Day 13 - Halong Bay

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Boarding our mini-bus bright and early in the morning, this time we were on the way to Halong Bay . Half way there we informed that we would no longer be sleeping on the junk, as planned, as there was a tropical storm on it way. We did however enjoy the whole day on the junk and slept in a nice hotel on dry land instead. Halong Bay has 1969 islands in total, made of limestone of rock. None of them are inhabitated. They range in shape and size, from small little dots of rock to tall hills. At the beginning of the Bay is a big advertisement billboard promoting Halong Bay to be added to the new 7 Wonders of the World. I personally would as it as it is truly an awesome sight. After a deliciously filling seafood banquet, our junk pulled up along all the other tourist junks and dropped us off at the Secret Cave. I have been to one or few caves in my time. But hands down this was the most best of them all. The caves were massive ! If they were in Western country they would have been turned into the biggest nightclub in the world. The stalagmites and stalactites were all over 3 meters tall. The lighting in the caves was multicoloured, but not tacky, it really highlighted the cave’s natural beauty. After the caves we boarded double kayaks to explore the surrounding area by sea. Thanks to my handy little plastic waterproof bag for my camera, I was able to take a few pictures whilst kayaking. It was nice to be able to paddle around and get up close to the islands and be at awe at the arrange of flora and fauna this magical place had to offer.

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