Ha Long Bay

About my hostel, I had booked a trip to the famous Ha Long Bay. On Wednesday, 22.01, we left by bus at around 7:30 am with about 30 other backpackers. That was the travel group I would spend the next 3 days and 2 nights with. Besides lots of culture and beautiful landscapes, we were in for short nights and lots of partying - because I had booked a party trip.

First, we drove by bus for 2 hours, enough time to open the first beer ;) After the bus, there was a boat, another bus, and yet another bus, and by 12:30 pm we arrived at Cat Ba Island, which belonged to the hostel. Here we would spend the next three days and sleep in the bungalows.

After lunch, we went back on the boat and sailed to the actual Ha Long Bay. Unfortunately, the sun was hiding behind the clouds, but the temperature was just right and not too hot. The bay is known for its emerald green water and the thousands of towering limestone islands covered in rainforest. We made a stop with the boat and jumped into the water. Thanks to the girls, I was able to overcome my fear of heights since the railing of the boat was quite a few meters high. Afterwards, we went to another bay.

We were back on the island by 4:30 pm and then relaxed in hammocks until dinner. After that, the party began.

The next day, we had a hearty breakfast and then everyone relaxed. Just in time for lunch, a new group of backpackers arrived. After that, we got on a 'Banana Boat' and were pulled through the bays by the boat. We started slowly at first, but then got faster and faster. In the curve, we intentionally leaned outwards and, as a result, we all fell into the water. It turned out to be very difficult to get back onto the banana-shaped inflatable mattress and we needed several attempts - from the outside, it surely looked very funny ;)

Back on the island, there was the opportunity to climb up rocks, but I refrained from doing so as I already got dizzy just from watching.

In the evening, another party awaited us and the next morning the same hangover breakfast. After relaxing in the hammocks, we headed back towards Hanoi around 12:00 pm, where we arrived at the hostel at 4:00 pm. Unfortunately, the weather changed, so it poured down and even thundered for the rest of the evening. However, I wasn't mad at all, as it allowed me to recover from the past few days at the hostel.