Bai Tu Long Bay: I'm on a boat!

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From December 12 through 15, Scott and I cruised through Bai Tu Long Bay, a cleaner and far less touristy section of Halong Bay, one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. After doing some research and hearing traveler's stories about how polluted and crowded Halong Bay has become, Scott found out about the Indochina Junk Company, one of the very few companies that host overnight cruises through Bai Tu Long Bay. Though definitely a splurge, we decided that this would be the best way to avoid the crowds and ensure that we'd get the most out of our trip. As soon as our journey began, we knew we had made the right choice.

At around 8:00 a.m., we were picked up from our hotel in Hanoi in a comfortable, air-conditioned van, and, after picking up a few more passengers, we began the 4-ish hour drive to Ha Long City. We made one pit stop at a large, interesting building with several ceramic vases, lions, dragons, and other random pieces of art out front. It turned out to be a giant craft/clothing/jewelry/book/novelty/convenience store with a small, overpriced "restaurant" inside. Most of us used this time as a bathroom break, bought a few snacks and browsed the store while its employees followed closely behind, determined to make a sale. After twenty minutes or so, we hopped back on the bus and continued our drive, arriving to our boat's port around noon.

Upon our arrival, we were separated into groups and transported to our respective boats via small wooden boats. Our boat, the Dragon Pearl, was a fairly large white, wooden boat that looked a little rough on the outside due to a lack of maintenance, but was beautiful on the deck and in the cabin. We and the other 14 passengers were first gathered together in the dining room where our Vietnamese guide introduced himself and gave us a run down of the cruise's itenerary. Then, we were shown to our room below deck, which was small but very nice with our own bathroom and a huge window, through which we could view the amazing scenery as we floated along. At about 1:00, we enjoyed our first meal on the boat, starting the trend of the enormous, family-style, several course meals that were to follow. Needless to say, the food was phenomenal and way above and beyond what we expected.

During lunch, we set off into the bay and began to witness the amazing natural beauty that, until then, we had only read about and seen pictures of. Limestone formations dotted with vegetation spanned in every direction, leaving us in awe. After a few hours, we were given the opportunity to kayak through the bay and explore for a bit. It was awesome to see the rocky islands up close; we even found a few tiny caves.

Dinner was just as delicious (and filling!) as lunch, and, tired from a full day, we went to bed early, excited for the next day's adventures. We awoke to an amazing view, ate breakfast, and set off toward a nearby floating fishing village. When we got relatively close, women from the village picked us up in bamboo boats and paddled us to the village's meeting place, a small floating hut furnished simply with a long table and plastic chairs. We were served strong green tea in tiny ceramic cups while the "chief" of the village welcomed us and gave us a brief history of his home. Afterward, we were shown the one-room school next door and informed that children in the village receive minimal education, usually until about age 10, before either joining their father's at sea or eventually leaving to create a different life for themselves on the mainland. Though the village has existed for the better part of fifty years, only recently did its inhabitants construct their small floating houses and stop living on their boats.

We left the village in time for lunch, which was served to us outside on the deck, since the weather was sunnier than the day before. We had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the view, stopping a few time throughout the day for swimming and more kayaking. The best part of the day was eating dinner in a cave on one of the islands in the bay. We took a small boat to shore, climbed up to the cave's mouth, and entered to find it lit up with candles - some arranged in the shape of a heart. We ate at a long table set with Vietnamese china and covered in rose petals and candles and had an amazing meal among our new friends. We sat next to a fun, talkative Aussie couple who entertained us quite a bit. At the end of the dinner, our guide surprised Scott and me, announcing to everyone that we were on our honeymoon and presenting us with a beautifully decorated and delicious cake that we shared with the group. This made the night even more special and fun. Scott definitely picked the best way to see Halong Bay.

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