Long before our trip, we collected ideas on a piece of paper about which places we wanted to visit in the four countries we were traveling to, and for Vietnam, only 'Halong Bay' remained for a long time. So we came with great expectations and the landscape is truly fantastic.
After much back and forth, we decided to book 3 days and 2 nights on the Christina Diamond Cruise, as the package included the journey from Ninh Binh and the onward journey to Hanoi. our cabin had many windows and a balcony. The ship has seen better days, but it was tidy and the crew was motivated and friendly.You could stand at the railing and look at the sea for hours, but there was also a program that we gladly participated in: kayaking, visiting a floating fishing village and a pearl farm, visiting two caves, and bathing on a small beach. Additionally, a small cooking class and always a lot of food :-) Up to 10,000 tourists visit Halong Bay every day. The boat routes and anchorages are monitored and restricted by the authorities, so several ships gather in a bay in the evening. Our ship not only sailed to Halong Bay, but also to the eastern neighboring Bai Tu Long Bay, which is not yet so crowded. There was quite a bit going on, but not uncomfortably so.Only in the Master Cave there were traffic jams. Many legends explain the origin of the bay, and most of them apparently revolve around dragons. When you look at the rocks with their strange and diverse forms, you think you can discover the most amazing creatures in them and can well imagine that there are a few dragons among them. So the hours and days passed very quickly and from the bustling port in Halong City, we continued to Hanoi.
