Ha Long Bay Day Trip
While doing research on Vietnam, one destination that came up again and again was Ha Long Bay.
Essentially it is a beautiful location which many associate with the imagine of Vietnam. Like Mt. Fuji is the image of Japan for many, Ha Long Bay is that for Vietnam.
As it is located a few hours away from Hanoi, we knew it would be a shame not to experience it. Especially as it is also a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site and know as one of the new natural wonders of the world!
The more we read the more excited we got about visiting. We had heard that it had got very tourists and could be full of ships, spoiling the view.
Either way, we wanted to see for ourselves and booked a day trip. We used trip advisor, booking a well rated day trip with Vietnam Open Tour. Thanks to a new highway which was built a month ago, we could cut the travel time in half too.
Booking was smooth and we were informed of the estimated pick up time for our hostel. We packed a day bag and eagerly waited outside.
We had a pretty big bus and would be travelling with around 25ppl. We had the chance to introduce ourselves when everyone was onboard which help broke the ice.
We had planned to head straight to Ha Long Bay but as we made good time in the highway, had done time to kill before our boat and so had a look around a pearl museum. They explained how pearls are now cultivated and the technique used, which was developed by a Japanese man called Mikimoto.
Now his name is symbolic, used for the luxury brand and get famous for their high quality. It was a nice little museum (gift shop with explanations) and was free, so a good way to use time before our boat trip.
The tour we choose involved a boat ride around Ha Long Bay together with lunch. Then we got to experience doing kayaking as well as visiting a famous cave located in the bay.
The boat was medium size with two levels. The first level is where we had our lunch and had widow views of the bay. The second level was open allowing panoramic views of the bay.
We were fortunate enough to visit on a perfectly clear day. So we had an excellent view of the bay which was breathtaking. Also despite what we heard it wasn’t overally busy with other boats. While there were some, it wasn’t enough to spoil the view or atmosphere.
In the past it was believed that the bay was made by a dragon from the heavens. Witnessing the dramatic landscape and how the elements carves the landscape, you can understand how people thought it was made by a godly being.
After finishing our lunch we had some time to enjoy the second floor deck while cruising the bay. One of the main sights are the Kissing Rocks (Hòn trống mái). The rocks are shaped like chickens but folk tales has referred to lovely love stories about the rocks hundreds of years ago, hence the name.
After that we headed to the area where we would enjoy kayaking. This by far was one of our highlights of Vietnam. We had prepared out swim suits in advance and were ready to enjoy the bay more closely.
We had around 40 minutes to enjoy kayaking. There were two main areas where we could explore. While the option boat ride was surely easier, doing the kayaking allowed for us to enjoy the Bay at our own pace as well as enjoy amazing sights. 40 minutes wasn’t enough.
Exploring the bay at that level gave a whole new perspective. It was a fantastic way to feel closer to nature and gave us a feeling of truly exploring. It was 100% the highlight of the day and a key memory for our world trip.
After our kayaking we headed to Sung Sot Cave. Sung Sot cave means Surprised Cave or Amazing Cave is on Bo Hon Island and is one of the most spectacular and largest grottoes of Ha Long Bay. The mouth of the grotto is reached by ascending about a hundred stone steps.
The island it was located on is in itself very beautiful, giving great views onto the river where the boats were waiting. Personally it felt very ‘Jurassic Park’ like!! The cave was also on a scale we never imagined. With the dome reaching up to around 30M high.
The constant water dripping creating some unique and magnificent rock forms in the cave. There is also an opening at the top of the cave which on bright days lets in a beam of light. Often referred to as heaven’s gate.
After exploring the caves we were back in the boat to head back to the mainland. Then another 2 hours on the bus to get back to our accomodation.
It was a fantastic trip and a location that we think is best to explore via a tour. The reason being that it is very difficult to access, and with a tour you are able to experience multiple activities without having to plan everything yourself. It was an enjoyable and stress free way to experience the bay.
If anyone is visiting Hanoi, we strongly recommend them to make the time to visit Ha Long Bay. It’s unforgettable. As we mentioned before, we heard some people having mixed experiences due to it being crowded or if not a fine day, then not as beautiful. Ourselves though didn’t experience anything negative during our trip and can only say great things about it.
For the rest of our time in Vietnam we had arranged another tour to Hoa Lu and some more exploration of Hanoi!! Updates will be posted soon.
