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Published: January 11th 2016
Having returned to the hotel from the overnight train journey, we had breakfast, a shower and repacked ready to go to Halong Bay at 8.30. It took about four hours to get there, not a particularly comfortable ride, in a minibus with lots of near misses! We were quite surprised to see so many hotels and apartments when we arrived but were delighted to find that our boat was relatively new and luxurious compared to some we saw. The weather was quite overcast on the 2 days we were there, although it was still warm, so we did not see the emerald waters it is known for but that did not spoil our enjoyment of the trip. Halong Bay has a collection of limestone rock formations that rise up out of the water at regular intervals. There are many other cruise ships in the waters as well as local fishermen, floating villages and ladies who row out to the ships to sell shells and other trinkets. They stop alongside the ships then use a fishing net full of their wares to reach up to your balcony for you to purchase then collect the money in the same way. A very enterprising
community!
The staff on board were wonderful and did everything to make the trip as comfortable as possible, including a cooking demonstration making spring rolls, which we were able to eat afterwards. The food was excellent as were the cocktails which were two for one during Happy Hour which we took advantage of. On the second morning we visited Hang Sung Sot, known as the Surprise Caves, tackling 600 steps in total but the climb was worth it. The chambers were vast and there were some interesting rock formations projecting from the walls!
It was a very special location which we won't forget in a hurry.
Our last 2 days in Hanoi were spent seeing more of the sights. Today we managed to fit in the heritage house, Dong Xuan Market (a huge indoor market which has more clothing, textiles and household items than you can imagine), lunch by the lake, a tour of the french quarter which included a visit to Hoa Lo Prison museum and a pagoda, and the Water Puppet Theater which was interesting to see but we had no idea what the storyline was and the seats were not designed for westeners as
there was nowhere to put your legs! Tomorrow we intend to see Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and museum before we leave for Danang on yet another night train.
Hanoi has been fascinating but hectic, we're even crossing the road like locals now! The food has been delicious, the hotel fantastic and the staff have offered service with a smile and can't do enough for us.
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Maureen Riley
non-member comment
Thank you
Thank you for sharing your trip. I have so enjoyed reading your blog. The photos are wonderful. As I read I am in turn anxious, then excited and then delighted it is really lovely. Happy travelling!!