Our excursion to Halong Bay has us up and out early. The bus will pick us up between 7:45 and 8:15 so we are downstairs and ready to go at 7:45. We had coffee in the room and decide we really don’t want any breakfast since we have a 4 hour ride ahead of us. We’ve taken the fruit from the room for snacks on the bus, which will be fine for us. The hotel staff really wants to feed us, but we keep declining, so they give us 2 bottles of water instead – for the ride. When the bus arrives, our little receptionist walks us out to the bus, carrying the 2 bottles of water in a bag, because she “wants to help us”. You really can get very spoiled here!
We’re in a 10 passenger mini-van with 3 women (2 of whom have been volunteering in Cambodia – one a teacher, one a doctor – who are at the end of their service, and traveling around SE Asia with the teacher’s cousin) and we pick up a family of 4 on the way. Quite the difference from the packed Mekong buses. We all have plenty of room to spread out as we watch the countryside slide by on our way East to Halong Bay.
It’s an interesting ride, but could be so much more beautiful if it weren’t for the weather. It’s overcast, a little rainy and dark. We are hoping for better weather as we get closer to the Bay, all our fingers are crossed. Of course the traffic keeps our attention, motor scooters galore with people and tons of “things” on them – and the scenery isn’t bad – just dreary. There are rice fields, houses, huts, those tall “mansion” like things, stuck in and amongst commercial properties and rice fields. There is also the quintessential Vietnamese scene: farmers in conical hats working the rice fields. Couldn’t capture the farmers – but did manage to get a few house photos from the van.
We stop after an hour and a half at the rest stop. Gorgeous bathrooms (thank you Vietnam!!!), but of course, it’s the obligatory shopping stop. The disabled embroidering gorgeous works of art, lacquer, wood, marble statues (that they are carving right there), all the typical souvenirs. We’re not buying. It’s all lovely and please don’t misunderstand, it’s a wonderful thing they are doing for the people, but, forced shopping is not our style. Prices are certainly reasonable, but if we want to buy something we’ll do it on our own, when there isn’t a commission being dangled in front of someone.
All of us in the van obviously feel the same way, because we are all congregating by the side door of the van well in advance of our 30 minute departure time. Finally we’re back on the road, heading toward the Bay. Alongside the road is the railway tracks – and the berm around them is completely landscaped with beautiful plantings and trees. It’s a very odd sight, muddy, pot hole filled roads next to this beautiful landscaped median. And they were working on a good stretch of it as we rode by. Odd.
As we finally approach the Bay, the sun actually peeks out from the clouds. Yes! It will be great if that continues. We drive past the main commercial harbor and see an Oceania ship in port. We wave – saying hello to all the staff we’ve loved so much on those ships. Would love to know if any of them are still there 0r on that particular sailing.
We arrive at the Bay terminal and are quickly sorted out into our groups. The ladies are coming with us – the family has their own private boat (we have a larger vessel, for 20 people, but there are smaller ones for 2, 4 an 6 passengers). The Junk business is a big business – there are a lot of Junks out in the harbor – small and large.
Our guide, Tony, finally comes to collect us, and we’re off to our “tender” to the Dragon’s Pearl II. We’re greeted warmly by the staff…
…welcomed aboard with a welcome drink and then given the emergency drill talk. Basically get your life jacket and come up above deck! Tony passes out our room keys, we’re in 201 – first cabin in the front. We head down to drop our bags – the cabin is compact, but very nicely done – plush bed and comforter, great bathroom with tile walk in shower and silk robes! This is great! We drop our bags, and go explore the sun deck – which we are very fortunate to be able to use. The sun has broken through and it is a glorious day.
Shortly after, we are served lunch on the outside deck under an awning. We’re already underway, and the breeze keeps us cool as we begin our family style meal.
We are sitting at the long table with Mary (teacher volunteer), Maureen (Mary’s cousin), Pathma (doctor volunteer), Rick and Debbie (Canadians at the beginning of an 8 week SE Asia tour – mostly on bikes) and Malcolm (single traveler from the UK). We all get to know each other better as we feast on cucumber salad, pumpkin soup, fried prawns
(shells still on – an eaten with the on – odd – but really good – when you peeled them the taste was completely lost), local steamed fish, mussels, and then fruit for dessert. Excellent meal, light, but filling. Just as we are finishing, we pull into a little bay, our first stop for the afternoon. Tony gives us 5 minutes to get ready – gotta move quick here – and off we go. The little island has a small sandy white beach where we hop off our “tender” and head up some stairs to view the panoramic view of the bay and the go explore the Thien Canh Son cave.
All the other Junks are here – they schedule our little tour like they do the Galapagos – each boat gets an appointed time for activities. We’re not alone out here, but you’d really never know it – and the boats are so majestic and lovely to look at while they ply the waters of the Bay.
Into the cave we go. It’s really large and quite interesting, like a little Luray Caverns. There are stalactites and stalagmites and if you are on the 3 day 2 night tour – you can even have dinner in here. That must be amazing! All candle light and white linens in a cave! Sadly, we’re only 2 days and 1 night – so we’ll just have to make do with our white glove service on the ship!
Next up on the agenda is kayaking. We all load up and follow Tony around the little bay – in a wide circle around one of the limestone islands poking out of the water. Great fun – but wow – it’s hard work! Looks so easy, but no so, and we’ve done it a couple of times now! We make it back safely with only slight water damage (I didn’t bring any shorts, assuming it would be too cold, but today I could have used them in the kayak because the only pants I have are now salt water encrusted. Fortunately they are almost the same color as the salt residue left behind! Phew!).
Back aboard, we sail for the next couple of hours to our overnight anchorage. All the passengers are really great – not a bum in the bunch. We head upstairs to the sun deck, relative term now because it’s getting cloudy again. Debbie and Rick are there so we end up in a long conversation with them about our mutual travels and experiences. They are really adventurous! They will be biking from Hue to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam – 15 days. We are so impressed. We love bike riding – but that’s way beyond what we are willing to do!
Dinner is served! We’ve freshened up and head to the dining room for our dinner. Tonight there are all 4 tops, and we sit with Rick and Debbie and trade more stories. The meal is sumptuous – salad, seafood, meat, dessert (fried bananas! Oh my! Keep them coming!!!) – it is all excellent and served with such flair. The staff makes fruit carvings with each course, and they are amazing.
We have an early call in the morning, 7:00am, so after dinner everyone says good night and heads to their cabins. We head upstairs for a little bit of night time in Halong Bay. As we head to the back of the ship, we pass the “bridge” which doubles as the captain’s cabin (he actually sits on his bed when he is steering the ship). And he’s right there too, lying on his bed reading! Cute.
It’s cold and drizzling out on deck, so we don’t last long. Just long enough for a photo opp and to breath some night air before calling it a night ourselves.
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