Fantasy-like landscape
Mystical columns of giant nobules donked down on the seabed (they're called karsts)
Gorgeous green layers on every horizon
Completely unrivalled Vietnamese picturesqueness and
Spectacular 360 views all day long
Waking up our view from our fourth floor lodging on Cat Ba Island is below. It's a cosy wee fishing village we're in, centred around a harbour that is thriving at dawn as the men head out to snatch their catch. It's the perfect spot to explore the magical Ha Long Bay.
Ha Long Bay is a crazy place! Difficult to describe, but if you imagine 2000ish gargantuan stone pillars standing bolt-upright in deep emerald seas you'd be close. Add a lot of leafy green foliage clinging to those rocks, chuck in some monkeys for good luck, and lots of old colourful Oriental junk boats on the sparkling waters and you're getting the picture. To cap it all off, there are floating houses in mini bays, and whole fishing villages set against that surreal backdrop. We tossed around the idea of how postal addresses would be organised for these floating houses ... It was easier to conclude they all had wifi to go with their satellites.
Around every corner, another magical view opens up and you marvel again at yet another vista. So you prod your mate in the ribs to say 'hey look over here' but meanwhile there's a whole other new view she's looking at on the far side of the boat. And this happens all day long!
Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it's name literally means descending dragon bay. Legend has it that the islands of Ha Long Bay were fashioned when a great dragon from the mountains charged to the ocean. When it plunged into the sea, it's flailing tail thrashed out valleys and crevasses, and the area filled with water, and now only the limestone karsts remain visible.
Ha Long Bay has an area of 1553km squared, and is dotted by her 1969 islets. Imagine a game of hide and seek in that massive maze! Famed for her beauty within Vietnam before legends were born, the locals have been mesmerised by this mystical landscape. 500 years ago a Viet named Nguyēn Trãi described Ha Long Bay as the "rock wonder in the sky."
A full day cruise around (a fraction of) the bay was stunning to say the least. About 18 or so of us were on board to enjoy the sun (and heat relief with the afternoon clouds!) as we gently wove between curious shaped islets through the emerald water. Potentially we could have swum faster, but the change of pace from hectic Hanoi the day before was refreshing.
Brightly coloured fishing boats darted about us as we ambuled along, with their sleepy fishermen lying in shaded hammocks, enjoying a small kip after their early start. Photographer heaven!
We met George onboard, a friendly Swiss doctor from Basel who was in Vietnam for two weeks, helping local hospitals train their doctors, and treating some untreatables in the area. He was warm-hearted and kind. We had a big chat with Leah and Cam, an English couple who had tons of interesting travel stories. And thanks to them we have photos of us kayaking in one of the many lagoons within Ha Long. We kayaked through caves and into quiet bays, spying monkeys, tiny tadpolish-like creatures, and oddly-long spear-shaped fish.
Birds of prey circled the tops of the limestone karsts, waiting for their lunch. We watched one large winged creature swoop and scoop his slippery kai from the deep waters with impressive precision. His little haul flashing silver in the bright sun. Glad I'm not a fish.
The warm waters felt fab on such a summery day, brave Bry jumped off the roof of the boat. The Tonkin Sea was deep, and we swam over to a miniature white sand beach. Backstroking afforded the most exotic views, with the karsts rising straight up out of the water all about us. A few of those birds with strong tallons circled above is, on the up-drafts created by the islets. Some of us increased our stroke pace at that point.
Mostly our day looked like the photo below. The two French boys tanning themselves with jovial laughs at the back of the boat. The Parisienne family with their two daughters (the five year old reminding us so much of little Nina as she busily occupied herself throughout the entire day, making numerous doll-holding arrangements with a scarf she had brought). Leah and Cam, our English mates with their travel stories and laughs. And George, our Swiss doctor mate, who kept us amused.
Monkey Island was our last stop-off. You've already guessed what kind of creatures inhabited the island, but we need to point out that the human visitors were perhaps more primate in behaviour than the locals. A boat-load of people arrived just before us, and hadn't been to respect school. They taunted the monkeys, provoking them to bare their teeth in response. The people held out bottles of water, which the monkeys took and used their teeth to pierce a hole in the end to drink the fresh water. We felt annoyed when the bottles were offered and then pulled back. We quietly cheered the monkeys on when they lunged on their tormentors ... We anticipated a lesson-giving, perhaps teeth marks and blood, but one of the guys who works on the island moved the tourists on before we got that far. The monkeys were mostly distinguishable by their bright red behinds as they swung through the branches.
Ha Long Bay has easily been the highlight of coastal Vietnam. Some official-sounding foundation has included the area as one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World. Rightly so! Staying on Cat Ba Island was the right thing to do, right in the midst of it all. This trip just gets better and better!
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