Halong Bay Vietnam 🇻🇳

Note: if you ever come here, book with La Pinta cruise to Halong Bay. It is 5 star and unbelievable service.

A tour I booked before I left was to Halong Bay, which is along the coast. Three are 1969 karst islands there. The karst topography was created from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum over time. The drainage systems created sinkholes and caves as a result. The remaining rock is quartzite.

They picked us up from our hotel in the old quarter in Hanoi. The 3 hour bus ride was in a very comfortable coach bus (WiFi, charger port…).

At the harbor, we boarded a ferry to take us to the boat.

Our room was ready after we finished the elaborate lunch and we were given some time to talk around and settle. Balcony to sit and look at the scenery was incredible as week as the amenities of the room.

We met to take the ferry to an outfitter boat that had kayaks ready for us. We kayaked for about an hour around the karst islands and learned about the history of halong Bay and the lives of people there. There is one island where people live: cat bau island and also in floating fishing villages.

When we were done kayaking, we could swim. It was only 20 meters deep but I am not a strong swimmer. After the assurance of the crew and other passengers they would save me, I decided to brave even more and go to the top of the ferry and jump off into the water. For some people that is no big deal but I am also afraid of heights! I did it and loved it. The salt water made you very buoyant so it was not an effort to swim. Every time though I was nervous. I am so glad I bought a go pro the day before we left Hanoi. I jumped once with someone filming me and another time holding the go pro.

After we returned there was time for a shower and then a 6 course dinner.

But before dinner there was a cooking class on how to make a spring roll. I’ve been doing it wrong. You wet a towel and you massage the spring roll paper while on the towel, turning it over and massaging the other side. It does not get completely pliable. You fill it and roll starting at one end and tucking the sides in. And then it ends up perfect. Who knew?

Dinner. So much food. Afterwards we could go squid fishing. I actually caught one and it squirted water as I pulled it up but it got away. One more lives another day!

This squid was caught from a member of the crew.

The next morning we woke early to view areas of the bay as the sun was rising. Beautiful.

We ate breakfast and then it was time to board the ferry to one of the floating fishing villages. From there we boarded bamboo boats that were piloted by a villager through the caves under one of the karst islands. They are very skilled as they maneuver through the stalactites in the cave.

Here is a fast tour of the bamboo boat tour through the caves :

Afterwards we had another six course meal: stir fry veggies with rice crackers, fried squid, fish, sticky rice with stir fry cabbage/carrots and stir fry prawns, flan with mango.

We then checked out and boarded the ferry to go back to the harbour and board the bus. I had a fantastic time and hated to leave. If you ever go to vietnam you must do this tour. La pinta cruise was the best.