Let me start by saying that the only thing wrong with our two-day trip to Halong Bay was that we didn’t book a longer one. Our unforgettable journey began early Sunday morning with fifteen strangers who were about to become incredible friends. It was about a four hour journey from Hanoi to Halong Bay. When we arrived, the bay was packed full of restless travelers and smog, so we weren’t even able to see one of the 2,000 volcanic islands poking up out of the water. After a quick thunderstorm and a 20 minute boat ride out into the bay, however, the smog dissipated and we were able to take in our truly remarkable surroundings for the very first time. From that point on, I was in constant awe of the many stunning stone structures towering over us.
First up on the itinerary was an impressive spread of rice, meats, fruits and fish as we drifted further into the bay. Afterwards, we docked at one of the islands and climbed into an enormous cave of limestone. Our chatty tour guide told us stories of its discovery 800 years ago, its important role in the war with Mongolia, and let us guess what various rock formations symbolized for the Vietnamese people.
From the cave, we drifted for another hour and a half until we threw down our anchor for the evening. We spent the rest of our daylight jumping 15 feet from the top of the boat, playing card games, kayaking to some of the nearby islands, and watching the sunset over the beautiful rocks. We were in paradise.
Our paradise continued with another delicious and filling meal that seemed to just keep on coming. I’m surprised we didn’t sink the boat with how much we stuffed ourselves full of diverse food and delightful chat. Our dinner soon morphed into a fantastic party with a group of people that I feel I’ve known for years. We could not believe how lucky we all were to spend such a fantastic trip with such amazing people! Our boat was linked up with three other boats to increase our party size, but we only wanted to hang out with each other, because we already knew how much fun we had together. And we had a blast! The last time I checked my watch it was 10.30pm…next thing I knew, the sun was coming up over the majestic islands and I was still laughing with my new friends from all over the world. It was one of those wow moments that really makes you stop and appreciate the life you live.
After a couple hours of sleep, we were up again for a nice breakfast and more brilliant company. This was followed by a cooking class where we learned how to make pork spring rolls, unlike the shrimp and beef ones we made at our cooking class in Hoi An. With full bellies and teary eyes, we disembarked from our fabulous boat and crawled back onto the bus to Hanoi. Our surreal paradise trip was complete. Cheers, Halong Bay, it’s been absolute bliss.
Now I’m on my flight from Vietnam and headed back to Malaysia, where I will stay for the three remaining weeks of my Southeast Asian adventure. So the fun continues!
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