Halong Bay(下龍灣)

This is 2nd day at Halong Bay



25-11-2009, Halong Bay, Halong, Vietnam
Night at the Boat

A bus took us from our hotel at Hanoi to Halong town. En route we have a short stop at the Sao Do center run for and by handicapped children, where there are souvenir shops. Halong town is basically a tourism town flourish just because of the famous Halong Bay. Halong Bay is about 170 kilometers northeast of Hanoi and 3,5 hours by road. There are many nationalities in our tour group. They are a lone retired German teacher, a German couple , a couple from Switzerland,a Vietnamese couple from USA, a young Singaporean , a Indian girl and his US boy friend, and 7 Malaysian. Some took 3 days trip(which include a day at Cat Ba Island), we took 2 days trip. The tour guide is a Vietnamese girl with the name of Mai(it means tomorrow in Vietnamese). She spoke good English and is a graduate.

Ha Long Bay - means "Bay of the Descending Dragon" in the Vietnamese language. It is a body of water of approximately 1,500 square kilometres in north Vietnam with a 120 kilometre coastline, in the Gulf of Tonkin Gulf of Tonkin near the border with China. Halong Bay is one of the world’s natural wonders, and is the most beautiful tourist destination of Vietnam. It was World Heritage listed by UNESCO at the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Thailand on December 17th, 1994). Halong Bay features more than one thousand awesome limestone karsts and islands of various sizes and shapes along the 120-km coastline of Bai Chay Beach. Its waters are host to a great diversity of ecosystems including offshore coral reefs, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forests, small freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches. The folk tale has it that the dragons descended from heaven to help locals by spitting jewels and jade to the sea, forming a natural fortress against invaders; these precious stones are represented by the lush green outcrops. Several islands boast beautiful grottos and caves with contiguous chambers, hidden ponds and peculiar stone formations.

The bay consists of a dense cluster of 3000 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Dau Go (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto in the Halong area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century French graffiti).

Some of the islands support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Many of the islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes: such names include Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 989 of the islands have been given names. Birds and animals including bantams, antelopes, monkeys, and iguanas also live on some of the islands.

The New Open World Foundation has included Halong Bay on its list for nomination as one the World's 7 Natural Wonders. As of July 21 it has reached the finals of the contest (http://www.new7wonders.com/)

Once we are in the junk boat, the rooms were allotted to us, and lunch was provided at the boat restaurant. We have a boat trip around Halong Bay, the lime stone islands in the Halong Bay formed a beautiful view and scenery. This is the most interesting part of the tour. Some went for sunbath at the top deck of the boat. Others took great photo of the islands and the bay.

Visit to Cave
The bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto in the Ha Long area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century French graffiti).

Kayaking
Kayaking at Halong Bay, near the fish farm. The kayaks are lightweight and easy to use and in keeping with safety policies all participants will be issued with water buoyancy vests. The junk will be near us at all times serving as a back up vessel for those that require it. It is fun watching people kayak, many did it the first time, and have fun and laughter in their first try at kayaking.

Watching sun set from the boat at Halong Bay. Imagine the sun slowly go down and the background of the bay and limestone islands, and the orange sun ray; and you are watching from the boat. Isn't it romantic at one of the best bay in the world. My soul feel like flying in the air, like Peter Pan........

Dinner in the boat

There are few boat people rowing with their small boats filled with snacks, drinks, and knick-knacks.They try to sell us drink and food at the side of the boat. One of the boat even bought their baby girl. The boats move from junk to junk.

We spent the night at the boat, the night was calm.I took a early sleep;some went for fishing for squid at night.

26-11-2009, Hanoi, Vietnam
Back from Halong Bay
Night Train to Sapa

We watch the sun rise when wake up early in the morning. The sun slowly raises up, with the limestone islands and the sea, the view is spectacular. The beautiful view really make your morning different.......the going to be new 7 wonder of the world.

Breakfast at the boat. Everyone is enjoy the sail and the food.

Tour of Islets and Island at Halong Bay. Many of the islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes: such names include Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). About 989 of the islands have been given names. The guide, Mai, helped us to identify some islands. There is one schools for the children of the fishermen, and many fishing farms in the bay. We just relax as the boat sail in the bay, along the way we just close our eyes and let the sea breeze blow to your face and hair. Some just lying at the upper desk, enjoyed the boat sail and the views. Sometime there is excitement when we have identified the island, or we discovered that the islet look like something funny.....

At around midday the boat return to the main harbour, and we have our lunch at a restaurant at Halong town. After lunch,we were transferred to the awaiting vehicle for a 3-hour journey back to Hanoi. We are back in the capital at around 3pm.

The last departure word for the would be visitor of Halong Bay; do not litter the bay.

The afternoon was then spend on shopping at the old quarter and Dong Xuang Market. Dong Xuang Market or Cho Dong Xuang , is a wholesale market, normally the wholesalers will not retail their goods to ultimate consumers/tourists. It is located at Hang Khoai of the Old Quarter.

Tonight we are going to Sapa, the mountain resort near the border of China, Lao Chai. We will take the night train at 9.00p.m. from the Hanoi Railway Station. The train will arrive at Lao Chai the next morning at 5.30a.m., after that a hotel van will take us to the Sapa town.

The only thing I am still doubtful on the train tickets purchased, is that the hotel did not give you the real train ticket, the tickets that the hotel gave to you need to exchange for a real train ticket at Hanoi railway station. There is chances that they may not give you the type of coach you booked, just to make the number. I believed that there must be a cartel sort of thing, where the tour operator has book the whole coach, and at the time of departure they will adjust to fill the coach. Even the train tickets given at Hanoi station, it did not disclosed the train fare you paid in the ticket. The price is printed " 0.000 dong". There must exist a system between hotel, tour operator, railway station, a system that is not transparent to the tourists. It make thing worst when there is no English communication in the transaction, it make thing worst, and you become a victim of a established system. I have obtained the feedback from the tourists, this train ticket is the most controversial part in the whole journey to Sapa. You may be overpaid for the train ticket......some one has sucked some money out from the whole transaction or the system??????. This system is the most tourist unfriendly.

Remember to keep the train ticket in Vietnam, as when you exit from the train station, it will be collected from you.

They said Sapa now is cold, may be it will be snowing.....