Cruise in Ha Long Bay

The journey from Sapa to Ha Long Bay first went to Hanoi by night train and after a 2-hour stay at our old homestay including breakfast, we were picked up by bus at 8 a.m. We arrived at the pier around 12 p.m. and could already see the famous rocks of Ha Long Bay. And for those who think that there are only 5 or 6 rocks like in the famous photo, they are mistaken! Our very good English-speaking guide Danny informed us that there are about 1996 limestone rocks (somewhere it says something different) in the entire area, which have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.

We were about 20 passengers from various countries (Denmark, Belgium, India, England, Spain, Singapore, and Germany). Our ship was not the newest, but still well-maintained, and from our room, we had a great view in two directions. After settling into our rooms, the boat set sail, as we had a lot planned for the next 24 hours. But first, there was lunch. Gradually, more and more super tasty and fresh dishes were served, and we didn't want to stop eating! Our table neighbors from Belgium and Singapore were also very nice.

It was windy overall and not particularly warm. But with sweaters, it was still comfortable on the sundeck, from where we could enjoy the breathtaking scenery...

Our first stop was caves, which we reached with our small dinghy. There were so many tourists here that it was difficult to get through the first and smallest of the three interconnected caves. Fortunately, it got less crowded afterwards. Our guide showed us various stalactites, into which all sorts of animals and figures were interpreted. The largest of the caves was over 9000 square meters. From there, we traveled to another island. Here, we had the option to either go swimming or hike up a mountain to watch the sunset. Of course, we chose the hike, as we thought it was too cold to swim, even though the wind had subsided by this point. The decision turned out to be the right one, as the view over the bay from the mountain was beautiful! With a beer in hand, we sat on a bench and enjoyed the sunset.

Back on the ship, after dinner (which was again very delicious), there was the choice of karaoke, dancing, and squid fishing. In short: we tried everything. A few cocktails gave us the courage to perform a round of "99 Luftballons," the young Indians presented a Bollywood-style dance and taught us the basic steps, and Carsten tried his hand at squid fishing, but none of them bit. The guide also told us some stories about the land and the people. A very fun evening!

There was no time to sleep with this tight schedule. Instead, we greeted the day with a session of Tai Chi on the sundeck with the captain. Truly something special in this wonderful setting! After breakfast, we had a round of kayaking on the agenda. So everyone hopped into the all-weather high-tech sea kayaks or what was left of them and paddled around the rocks in a small bay. We couldn't go much further to avoid getting in between the large ships. Therefore, it wasn't that exciting... Back on the ship, we packed our things as the rooms had to be cleaned for the next guests. Our booked cooking class on the boat unfortunately only consisted of being shown how to roll fresh spring rolls. There was no room for more on the ship. So we'll have to take another cooking class somewhere else, which won't work in Vietnam anymore... While eating our spring rolls and then lunch, the ship already returned to the harbor. We were taken back to Hanoi to our guesthouse by bus. Goodbye Ha Long Bay!!! It was wonderful :)