Sometimes, it is good to plunge into a new experience without any expectations. Or, even if you do, only with very little of it. That way, the surprises will be more than pleasant, you’d hardly note the disappointments (if there are some), and you’ll just be along for the ride. To be honest, Vietnam was nowhere on my “vague” list of places that I would like to visit, but as early as 2015, when my BFFs were making plans for us to go on a trip together to a place NONE of us have ever been to before, they said “Vietnam”. And I said, “Sure thing. Let’s do it.”
Now you have to understand. We have been the best of friends since high school… and that was more 15 years ago (holysmokes the years!). College came and went and we took different courses, so we didn’t get to spend as much time as we used to. Then when the time to adult up came around and we started working, we found ourselves in different countries. I stayed home, Rog went to Canada, and She to Dubai.
Fast forward almost a decade later, and they decided a trip together is long overdue.
To cut this long story short, Vietnam was chosen. Somehow I was too busy running up to the trip dates that most of the planning fell on She’s shoulders, with everything communicated via email and private messages. Then April rolled around, Rog came home for her 2-month vacation and we both flew to Hanoi, where we met up with She, who flew in from Dubai.
It was a reunion that melted all the years away, as if they did not take place.
So. First stop was Halong Bay.
Again, the non-researcher in me only heard about this place being mentioned here and there… and then that Running Man episode. That was it. But the two of them were adamant that we should include it, and we should go the whole nine yards: a Halong Bay cruise.
Second day, early morning, our guide from Vega Travel, a friendly young Vietnamese named Liem, came by our hotel in the Old Quarter to pick us up, and we also picked two more groups (a group of 4 American young ladies on a break while on an exchange studies program in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and another group composed of three families from Australia) on the way to the Vega Tour offices for final payments and registration and other formalities.
Then we pushed off on that almost 3.5-hour trip from Hanoi, through the Red River Delta, until we arrived at the wharf along Halong Bay.
The long trip was hardly noticed, since Liem talked a bit about Vietnam history and culture, and even regaled us with stories. The friendly families from Australia also shared some local legends from their country, which made for good listening.
And then, at 1:30pm, we arrived at the Wharf.
As you can see, there were lots of water crafts docked, of different shapes and sizes (and, no doubt, dollar rates, haha!). The photos may not show it, but the wharf was actually packed with a lot of people, all tourists. Halong Bay is a favorite destination; those who won’t go for overnight cruises can also take any of the day cruises.
Our group was made to ride a tender, or a boat used to provide (or tender) service to a larger boat (the cruise boat) that will take us to our accommodation for the night.
When we were on the water on the way to the Boat, it finally sank in on me. I am in Halong Bay.
Halong Bay, or Ha Long Bay, located in the northern part of Vietnam, in the Gulf of Tonkin, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. Except for the wharf, the presence of the many cruise boats and ships, and several conveniences (trails and walkways, for example) it is largely untouched by humans, so man-made developments are minimal, especially when you go out into the bay.
See those shadowy things rising on the horizon, behind the boats?
Those are some of the famous limestone karsts of Halong Bay.
The identifying features of Ha Long Bay are its thousands of limestone karsts that seem to rise up from the water and surround the bay, shielding it from the harsher environment from the open seas. The protection that these karsts offer made the bay perfect for cruising around.
We boarded our Vega Travel boat several minutes later (and I won’t talk about it for now, since that’ll be in an entirely separate post), where we got into our cabins to stow our things, then went up to the boat’s dining room for a late lunch.
A late but sumptuous lunch, if I may add, by the staff of Vega Travel. All this while the boat ventured further out into the Bay.
After lunch, we got to spend some time on deck, checking out the sights.
Most of these karsts are actually islets and there are close to 2,000 of these limestone isles and islets in Ha Long Bay, all 1,500+ square kilometers of it. If you look hard enough, and let your imagination work, you’ll see various shapes and figures in these islets. Dragons, kettles, even faces.
The activities for that afternoon were mapped out: kayaking and visiting a cave. So we changed into clothes-meant-to-get-wet and, when the boat anchored in a fairly secluded area, we went on the tender to transfer to the kayaks.
It’s already 4:30pm, but it’s still light out, as if it was only 3pm.
Let’s be up front here (or let me be up front here). I can’t swim (or, at least, not at all during this trip. I got to learn some of the basics in the past couple of months) but if a life vest is handed to me, my confidence level that I will stay alive even when I fall into the water shoots up A LOT.
