We took a flight from Hoi An to Hanoi. At the airport we started chatting to an Aussie couple (Jess and Andy) about the World Cup. Australia had just lost to Germany and unfortunately Andy thought they were playing the next night so they were even more distraught when they saw the replay in the departure lounge.
The flight was easy and the four of us shared a minibus with a few others from the airport into the city. Kate and I had not yet booked a hotel so we tagged along with Jess and Andy to theirs. It was reasonably priced so we decided to stay. As we were waiting for our rooms we asked about Halong Bay trips and we were greeted by an enthusiastic salesman. After about an hour of debating what trip to choose we opted for the middle ground - not quite backpacker budget but not five star.
The next morning we were up early for our minibus to Halong Bay. Halfway we were ordered off to look around a tat factory disguised as a rest stop. We refrained from buying anything and were soon on our way again. We arrived at the dock/gateway to Halong bay and climbed aboard our launch to the Calypso Cruiser.
We had seen pictures in the brochure but I was still doubtful that it would actually be anything like the photos. We couldn't have been proved more wrong; it was delightful. We were invited to sit down in the dining area and were handed chilled towels and glasses of water. After a brief introduction and itinerary explanation we were shown our cabins with ensuite and AC. The bathroom was bigger than our whole cabin we shared in the Galapagos!
After a hour or so to cool down and relax it was time for lunch. We were sold the tour on the fact that the food would be top notch. Again my worst fears were put to rest as the food was amazing, I think every guest was pleasantly surprised.
After lunch we sailed to the Amazing Cave through stunning scenery. The limestone karsts are truly magnificent. The contrasts of the greenery and the blue sky makes it such a beautiful place.
The cave lived up to it's rather imaginative name, somewhat helped by the lighting. We entered down some slippery muddy steps into a small, dark, cold cave and were slightly disheartened by our lack of amazement but we were soon treated to a vast cave system that seemed to expand forever. Around each corner or through each arch way another cathedral like cavern would open up before us. Numerous and some oddly shaped stalactites and stalagmites hung and protruded from ceiling and floor. The cool of the cave was a sanctuary from the humid heat outside but it was soon time to head back to boat.
Once back on board we sailed to a lovely secluded spot surrounded by vast limestone cliffs to anchor for the night. We then had a chance to cool off again but this time in the sea. Once the all clear was given for jelly fish we all donned our trunks and enjoyed a brief dip. The current flowing past the boat was quite strong so it wasn't particularly relaxing, coupled with several false alarms of jellyfish also made it quite tense!
After swimming we had a brief masterclass on spring rolls where we all got to roll then eat our creations. They were very tasty but you will have to take our word for it.
Dinner for that evening was served (again more delicious food) and afterwards we had a choice of two activities; karaoke or squid fishing. Much to my delight the majority voted for squid fishing. I think it was a landslide victory. The amount of alcohol that is required to be consumed before any singing takes place was limited by the sky high price for booze. Luckily we had brought our own but not in the quantity required for either of us to stretch our vocal chords.
Unfortunately the fishing was not very successful. I had high hopes of landing monster squid but all "we" caught were eight small things that I would have normally used as bait. We had fun trying to catch the slimey cephlapods but the only people that had any success were the crew.
The next morning we opted to take kayaks out for a brief paddle. We left our boat behind and headed for a small tunnel under a huge limestone cliff that opened out into a lagoon. The acoustics were incredible and it would have been a serene spot if it wasn't for us shouting and whooping! As we paddled out our guide spotted a couple of monkeys watching us from the cliffs. We exchanged stares before both parties got bored and either paddled off or bounded up the cliffs.
It was then time to head back to the dock through more stunning scenery. We were very lucky to be blessed with partially blue skies as the majority of the time it is cloudy.
On the road back to Hanoi we stopped again at the tourist trap/rest point so we decided to head out onto the road to find some less extortionate refreshments. We managed to find a lady selling ice cream but there was no words or clues on the packets as to what flavours they might be. Out of all four of us Andy got the raw deal by choosing durian - nasty!
