A three hour drive from Hanoi and we were at the harbour to board our boat to cruise Halong Bay. Walking onto the board was an indication of what was to come. We were greeted with music by the entrance and staff on the boat waving hello. Bags were already on and we had time to visit our cabins which were small but charming, each with a private deck. No time to waste and then it was a meeting for a briefing and what was to be the first of many unbelievable meals. Not only was the food tasty but the presentation was amazing.
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| Welcome aboard the Au Co 1 |
Cruising through the limestone formations is such a peaceful and unreal experience. Pictures certainly don’t capture it fully! Every direction is something new and different to see. The emerald water laps up against the shore and the boat. There are 1969 islands in the bay and who knows how many boats! Then there are the huge cargo ships transporting goods. At times the areas become very crowded with boats.
Caves are everywhere and each one has a story. Many of them were used by locals as bomb shelters during the war. The Trina Nu cave was a relatively easy walk through the cave with a soft, sandy beach at the other end. We were fortunate to arrive first and see the bay before it was crowded. Water temperature 18 degrees, a bit chilly initially but not bad after you got wet.
Our second cave visit was a bit more challenging. We were told it had 700 steps, about 2 km of walking and 10,000 sq metres in size. The Sung Sot Cave holds many stalactites and stalagmites that form amazing shapes. Use your imagination.
Another trip was over to Cat Ba Island where we hopped aboard extended golf cars for a 5 km ride to the isolated village of Viet Hai. The village is home to about 200 people. They have very well manicured and tidy gardens that we strolled through. Oh yes, let’s not forget rice wine tasting - it wasn’t bad.
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| Rice wine tasting |
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| Jackfruit |
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| Water buffalo |
Our final destination on the cruise was to the heart of Halong Bay and sight seeing around a Floating Fishing Village. The number of people living in the floating villages has decreased greatly since COVID when they were totally cut off and so moved to the mainland. This village has approximately 25 houses occupied with about 80 people.
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| Squid fishing boat |
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| Village museum |
Sunrise turned out to be another pinch me moment. For sure no words here.
The food, the presentation and the entertainment on the Au Co were first class all the way!
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| Even the cutlery was presented with a flair |
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| BBQ night |
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| Dinner music |
Slightly out of place but this was the greeting as we arrived on the boat.
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