Trip to Halong Bay

Once again, we had to get up very early. At half past seven, we were supposed to be picked up from the hotel for a full-day trip to Halong Bay. We had booked this trip online from Germany in advance. Usually, these booked bus events are not for us. However, reaching Halong Bay by scooter would have meant several hours of travel under adventurous conditions and high air pollution.

The bay is about 165 km from Hanoi, which should take 4 hours by bus. We left relatively on time. The bus stopped at several other hotels and street corners to pick up the other participants. Suddenly, the driver said Flos' name and told us to get off. He directed us on foot to an office that sells the tours. Here we waited a bit confused about what the plan was exactly. We didn't understand much, but you just need the necessary calmness and trust that the day will somehow work out. And so it did: a somewhat stressed new driver came running towards us and told us to follow him to his bus. While the office employee wanted to explain something to us, we had to start running. We only understood that the new bus should take only two and a half hours - as long as it had the same destination, we were fine with it.

We found a comfortable place in a very modern and small coach. We have never traveled so comfortably before. At the halfway point, we stopped where every other bus of the huge tourist caravan towards Halong stopped. Overpriced food and goods were offered in a parking lot next to a large sales hall. We could resist the "temptations" and after half an hour, we continued. The bus ride was very luxurious inside the bus. However, outside there was traffic chaos: constant honking and the lanes are more of a recommendation than mandatory. This also applies to crossing into oncoming traffic. A peculiar and bumpy version of a highway. Passing many poor villages and roads that seem to be from another world, passing sellers who sell bread and fruit directly on the "shoulder" of the road (they don't really stand on this strip) and endless fields, we reached Halong. In the meantime, a seemingly huge arsenal of luxury hotels, amusement parks, dolphin shows, etc. is being built here - the bay is a lucrative source of income. From the parking lot, we continued with our group of about 15 people on a boat with 2 decks, and departed from the completely overcrowded port. We were pleasantly surprised again because we believed that we had mistakenly boarded the wrong bus and were always afraid of being exposed and having to leave our really pleasant small group. Luckily, that didn't happen.

Together with numerous other boats, we headed out to the bay. Halong Bay is 1500 square kilometers in size. The water is calm and the nature is impressive. Small and large rocks rise all around. Most of them are overgrown with green plants and have a jungle-like appearance. There are countless caves and grottos in and around them. We were also offered some entertainment on board. Together with Marcel from Frankfurt and the couple Hong and Susan from Australia, we took a seat and were served food. There was everything the sea has to offer. Shrimps, mussels, squid, and various fish preparations. Afterwards, there was time for photos and relaxation on the upper deck.

The rocks look incredibly beautiful, and their sheer number is overwhelming. One almost forgets the hundreds of other boats following you. Our guide, Thoang, told us that there are 535 boats for excursions, with about 100 of them offering overnight accommodation. Many visitors book this option in order to admire the sunrise and sunset as well. But that wasn't for us, as we had to leave Hanoi early the next day.

The first stop was at a kind of lagoon. We could sail through an entrance in a huge rock either by bamboo boat or kayak, and found ourselves in a circular, hollow rock interior. Beautiful! If you don't rock too much and don't turn around to see all the others following you, you can lose yourself in this sight.

Back on the ship, the journey continued, and shortly afterwards we docked at the second point. We climbed several stairs up and into a huge cave with stalagmites and stalactites. It was discovered by fishermen in 1993, who were amazed by the extent inside. In no time, the cave in Halong Bay became a huge attraction. And rightly so!

Thoang quickly led us back to our ship. Here, we had the pleasure of wrapping summer rolls with the crew. Very touristy set-up, all the ingredients were already chopped and the rice paper was placed directly on your plate. You can't really go wrong here. But for us, it was mainly delicious. We have rolled and eaten them at home many times because we like them so much.

You wouldn't believe how tired a day like this can make you, where you just follow along, marvel, and look. So later, around 4 pm, all the participants were probably happy that our comfortable bus picked us up on time again.

The return journey was very relaxed. Maybe a bit too relaxed for the driver, because he had to keep himself awake with whistling and sometimes drove in zigzags. But at the latest a few kilometers before Hanoi, everyone was awakened by the ear-piercing honking of thousands of scooters and cars.

We first went back to our hotel and freshened up.

But then we got a little hungry again, so we went in search of a meal. The main thing was that it didn't consist of fish. We can't see fish for a while after today. We went to a mixture of a tiled and run-down shop, pub, and street store and were not disappointed. We ordered a plate of fried rice with salt, and it was so delicious! It can be so simple...

We also enjoyed several Bia Hoi. This is a light and mild beer that is fermented for a maximum of 24 hours and is brewed fresh every day. It is mainly sold in small pubs or on the street. The cold, sparkling beer goes down very well for 11,000 Dong per glass (about 0.40 euros) and is very refreshing.

On the way home, we enjoyed the hustle and bustle on the streets of Hanoi once again, as tomorrow morning it's time to say goodbye.

Hanoi is a worth seeing city, with our impressions referring to the Old Quarter. It is also called the Golden Slum. Somehow, this is quite fitting. Besides a few expensive foreign cars, you can see a lot of poverty (or what we understand as poverty). Tiny living spaces, some of which are open. A lot of dirt and noise. Habits that seem strange to us, such as gutting various animals on the street and selling the meat in front of their own house all day long. Many people burn their garbage directly on the sidewalk in empty large tin cans, on which corn cobs or skewers are also grilled. Sometimes, it's hard to breathe because of the smog and exhaust fumes. And yet, the culture is beautiful. The crazy architecture is totally impressive. Life directly by and with the train. And above all, the warmth and friendliness of the people we have encountered! We feel welcome.

Now we are sitting on the train and traveling 10 hours south. The next stop is Dong Hoi. Wish us luck and strong nerves for the journey...