Visiting Ha Long Bay Vietnam

I got to tour the whole cave in less than thirty minutes. I thought it was going to be a long trip so I kept walking, I realized later on that I should’ve taken the time to appreciate the beauty of the cave instead of continuously moving forward. Before I knew it, I was already making my way down back to the boat and had to wait a while till I saw the rest of the group.

we saw the Incense Burner Islet as we made our way to see Luon Cave

we got on these smaller boats so we can go further in and see some of the caves and lagoons

a guide waits his turn for tourists to get on his boat

We eventually made our way towards this secluded area while some guests sang their hearts out and enjoyed the way their voices resonated in this concealed area. We were enclosed in a group of limestone mountains and the only way out was through the same small entrance we came from, it’s no wonder we had to transfer to our smaller boats as there would be no way for our bigger boats to get in. Some tourists opted to rent kayaks and paddled their way through different caves and lagoons.

Happy bunch on board our boat, thanks again to Melo for our GoPro photos!

Our morning was a flurry of activity so as expected, we were hungry by the time we got back to our boat, good thing lunch was ready! When in Vietnam, you can expect to eat a lot of healthy food and our lunch here was no different, we had shrimps, crabs, soup and vegetables. We all enjoyed a healthy a scrumptious meal.

While having your lunch, don’t forget to look out your window every now and then and just appreciate the beauty that surrounds you. Even on a gloomy day like the one we had, Ha Long Bay will amaze you and it’s limestone mountains will draw you in as though you were part of a silent movie told and retold a thousand times before. And if time permits, get away from your group, go upstairs and revel in the majesty before you.

What I saw and experienced in Ha Long bay was only a small part it, some tourists stay on a boat overnight and even take Vietnamese cooking classes and continue their dinner and conversations under the beautiful night sky. Some activities will also allow you to visit the local community of fishermen and learn more about their life in Ha Long. There’s so much to do here so make sure you talk to Hanoi Red Tours and ask for what other choices you have and pick which ones you think you would enjoy the most, but like any vacation, leave a lot of room for the thrill of trying something new.

The best time to visit Hanoi is during the summer when the skies are clear and the weather is warm. The visibility wasn’t too good when we visited, but again, this adds to the ethereal mood so I guess it really depends on what you’re after.

I’ll also be posting the rest of our Hanoi itinerary soon so watch out for that especially if you plan on going there soon.

So When in Hanoi, make sure you contact Hanoi Red Tours to help you with your itinerary so you can make the most our of your stay there as I sure wouldn’t want to waste my precious time just figuring out where to go and how to get there, plus it’s always good to have a tour guide who speaks the local language. Cebu Pacific flies direct to Hanoi three times a week so make sure you check out their website for their flight schedules and promos too.