And except for a couple of times, I have no considerable experience with a kayak. The longest I did it was for around 30 minutes, and I was with a friend there. (Check it out in my Lake Bulusan post here.)
Our entire group in the cruise is an even number, which is supposed to be perfect for tandem kayaking… but Liem would have to go paired up with the youngest in our group, who is about 6 or 7 years old, so that made for an uneven number.
Anyway, the end result? Everyone went on tandem, EXCEPT FOR ME. Which BLOWS. But it’s not like I had any choice, because neither Rog nor She ever tried it before, and apparently my measly less-than-an-hour experience was enough to let me go at it alone.
[insert weeping noises here]
But we gotta tighten our adult belts and…. pray for the best. At least, that’s what I did.
It was kinda tricky, though, at first. Keeping on a straight trajectory while taking photos. Haha! I know my priorities.
Oh, and did I mention that my camera and my phone ARE NOT WATERPROOF?
So excuse some foggy things on the photos, but I tried my best.
Liem led us on a merry way around the Bay, even through tight fits… where I unwittingly reached out to steady myself and my fingers made contact with spiny corals and…eoooooowwww, that was painful. There was some minor bleeding, nothing major, but don’t you hate how the smallest cuts are the ones that sting the worst?
I appreciated how Liem set a good pace. It was quite fast, but not too speedy as to kill our arms. Especially me, since there was only one pair of hands paddling away. By this time, I was long past the point of envying other kayaks with two pairs of hands working. I was just busy paddling, then taking photos, and taking care not to overturn because…. MY CAMERA. MY PHONE.
So, from some readings, beyond this looming rock is the Luon Cave – a destination for kayakers in Halong Bay. Which kayakers can enter through a low tunnel.
I got a secret kind of thrill whenever we went through tunnels and holes in our kayaks because, in my inexperienced mind and eyes, it was a challenge, and once you get to the other side, it feels like a major accomplishment was just achieved.
Also, there’s an otherworldly feel to it, especially when you stop in the middle of the tunnel, with it all dark and gloomy, and your voices being carried up and echoing around you.
I had no idea I had that side of me, to be honest.
On the other side, you’ll find yourself in a round lake with waters made tranquil by the protection of the surrounding karst formations. I honestly don’t know how the blogs I saw referred to this as a “cave” in its strictest meaning, but sure, I’ll go along with it.
So here, our group stopped for some rest… and monkey-watching.
Yes, you read that right, monkeys in the bay. Luon Cave is actually famous for these monkeys.
There were so many of these adorable creatures in this part of the Bay, and it looks like this is their abode, because there were even “conveniences” seemingly built for them. Clearly, they are used to being gawked at, because except for the occasional glances and looks of disdain they threw our way, they hardly paid us any notice and just went about their business.
We were warned against getting too close, though, because they have no compunction about grabbing on to whatever we were holding.
Again, my thoughts: MY CAMERA. MY PHONE. Haha! So I kept a very safe distance, and just zoomed in.
The place resembled a lagoon, with very still waters. We took this as an excuse (me, really) to rest our arms….
….because I realized we have been kayaking for a straight 50 minutes now…..
After a while, Liem gave the signal and we headed back out the way we came, for the next activity… which is to proceed to the Cave. That will be in my next post, hopefully soon.
If you have ever been to Coron, you’ll definitely find many similarities, especially when you take any of the island-hopping tours and go to places such as Kayangan Lake and the Twin Lagoons.(Check out my Coron posts here.)
The only difference is that Halong Bay is landlocked, so the chances of the water becoming choppy and cruise-unfriendly is very low. Coron leads into the ocean, so boats are on the whim of the water and the waves.
I also rarely saw people jumping out into the water for a dip… maybe because it looked like the water is deep here. Coron had lots of coves and alcoves made specifically for taking a dip or just frolicking in the water.
For me, personally, Coron was all about nature and beauty. Halong Bay had that… indefinable aura of mystery and mystique… and maybe some history thrown in as well.
That’s hardly a surprise, since “Ha Long” actually translates to “where the Dragon descends into the sea”. According to legend, the flailing of a “great mountain dragon” led to the creation of the rocks, formations and crevasses as it charged into the coast. Quite an impressive “creation story”, if you ask me.
See ya next post, everyone!
Leave a Reply