Halong Bay, Vietnam

The coast line of North Vietnam (former Bay of Tonkin) is a very pleasant regions with many thousand small islands, limestone islets and magical caves. From a boat you can get breathtaking views and a canoo trip inside a rocky grotto will provide hands-on experience of this natural paradise. As a contrast Haiphong City is a dirty and noisy port town in the midst of a boom phase, typical for such a fast developping country. A number of islands provide simple tourist accomodation and can be booked togehter with the boat transfer (Ocean Tours, Hanoi). The travel from Hanoi to the port of Halong City takes around 4 hours crossing highways and small villages one by one.

our boat taking us to Paradise Island

cruising to the paradise

The upper deck of our tourist boat provides chairs and mattresses to relax while watching the wonderful Halong islet landscape. The lower deck houses the kitchen and dining room where fresh food was served by a highly motivated team. Surprising was the availability of both French and Vietnamese wine (from Dalat in the Southern part of Vietnam).