Day 35 and 36: Ha Long Bay

The majestic and gorgeous Ha Long Bay is another highlight that we'd be looking forward to as we planned this trip given the dramatic scenery ....and once again it did not disappoint! We drove 2hrs from Hanoi to Ha Long and boarded the Auco (which means Vietnamese Snow Goddess) around midday for a 2-night cruise around the Bay. We were greeted by the friendly staff who were waving and playing instruments in celebration of our arrival. The boat had 39 cabins including about 75 guests. We had actually never been on a cruise before and were pleasantly surprised with the size and appointments of our cabin which came with a decent bathroom and balcony. The rest of the boat was lovely with common areas including a dining room, bar and 2 decks for lounging and viewing.

Of course, the best part, were the views of the huge limestone cliffs emerging out of the emerald water in every direction. It didn't seem real! There are over 700 of these islands within the central region of Ha Long Bay so wherever we went we were surrounded by the natural beauty of this incredible UNESCO site.

The sunset on Day1 was especially spectacular!

In the morning on the second day Steve was struggling with some GI issues (we will spare you the details and maybe dial back the adventurous eating) but Lauren joined the excursion and visited "Sun Sot Cave", also known as "Surprise Cave," which is the largest cave in Ha Long Bay. The cave is enormous and had three separate rooms or chambers. You had to walk up 100 steps to get to the beginning of the cave (see cave opening in photo#1). There were ancient stalactites and stalagmites that had formed in lots of different shapes and sizes over thousands of years. It REALLY felt like you were on the movie set of Indiana Jones, Aladdin or National Treasure! However, other than documentaries, there have not been any movies filmed there.

After a lovely traditional Vietnamese sea bass lunch, Lauren took another excursion to visit a local floating fishing village. It was interesting to see how these locals lived a very simple lifestyle in a tight community. Interestingly, school age children are sent to the mainland to go to school, so they do not live with their families. They can decide to return after they finish school or pursue different career paths on the mainland. Electricity is sourced through generators (one generator per two boats). Fresh water is exchanged from the government for the villagers collecting trash from the bay and there are boats that come around with other groceries and supplies like toilet paper. These boats are referred to as floating "7-Elevens". Most of the boats have small dogs that serve as watchdogs and good company for their owners.

We made a few friends on the Auco so the rest of the time, together, we enjoyed the amazing views, Happy Hour and the abundant and delicious food.

Ha Long Bay was certainly a highlight of Vietnam so far and of our entire trip!

Fun Facts:

*On our drive back to the Hanoi airport, we saw 2 different wedding receptions. One was literally set up on the sidewalk with all the fancy wedding paraphernalia like flowers and chair covers.

P.S. Sorry for the delay in publishing. We virtually had not Wi-Fi on the boat!