Halong Bay, Vietnam

Since we stayed in Nagoya for the holidays so that Joe could work while his co-workers were all on vacation, we took off the week after New Years when everyone was back in the office for our own holiday vacation. We went to Vietnam and Cambodia. We did and experienced so much in both countries that I'll have to write a few posts to cover it all.

We had a direct flight from Nagoya to Hanoi, Vietnam for a 4-day vacation before we continued our adventure in Cambodia. The first thing on our agenda in northern Vietnam was Halong Bay. We took a 2-day, 1-night cruise through Bhaya Cruises.

It was a 3.5-hour shuttle bus ride from Hanoi to Halong Bay - this was the most difficult part of the whole trip. The roads in Vietnam are not nice. It's not like we were cruising 70mph down the highway to get there. Instead, we were going maybe anywhere between 25-40mph, down bumpy roads and through sketchy areas. Elodie and I get car sick, so it's fortunate that we both survived the trip without getting sick. So when all the cruise websites advertise that it's a "comfortable drive," know that's a big fat lie. Our driver on the way there reeked of smoke, and kept the windows down for most of the trip. The temps were in the upper 40's and low 50's, so having wind blowing on you for 3 and a half hours was not pleasant. The three of us cuddled up in the back seat, wearing our winter hats and as many layers as we had brought with us. And that's another thing, northern Vietnam in the winter is COLD. I don't know why weather.com advertised that it was 65+ degrees and sunny... because it was low 50's MAX and overcast and rainy the whole time. So needless to say, we did not pack appropriately. The first thing we did when we arrived at our hotel was go out and buy winter hats.

Ok, on the bright side, we really enjoyed our cruise. It was a small boat, but luckily Elodie and I felt great the whole trip. The bay was always smooth, so that helped immensely. In the picture below, our boat is the one on the right. You can also see a picture of our bed, Elodie's bed, and our private balcony (only 2 rooms on the entire boat had private balconies! Yep, we felt pretty special).

The website pretty much sums up the entire cruise experience, "The bay is dominated by more than 1,600 limestone karsts and islets which rise out of the waters of the bay to heights of up to 100 meters (330 feet) and the numerous caves and grottos spread throughout the bay. Abundant scenic beauty, archeological and geological significance, cultural and historical connections, fresh seafood and proximity to international gateways make Halong Bay one of Vietnam’s most popular places to visit."

The cruise provided a variety of activities in the 2-day itinerary. On the first day, we visited the Vung Vieng fishing village by local rowing boat. A tour guide did all the labor, so we just had to sit back, relax, and enjoy the sites. It's amazing how this fishing village (in the middle of nowhere) has a community of homes, a pearl farm, and even a school. We were able to get off the boat at their "Welcome Center" to buy souvenirs and take a quick look around.

Can you see the fishing village nestled in there?

This small village was complete with dogs and even monkeys!

What I can't forget to mention is the food! The food on this cruise was outstanding. On our first day we had a Vietnamese buffet lunch, which was complete with fresh seafood, stir-fried dishes, stews, and my favorite Vietnamese dish - Pho (noodle soup). Even our picky little eater was a fan of this buffet! Dinner was a 5-course meal, which was also incredible. I chose baked fresh fish from Halong Bay, and Joe had the beef - both were amazing! And of course the meals are included in the cruise price, so it makes it that much better. ;)

They chef even hosted a cooking activity where we were able to learn how to make some traditional Vietnamese dishes, and sample them too!

After dinner, there was a squid fishing activity that Joe went to. No one caught any squid, but someone did catch an octopus! We were docked at this point, and the slight rocking movement was starting to get to me, so sadly I missed all night activities because I went to bed when Elodie did!

We started the second day exploring the famous Surprise Cave. It's one of the most spectacular and largest caves in all of Halong Bay.  There are 3 chambers within this cave to explore. I read that it's over 10,000 square meters (107,600 square feet?)

Our pictures inside didn't turn out that great, so I borrowed this image from here.

With over 2,000 limestone cliffs formed over millions of years, this really is a beautiful bay. Halong Bay is one of the top tourist activities in Northern Vietnam, so there are several cruise companies to choose from that offer several different itineraries. Most companies offer even longer cruise options, but I think the 2-day/1-night cruise was plenty long enough.

Another thing I have to mention is how wonderful the cruise staff was. We were the only couple on board to have a baby, and they were more than willing to entertain her. They played with her and even carried her through the caves so we could take pictures and enjoy the sites. The service was truly out of this world, and it made our cruise experience that much better.

You can see all of our Vietnam photos on our shutterfly page.