Halong Bay

Once again, I will travel back in time, back to Vietnam...

Day 1: After three wonderful months, we are sadly checking out of the Intercontinental. Eric's parents, David and Jane had joined us at this point.

While Pearce waits, I catch him pen in hand concentrating on a newspaper crossword puzzle. He really was trying. So cute.

Before leaving Northern Vietnam we had to visit one of Vietnam's natural wonders, the magnificent limestone islets of Halong Bay. The Bay covers an area of 1500 sq km, with it's 3000-plus islands rising from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. Ha long means where the dragon descends into the sea. Legend has it that the islands of Halong Bay were created by a great dragon who lived in the mountains. As it ran towards the coast, its flailing tail gouged out valleys and crevasses; as it plunged into the sea, the areas dug up by the tail became filled with water, leaving only bits of high land visible (thanks lonely planet).

We aren't the type of travelers who like guided tours. But in this case, with parents and a child, we decided the best way to see Halong Bay was on a two day historical 'junk' sailboat cruise. Everything is taken care, form dinning, sleeping, beach visits, kayaking, cave exploring, ect.

This is what a traditional Vietnamese 'junk' sailboat looks like.

All aboard. Pearce and Tutu. We set off into the open bay.

Pearce wasn't too sure about his lunch because it seemed to stare right back at him.

A few hours into our 'junk' adventure we stopped off at an island called Doa Titop, designed for a day at the beach.

Pearce, Papa and Tutu Phillips.

We rode wave runners.

We swam. Eric, Pearce and David.

And, hiked up the mountain top. This was a spectacular view. The little islands go on and on.

After couple of hours of playing on the sandy beach, we returned to the boat. Along the way to our destination, we didn't see anyone for hours. Then out of nowhere, brightly painted houses floated in small villages.

This is someones house!

Okay living in the middle of no where has to be hard enough. But to live floating in a tiny little house on the water in the middle of no where...I can't imagine.

Our Junk dropped anchor in the middle of one of the countless bays. Jagged limestone and lush green islands towered around us, and a few other junk boats, creating our own private cove. The whole gang decided to explore the area by kayak.

We kayaked through an eroded hole in the limestone.

A closer view of the hole to the other side. Then, we continued around the island back to where we started and continued past our junk to the other side of the cove. There, we found a long, low cave that revealed one of the most breathtaking places--a private water filled crater with hundred-foot sheer walls all around.

We jumped out of our kayaks and swam around. We felt like Columbus finding a new world.

The floating seven eleven store.

In the late Evening, we ate dinner and hung on the top deck enjoying the stars.We retired to our quarters, which also included a full bathroom and shower. And yes, that bed is as hard as it looks.

Day 2: Breakfast and more waiting to get to the next destination, Surprise Cave. Situated in the center of the UNESCO-declared World Heritage area, Sung Sot or Surprise Grotto is on Bo Hon Island, and is one of the finest and widest grottoes of Halong Bay.

The Surprise Cave or "Grotte des surprises" was given its name by a French explorers who discovered it in 1901. From the wharf, fifty steps lead up to the grotto entrance, which lies 25m above the sea level. From there you'll proceed on a 500-meter paved and lit walk way through three progressively larger grottoes each adorned with stalactites and stalagmites that take on different shapes, such as a dragon, tiger and penguin. You could fit several football fields inside the grotto.

The view from the cave's entrance.

At the side of the entrance, the rock seems to form the shape of a horse with a long sword. Legend has it, that after having defeated the An aggressors, Thanh Giong (Saint Giong) helped the population to chase away evil spirits and demons. After this feat, Saint Giong flew to heaven, leaving a stone horse and sword to continue to keep the demons away. Sounds good to me.

Inside the first chamber of caves being similar to a wide theatre hall. Many stalactites hang from the high ceiling. Eric and Pearce.


A narrow passage leads to the second chamber that is so immense it could hold thousands of people at one time. It absolutely lived up to its name!

On our way out.

Exiting the caves, hot and sweaty, we were rewarded with a spectacular view over the bay below. Wendi, Pearce, Eric, Jane, and David.

Still on our way down to the boat. The closest boat docked is our junk.

A few hours later we had lunch and the junk took us back to port. It was a sensational adventure. Pearce loved living like a pirate for those two days. Halong bay tours offer longer trips. But if you do this with kids, you may want to keep it short to spare them from dying of boredom. For us, it was a perfect way to end our stay in Northern Vietnam.