We arrived back in Hanoi and were dropped of at our hotel. We checked in and spent the rest of the evening watching the World Cup. We then had a few days to properly explore Hanoi.
The flight was easy and the four of us shared a minibus with a few others from the airport into the city. Kate and I had not yet booked a hotel so we tagged along with Jess and Andy to theirs. It was reasonably priced so we decided to stay. As we were waiting for our rooms we asked about Halong Bay trips and we were greeted by an enthusiastic salesman. After about an hour of debating what trip to choose we opted for the middle ground - not quite backpacker budget but not five star.
The next morning we were up early for our minibus to Halong Bay. Halfway we were ordered off to look around a tat factory disguised as a rest stop. We refrained from buying anything and were soon on our way again. We arrived at the dock/gateway to Halong bay and climbed aboard our launch to the Calypso Cruiser.
We had seen pictures in the brochure but I was still doubtful that it would actually be anything like the photos. We couldn't have been proved more wrong; it was delightful. We were invited to sit down in the dining area and were handed chilled towels and glasses of water. After a brief introduction and itinerary explanation we were shown our cabins with ensuite and AC. The bathroom was bigger than our whole cabin we shared in the Galapagos!
After a hour or so to cool down and relax it was time for lunch. We were sold the tour on the fact that the food would be top notch. Again my worst fears were put to rest as the food was amazing, I think every guest was pleasantly surprised.
After lunch we sailed to the Amazing Cave through stunning scenery. The limestone karsts are truly magnificent. The contrasts of the greenery and the blue sky makes it such a beautiful place.
The cave lived up to it's rather imaginative name, somewhat helped by the lighting. We entered down some slippery muddy steps into a small, dark, cold cave and were slightly disheartened by our lack of amazement but we were soon treated to a vast cave system that seemed to expand forever. Around each corner or through each arch way another cathedral like cavern would open up before us. Numerous and some oddly shaped stalactites and stalagmites hung and protruded from ceiling and floor. The cool of the cave was a sanctuary from the humid heat outside but it was soon time to head back to boat.
Once back on board we sailed to a lovely secluded spot surrounded by vast limestone cliffs to anchor for the night. We then had a chance to cool off again but this time in the sea. Once the all clear was given for jelly fish we all donned our trunks and enjoyed a brief dip. The current flowing past the boat was quite strong so it wasn't particularly relaxing, coupled with several false alarms of jellyfish also made it quite tense!After swimming we had a brief masterclass on spring rolls where we all got to roll then eat our creations. They were very tasty but you will have to take our word for it.
Dinner for that evening was served (again more delicious food) and afterwards we had a choice of two activities; karaoke or squid fishing. Much to my delight the majority voted for squid fishing. I think it was a landslide victory. The amount of alcohol that is required to be consumed before any singing takes place was limited by the sky high price for booze. Luckily we had brought our own but not in the quantity required for either of us to stretch our vocal chords.
Unfortunately the fishing was not very successful. I had high hopes of landing monster squid but all "we" caught were eight small things that I would have normally used as bait. We had fun trying to catch the slimey cephlapods but the only people that had any success were the crew.
The next morning we opted to take kayaks out for a brief paddle. We left our boat behind and headed for a small tunnel under a huge limestone cliff that opened out into a lagoon. The acoustics were incredible and it would have been a serene spot if it wasn't for us shouting and whooping! As we paddled out our guide spotted a couple of monkeys watching us from the cliffs. We exchanged stares before both parties got bored and either paddled off or bounded up the cliffs.
It was then time to head back to the dock through more stunning scenery. We were very lucky to be blessed with partially blue skies as the majority of the time it is cloudy.On the road back to Hanoi we stopped again at the tourist trap/rest point so we decided to head out onto the road to find some less extortionate refreshments. We managed to find a lady selling ice cream but there was no words or clues on the packets as to what flavours they might be. Out of all four of us Andy got the raw deal by choosing durian - nasty!
We arrived back in Hanoi and were dropped of at our hotel. We checked in and spent the rest of the evening watching the World Cup. We then had a few days to properly explore Hanoi.
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