Halong Bay


We embarked on our journey to Halong Bay with Ocean Tours. After a bus ride and boat ride, our group of eleven boarded the junk boat which would be our home for the next 24 hours. The group consisted of a few Americans and many Dutch travelers. The junk boat was splendid: lounge chairs on the top deck, private rooms with ensuite bathrooms, and a community dining room. 
As we sailed further into the bay, we were stunned by the enormous rocks protruding from the water. Included meals were delicious and doled out in very generous portions. 

Following lunch the first day, we kayaked through the light and dark caves. Upon returning to the boat, we continued on to a quiet section of the bay where the boat anchored for the night. 


We partook in a spring roll prep class followed by a refreshing swim in the bay prior to dinner. The following morning, we continued on to Cat Ba Island's National Park where we trekked up to a lookout and viewed mountains in many directions.
 Halong Bay remains one of our favorite places in Vietnam. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Xiao Liu Qiu (琉球嶼)

Image
Flower Base Rock Xiao Liu Qiu is a coral island off the western coast of Southern Taiwan that is known for walking snorkeling, biking, and walking trails along the coral coast. Getting there proves to be a bit of an adventure. From Kaohsiung Main Station, take the exit on the side with the Metro. Walk past the metro and turn left on the main street. Continue about a block and a half until you see the Ibus sign. Here you can buy your round trip ticket to Donggang (190 NTD per person). Take Bus 9127 or 9127A. Note, the first bus departs at 6 a.m. The bus ride to Donggang takes 60-90 minutes depending on traffic. Once you arrive in Donggang, walk about 12 minutes to the High Speed Ferry terminal across from the Hua Qiao Fish Market. To get there, go to the intersection with the hospital and walk west until you reach the bridge. Then, turn left and keep walking. There are many different ferry companies operating out of the terminal. We picked the one which offered the next ferr
Read more

Xitou Recreational Area (溪頭自然教育園區)

Image
By taking an hour and a half bus ride into the mountains, we enjoyed a day in the woods. Xitou Forest is beautiful with multiple paved paths, hik ing trails, and a monster village. It was so much cooler (23 degrees C instead of 34 degrees C in Changua). We had a great time hiking, breathing in the clean air, forest bathing, and enjoying the fog. The hike up to the observatory was great training, but unfortunately the fog eliminated the view. We were told you could see Sun Moon Lake from here. We took the train to Xinwuri Station in Taichung. At the station, we went to exit 5 where the Tourist Pass for Xitou which included round trip bus fare and park entrance for 400 NTD (~$14 USD) is sold. The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus / Nantou Bus Company which runs the Xitou Route was very organized and gave each person a number as their place in line, so we didn't have to worry about boarding. August is a very popular time to go as it is much cooler in the mountains. We waited about an
Read more

Bakery Culture

The baked goods, like all food in Taiwan, are delicious; however, the bakery culture differs significantly from that of Europe or North America. Instead of stopping by the bakery in the morning, people in Taiwan swing by after work in the evening to pick up freshly baked treats to consume the following day. If you come in the morning, there are very few items remaining. When we walk in, we grab a tray and tongs. All signs are in Chinese, so we take a blind guess and wait to discover what is inside of our pastry bounty. As we join the line to pay, we are so busy taking in what everyone else is purchasing, that we forget to get our money ready. The bakery line is an efficient, well-oiled machine. Think Sinfield’s Soup Nazi—only an incredibly kind, patient people working behind the counter while the foreigners hold up their line. They wait as we dig out our change and even congratulate us with a treat as we attempt to say the total in broken Mandarin. Then, the delayed gratification begi
Read more