The shimmering bay of Ha Long with its magnificent limestone formations was the perfect setting for the start of my Vietnam adventure. When I arrived in Ha Long Bay I boarded the wonderful Heritage Line boat “Jasmine” for a 2-day trip to exploring this unique beauty spot.
First day, when the boat set sail into the Bay we have been acquainted with the facilities onboard.A delectable buffet lunch with a feast of choices was served in the restaurant. Savored our first hours in Halong Bay on the boat by simply letting for eyes wander around the scenery.
We arrived to the area of Cua Van, a floating shing village. From here we started to explore a cave, named Tien Ong, and the floating shing village. Tien Ong is the most recently explored cave, Showing evidence of human civilisation dating back to 10,000 – 8,000 BC. The cave is just 5 meters above sea level, 50 meters deep and covers 1,000 square meters.
The voyage continued to the shing village. With a small bamboo boat rowed by the local people we have moved around in the calm sea of this secluded area and got an insight into the village life
After returning to the boat we sailed to the overnight mooring area Luon Bo. During this time Halong Bay revealed its most magnificent beauty – called the “blue hour”.
Second day for early risers tea, coffee and pastries was available in the dining room. A Tai Chi class was offered on the sundeck to ease mind and muscles.
The boat sailed to Ti Top Island. By tender boat we arrived to this little landmass in the Bay. We had climbing up to the hill to the top of Ti Top Island from where we had stunning views over Halong Bay. It takes 400 stone steps up and about 20 minutes to the top with great panoramic views.
Halong Bay is a beautiful natural wonder in northern Vietnam near the Chinese border. The Bay is dotted with 1,600 limestone islands and islets and covers an area of over 1,500 sqkm. This extraordinary area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. For many tourists, this place is like something right out of a movie. The fact is that Halong Bay features a wide range of biodiversity, while the surrealistic scenery has indeed featured in endless Days