Enjoying Halong Bay

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After spending a month back home seeing family, I headed to Vietnam with some friends. We spent a 16-hour layover in Hong Kong before landing in Hanoi.




The first night in Hanoi, I grabbed dinner at a local restaurant. Sitting on stools on the sidewalk, the busy nightlife of Hanoi came alive. After some delicious meats on a skewer with some beer, my buddies and I headed to a local rooftop bar.





The next morning I headed to Halong Bay on a private car. The ride took around four hours. After an hour wait at the port, I boarded a ferry to Cat Ba—the biggest island in Halong Bay. The ferry took under an hour and provided the first beautiful views of the rock formations in Halong Bay. The ferry dropped me off t the north end of Cat Ba, and from there I jumped on a taxi that drove through stunning valleys. The taxi drove all the way to the south end of the island—Bem Bao. From there a local fisherman took us on his boat to the resort we would stay—Nam Cat Sandy Beach Resort.





The first full day in Halong Bay I headed to Cat Ba to explore the national park by doing some hiking and walking the caves. Despite the rain, the morning was great. For lunch, our tour guide took us to a local restaurant in Cat Ba Town for some delicious seafood. The next stop was the local market before heading back to the resort.





On the second day, I visited Monkey Island. Again, the morning was a bit rainy, but the island itself, and the views it provides, is beautiful. After some lunch at the resort, I jumped on a kayak and enjoyed a trip in Halong Bay. The weather was sunny, and the waters were calm. I was exhausted after the kayaking and headed to bed after dinner.





The last full day in Halong Bay we decided to rent scooters to explore Cat Ba. The scooter was only 5 dollars for the day, plus gas. It was amazing. The island is beautiful, with great mountains and rock formations. We took a lunch break in a small fishing village. We drove for 5 hours. The sights that our ride gave us were probably the highlight of the trip for me.





The next morning I left the resort on a cruise that took almost three hours to get to Halong City. The boat took an amazing route, and everyone was stunned by the views. The boat provided a cooking lesson—we learned how to make spring rolls—and lunch. I bought some souvenirs and Vietnamese coffee on my last night in Hanoi before eating cobra for dinner.




Vietnam was great.

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Photos

The Resort
Nam Cat Sandy Beach Resort