Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (A Dream made Reality)

Lily’s Travel Agency was my choice again to book my long-awaited Ha Long Bay excursion. All of the volunteers in the house stated it was a must-see vacation spot, and I knew from prior knowledge that Ha Long Bay was where the recent King Kong movie had been filmed. Lily’s Travel Agency facilitated a 5-star rated, two day-one night boat night trip which included meals, upgraded room on the boat, transport via bus there and back, kayaking through the bay, guide, and night squid fishing for $146.00 USD. I was informed during the booking process it was slightly more expensive because peak tourism occurred during July and August. 

We started our three-hour journey from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay on a comfortable clean commuter bus and took a break about an hour and a half in at one of the many rest stops along the highway that cater to travelers. I sat on a bench near the bus “people watching”, listening to the interesting array of languages, observing interactions, and mesmerized by the differing clothing styles and accoutrements each individual or ethnicgroup wore.  

Driving through Haiphong and seeing the expansive individual limestone rock formations (called karsts) sprouting from the waterways and covered in varying shades of lush green vegetation brought tears to my eyes. Pictures may capture a thousand words, but my eyes soaked in the intricate nuances of the landscape as it transformed, evolved, and developed its unique persona against the backdrop of a leaden sky. When we drove into the Ha Long Bay resort area, the excitement from the other people on the bus was palpable. Young and old were upright in their seats, heads were moving rapidly side to side trying to keep up with the extreme terrain developing and hastily changing before our eyes.

The Ha Long Bay resort contained a water park, grand hotels, a King Kong attraction, and large resort developments under construction or recently completed. Arriving at port was controlled chaos in action; without a guide I would have been lost trying to navigate the varying ethnic groups, ticketing process, and finding the skiff which would take us to the main boat. Fortunately, we had David who was bilingual, and he made sure questions were answered and nerves were calmed.

Our excursion started with a 30-minute ferry ride from the port to the La Pandora cruise liner. The karsts (limestone rock outcroppings jutting skyward from the ocean) rose like jagged teeth from the calm waters and formed an almost perfect half-moon smile welcoming all visitors into the bay.

Once inside the bay, layers of karsts created three dimensional shifting backdrops momentarily exposing small caves, beaches, and panoramic views. The incomprehensible beauty soaring upward and all around was tempered by the murky waters containing floating debris and trash from the plethora of boats darting back and forth and anchored in the bay. 

The boat came to a stop against the port side of a four-story boat. We disembarked and were ushered into the dining room on the second floor where we gorged ourselves on egg drop soup, salad, mini crabs, shrimp croquettes, whole shrimp, fish soup, morning glory seasoned with garlic, Vietnamese eggplant that squirted a never-ending amounts of seeds into your mouth (an acquired taste which is a one-time never again experience) and for dessert sliced watermelon and pineapple. Instead of walls on either side of the dining area, full sized windows allowed grandiose views of the bay.

The boat was exquisitely designed starting with my room which was framed by dark brown wood accents coupled with extra-large windows encased with decorative window shades opening out to views only dreamed of. My bed was plush and inviting while a private balcony for lounging about provided the perfect mix of leisure and class in the midst of paradise. 

Kayaking took up the rest of the afternoon in a small bay about 10 minutes from our boat. Being near the limestone monoliths allowed time to reflect on the moment and take in the dramatic landscape. One kayak capsized so I spent some time pulling in people who were struggling and met some new friends during the interactions. While performing lifeguarding procedures, I found out the water was lukewarm; easily above 85 degrees as though I was swimming in bath water.  

At night I went to the fourth floor of our boat and accidentally found myself in the middle of a massive private Vietnamese birthday party. The host invited me to stay, and I was able to enjoy a private DJ, a wide assortment of alcohol, appetizers, and jelly cake.

Peering over the railing from the top deck, I was treated to watching jelly fish lazily floating near the surface of the water. For a nighttime activity, I participated in squid fishing off the back of the boat using a bamboo pole with an attached fishing line lure measuring approximately six feet in length. I didn’t catch any squid, but I did end up snagging a small jellyfish which I threw back as fast as possible.

While lying in bed at the end of a magical day, the twinkling lights of the anchored boats dotting the inlet and the outline of the undulating karsts against the night sky provided the picturesque view as I closed my eyes.  

On the second day, I awakened at 545am to the sounds of the anchor being raised. The boat soon thereafter began moving slowly towards the cave expedition beginning at 745am. At times it was hard to believe the ship was moving because there were no waves, or swells to cause the craft to list sided to side. I had noticed a few local people living in the bay. Their houses were built on bamboo flotillas and they moved about on small rickshaws.

One time a boat pulled alongside our cruise liner. I looked down from my second-floor balcony and observed the small boat was filled with various snacks. The woman had a long bamboo pole with a net affixed to the end to gather money from above and then deliver the merchandise. 

About midmorning we were whisked away to a launch point near the light and dark caves. We traveled by flat bottomed wooden boats to the location with a local oars-person guiding our boat through a small inlet into the designated cave area. While floating through the light cave, we found out the dark cave was closed due to the fact the tide was too low. Limestone stalactites of varying sizes and shapes hung from the ceiling of the light cave and bats flitted about creating a cacophony of high-pitched bursts of sound echoing throughout the rock walls.

Heading back, I struggled to quantify the sheer magnitude of Ha Long Bay. How do you find a words or phrases to embody a vision that takes your breath away? The path we took through the rocky maze was a mere snapshot of the massive 600-mile terrain. The scenery stoked the imagination of what it might have been like for the first explorers who had the fortune or misfortune to be caught in the karsts embrace. Were they able to navigate through these waters? What were their first impressions? Did the stories and myths they create reflect the awe, majesty, and sometimes unexplainable rock formations I was observing? I see why King Kong was filmed here. The environment invoked a mysterious shadow across the layered landscape questioning whether there was something out there that was larger than life. Not to sound morbid, but Ha Long Bay will be one of those soothing memories I will have on my deathbed of a special time and place I had the opportunity to visit.