite quick. Taking photos is also not allowed and woe betide you if you have your hands in your pockets! Pure socialism. Nevertheless, it's strange to see the gentlemen laid out there and especially to see the Vietnamese respectfully greeting him. It's an experience worth having.

The water puppet show was meant to be a gag, so Lewis and I visited it. A few beers and a little fun, but no chance. Everyone took the story extremely seriously and we were explicitly asked not to drink beer during the performance. But we did anyway. Strange stuff, apparently of very high importance.

After that, we spent three nights with the absolute madness-> Tommy, the guy who claimed to be the owner of the house, then took us to Cat Ba. The largest island in northern Vietnam, but especially close to or part of Ha Long Bay (ha - diving | Long - Dragon). According to myths, the dragon dived here and left the landscape with its tail. I also believe that.

Since the weather is supposed to be bad the next day, we postponed the boat tour by one day and took a scooter to the national park instead. We had no idea what to expect, but we made our first stop at the Hospital Cave and after a little thinking, we realized: there is a hospital in a cave. Pretty clever and impressive, with three floors in total and a capacity of 200 people, including a training ground for soldiers. Once again, it's clear why the gentlemen were able to stand up to the Americans for so long.

Next, we went to the park, started exploring, and discovered the viewpoint. A pleasant little path up and down, mostly up, to have a truly breathtaking view. Photos! On the way down, the Vietnamese boy who ran and jumped on the path marked "danger - slippery" was particularly irritating, while we cautiously made our way down the mountain in typical German fashion.

A great experience, and the next one followed this morning.

Beaming with joy, we walked to breakfast at 7:30 am and then left for Ha Long Bay at 8:00 am, check-out is self-explanatory. 🙄😩

However, it was worth it. The weather was shitty and it rained until noon. But actually, it didn't restrict us much except for the visibility. First, we visited a fish farm where fish are bred in the sea and then sold. You could also spend a night here, we will do that next time. It's definitely interesting.

We continue through the bay, and almost every view is sensational. But I didn't expect to actually jump into the "warm" 20-degree water. But somehow I had to, despite my cold. As usual, the photos tell the story better, the only noteworthy thing is another close call. Since we want to catch a bus further south after the tour, we will be picked up somewhere in the sea by a speedboat. So far, everything has worked out great, except for a small, not-so-small boat that the driver overlooked. It was really close. That's Asia for you...

Apparently, we were also stressed. Said goodbye to Lewis, took my backpack, got in the boat, and drove off. Let's see what happens next, but my first impression is positive and I don't think Vietnam will be my last visit!

Tip:

Hanoi (2/3 nights)

• Stay in the old quarter
• Have a beer on Beer Street or Beer Corner
• Train Street
• Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
• Walk around and eat

Halong/ Cat Ba (2 nights)

• Stay in Cat Ba
• Boat tour to Ha Long (Cat Ba Ventures agency, more expensive compared to the rest, but they have a customized route - $29 including kayak and very good food)
• National park

I can't rotate the pictures, so just rotate your phone. Best regards 😘