To me, spending a couple of days flowing on the crystal waters of Halong Bay is really an unforgettable experience.

Hearing a lot about the natural beauty of Halong bay from my friends, I decided to book a Halong Bay tour for my summer holiday. Departing from Hanoi at around 8:30am, I arrive in Halong at noon. The sun is high in the sky and burning bright. On the pier are countless wooden junks, speedboats and even tiny bamboo boats bobbing in the water welcoming thousands of visitors.
                                         
                                                                                          Halong Bay Pier
Having stinted on bus for nearly four hours, I now only wish to immediately get out the water and feel the sea breeze running through my air. I am then transferred to a large and handsome junk which is worth money to me. My Halong Bay cruise starts and I’m very excited.

As carefully planning to discover new things in my life, I have well prepared for this Halong tour. As we set off the bay, with the binoculars, I can survey the glorious setting all around us. A trip to Halong is first and foremost about relaxing, so just within some first minutes every single passenger arrives on deck to sip drinks in the sunshine while basking at the brilliance of bay. I stretch out on a lie-low on the more shaded lower deck and listen to the sound of the boat chopping through the waves. As time slowly passes, I happily doze off in the salty air. Eventually I am called for a delicious Vietnamese lunch.

 

Passing hundreds of small islets, we anchor by the tiny TiTov Island. It’s a small island, but certainly one to be proud of with quiet and airy atmosphere as well as white sand and clear water. The beach is ideal for swimming nearly all year round. But it is more ideal to take a panorama of the Halong bay from the peak of the island after climbing 427 stone steps.


                                Titov Island - Halong Bay

Heading back to my cabin for shower and dinner at the on-board restaurant as the sun slowly drops behind the surrounding islands and the twilight dwindles – just another perfect moment in Halong Bay. At night, with a canopy of glittering stars above us, a refreshing coolness in the air and flashes of fluorescent lamps from the cuttlefish boats in the

distance, the bay is truly magical. It is pure bliss just to sit around with the other travelers, your friends or partner. And then enjoy a sleep under the sky – not under the ceiling of a hotel room, a different but very fantastic experience.


                                         Halong Bay by night

Getting up early in the morning, I stay on deck to get fresh air filled in my lungs. Very relaxing moment. We continue heading to Ngoc Vung Island. Disembark the junk, we move to a smaller wooden boat to dock on the shores of Ngoc Vung Island where we take bikes for a cycling trip across this ruggedly beautiful island in Halong Bay . From the wharf, we cycle along a coastal road that skirts the island’s hilly terrain while near the shore fishermen caulk their bamboo boats with

tar. When we arrive at the white sandy beach, we see it seems to sparkle and glisten under the sunshine. There is not a soul bathing on the beach – truly for tourists looking for a remote hidden getaway spot this fits the bill. Inhabitants in this island earn their living mainly by fishing, farming, aquaculture and afforesting. But there are no bars or restaurants, no showers or toilets. But that’s why we’re here: to escape the crowds and leave the daily bustle behind us! After swimming, sun-bathing and walking along the beach, we head back to the boat where our tour guide introduces us to our kayaks. 

Again, taking a leisurely pace, we paddle around Cong Do (C???ng ????? in Vietnamese), a floating fishing village in Bai Tu Long bay. Here you can find shrimp, crab, fish, squid and aquatic plants. If you’re not shopping for dinner, it’s fun just to soak in the incredible atmosphere of a true Halong fishing village.

                                        
                                                                An exciting kayaking in Bai Tu Long Bay

Come back to the junk to back to the wharf and take the bus to back to Hanoi. This is really a fantastic tour in Vietnam as I expected.