Many travelers and locals recommend that we take a cruise in Halong Bay. The bay itself was beautiful. The limestone rock formations and emerald green water were stunning. We got to swim on a private beach and kayak the first day (we forgot our camera).
We selected a two-night cruise, a small mistake; more than 90% of overnight guests stay only one night. The cruise boat was lovely but very disorganized. It was like the staff had been on the ship for one day. The food was buffet for meat/seafood eaters but table service for vegetarians—some meals we got lots of food and others nothing but fruit. We met two couples from Spain and the six of us laughed and had fun.
We spent day two exploring Cat Ba Island. The first day we hiked a trail in Cat Ba National Park. Before hitting the trail we had a short tour in the museum—it was filled with jars of animals and taxidermy animals that looked like they needed repairs. We would describe the hike as moderate with some challenging moments. It was incredible hot and humid. There were some very slippery spots along the trail because of the morning rain and moss on many of the rocks. The view from the top was beautiful and we imagined a cool breeze as we looked out over the greenery.
After a short break we walked through Trung Trang Cave. This natural cave is 300 meters long and is locally known as “gold treasure” or “princess’s treasure” because there are stalactites that glitter in the dim light.
Our schedule said lunch was at 1pm but we did not get to the restaurant until almost 2:30pm. We were served an enormous meal while we enjoyed beautiful views of the water. When walking after lunch we could see the massive building being constructed next to our lunch site.
We were schedule to go swimming at the nearby beach. When we arrived it was like the photos of Coney Island in its prime. The guide said he had never seen it this crowded—even on holiday weekends. It was worth seeing but we had no interest in staying for a swim.
The following morning we visited Viet Hai Village via bicycles. It was a pleasant and relaxing ride. We stopped at a home that makes rice wine—we did not try the snake fermented in wine-a speciality of the wine producer. After a short boat ride back to shore, we returned to Hanoi.
