One of my favourite things about traveling is how familiar you become to a place that was once completely foreign. After planning carefully our trip to Vietnam, the moment we arrived we felt like we’ve been there before many times. This country makes you feel like home, is so welcoming that you start dreaming of spending a few years here.
Ha Long Bay in English means Bay of the Descending Dragon and is one of the new seven natural wonders of the world. Well, it deserves this title, because the place is an absolute bliss. A mystical landscape where thousands of limestone karsts burst breathtakingly skywards from the depths of the sparkling, emerald green South China Seas.
We took a Ha Long Bay cruise and spent a day floating through this stunning scenery followed by a smooth collusion of sky burst reds and yellows played by the sunset while it fills my mind with the most beautiful of dreams and then watching the night sky, although the night gets very dark in here. This was one of the most relaxing experiences of my life.
how to get there
Our Halong Bay cruise mini bus collected us from our Hanoi hotel early in the morning and the drive takes 2.5 hour, but to me it seemed less. The time passed quickly as there was so much to look at en route, seeing everyday Vietnamese life pass us by was fascinating.
We approached the packed port where hundreds of boats were jostling and soooo many tourists were boarding. We drove straight past and stopped at a smaller quay around the harbour. Then we headed off away from the port and as we slipped deeper into the bay the waters became more aquamarine and crystaline.
We had a pretty nice welcoming from the staff, a very tasty lunch and then we headed to our cabin, witch by the way it was AMAZING. Curiosity hit us, so we had to explore the boat a little bit.
In the afternoon you can do a few activities like kayaking, swimming, or you can even visit Thien Canh Son Cave with its stalactites and giant cauliflower like stalagmites or swim and chill out on the beach. We usually do activities, so for the first time in our travels we chose to relax on deck, taking in the peacefulness and breathtaking beauty of our surroundings. Dinner that night was another never ending feast it just seemed to keep coming and coming.
Why is it so difficult to choose a company with which to do a cruise of Ha Long Bay?
The problem is not that there isn’t enough choice, it’s that there’s too much choice. And it’s never really clear what exactly you’re choosing. After an intense online research, YouTube videos and reading blogs, we decided for a company, Era Cruises. Very professional, they don’t overbook the boat, lots of privacy, because they prefer small groups of people.
You can also book the trip while in Vietnam. In Hanoi you’ll find many travel agencies selling trips for Ha Long. None of these travel agencies actually own the boats they are selling you a place on. They work on commission and they get more commission from certain companies, so they’re the ones they’ll push.
They also don’t really know whether there will be a place on the boat they are selling you. It’s entirely possible and happens very often, that you actually just get on sold to another boat without realising until it’s too late, so be careful with this type of things too.
The thing is, no matter which boat you’re on, you’re still going to get the same scenery. And that is, after all, the main reason why you come to Ha Long Bay. It doesn’t disappoint. Although I quite often hear from people that it doesn’t live up to the high expectations that are soled by the tourism marketers. Personally, I loved the experience, the surroundings.
Maybe because I already made my mind that this place is already too famous and there will be too many people (when a place overflows with people it usually breaks the magic of the place), but I was in for a surprise. We had lots of privacy, peace and tranquility. My boyfriend spoiled me booking a massage, which I highly recommend, because the Era Cruises masseuses are very good at their job.
the cabins
Most of the rooms are located on the ground floor and the first floor, with big glass windows so you can enjoy better the views, he dining room is located on the first floor, with floor to ceiling glass windows too and on the third floor you will find the sundeck, with a bar, which we enjoyed watching sunset.
thoughts of our Halong bay cruise
I had a great time on our Halong Bay cruise. It was en experience I wanted to live for a long time. I always wanted to go for a cruise and this was perfect for me, as I have thalassophobia and I don’t think I would have a good time 10 days in a row in the open sea, with waves or whatever might happen on the water during that time.
We’ve been surrounded by this beautiful scenery, enjoyed some delicious food and were spoiled with a bit of luxury and great service. What more could you want from a little trip?!
Madeleine 𓇼 