Halong Bay Vietnam

  One of the must do things while visiting Hanoi is to take a Halong Bay Boat Tour. Halong Bay is  UNESCO World Hertiage site, in the Gulf of Tonkin, it encompasses more than 2000 limestone islands. Karst topography creates a seascape of bizarrely shaped  outcrops, isolated caves and sandy coves. There are upwards of 100 cruise boats that ply this 580 square mile spectator archipelago of the north-east coast of Vietnam.
We choose a 3 day 2 night cruise, sleeping one night on the boat and one night at the "Monkey Island Resort. The day started early with a 3.5 hr bus ride to Halong City where we boarded our boat.

Our Boat

Upper deck, restaurant on the main and rooms below.

Cruised and ate for a few hours then visited the Hang Sung Sot caves on Bo Hon Island. the caves were interconnected and huge and of course filled with tourists from other cruises.

After the cave tour we found a relatively isolated anchorage and hopped in kayaks to paddle through another cave into a calm bay and watched monkeys on the shore line only a few feet away.

Yeah, we went through that cave

We anchored for the evening, had a good meal prepared on the boat, and got to know our fellow travellers (14 of us on a 24 person boat, lots of room). Had a few beers watched the night sky and retired to our cabin. Lots of boats around but not too close. 

Up early the next morning breakfast on the move, stopped at a small beach and climbed to the top of the island for a 360 degree view. Back on the boat and sailed to Cat Ba Island where we travelled overland stopping for a gruelling hike to a lookout at a National Park. Finished the hike enjoying some unnamed jungle fruit.

Hopped another boat at Ca Ba city for a short ride to our accommodation at Monkey Island Resort, and enjoyed our first sunset in a while.

Up early next morning for a boat ride back to Ca Ba city. Passed the floating village and innumerable boats and shacks that looked like they could hardly float. Hopped our bus back to Hanoi.