Vietnam has gone by really fast, but at the same time I feel like we have been in Vietnam for around one month ... it has only been 2 weeks. The past two weeks have been packed. We have done a lot, learned a lot about history, and we have gone on a lot of tours. Before Halong Bay, I wanted a rest. I didn't want to go on any more tours and I just wanted to stay in one place for a few days. Tola and I even questioned whether or not Halong Bay was really worth it, but we decided that we should go; indeed, Halong Bay must be one of Vietnam's treasures for a reason ... so we went ...
I didn't have any real expectations when we began our journey to Halong Bay. Tola and I had heard about many scams that can happen to tourists when they visit Halong Bay, so we tried to enter with open minds as we went for it. It didn't take very long before we realized how fortunate we were going to be during our three days in Halong Bay.
After driving for four hours, we made it to Halong City. Then we got onto our "junk" along with 16 other foreigners who would be in our group for one night. The junk we stepped onto was far from junky as we made our way through the beautifully refurbished boat. The boat had three stories and could house 16 tourists and about 8 staff people. It was wonderfully decorated, and Tola and I became ecstatic .. we had never expected to be on such an amazing boat in Halong Bay.
As we made our way through the bay, we had a wonderful welcome meal. Eating on the boat allowed us to taste some Vietnamese seafood and other delicious dishes. It was wonderful, and I suddenly felt like I was in a completely different world. Immediately Tola and I met some wonderful people. A couple from France, an American girl, and another Italian woman. The six of us seemed to bond right away, so we kind of had a little group during our time on the boat. It was fun getting to know new faces and hear about where everyone had come from back home.
The sun began to shine magnificently on the boat as soon as we left the harbor in Halong City. It was breathtaking as we made our way through the gigantic limestone cliffs of Halong Bay. As the boat ventured forth, the bay became larger, and I was mesmerized as large bays continued to open up around every corner. As Tola and I sat on the top deck of the boat we didn't really speak to each other. The two of us seemed to be taken away by the beauty in front of us. Sitting and imagining, I became so thankful that we made the decision to visit Halong Bay.
During the remainder of our first day in Halong Bay we visited a massive cave within some of the cliffs. It was the largest cave Tola and I have ever been to, and we really enjoyed looking at all of the stunning formations within the cave. After our Halong Bay cave experience, Tola and I (and the rest of our group) headed back to the boat for the rest of the day. We spent a little bit of time kayaking through the bay, but we soaked up our time on the boat as much as we could. A lovely and unforgettable evening was spent on the boat with some delightful people.
On the morning of day two, Tola and I had to say goodbye to most of our group as we continued our adventure through Halong Bay. Almost everyone headed back to Halong City after one night on the bay, but a few of us had decided on more exploration. The moment after our goodbyes was one of my favorites of our Halong Bay trip because we stepped from our large boat onto a smaller boat. Then we took a ride through the cliffs for a couple of hours. The sun began to shine again and our boat ride took us through some of the most scenic sights I have ever seen.
After our boat ride we got off at a small island, and e spent a couple of hours biking along small paths on the island. It was calming to listen to the sounds of nature and look up at the mountains around us. Time went by quickly as we rode through the countryside and we soon found ourselves back on the small boat.
We made one more little trip in the small boat before relaxing in our little bay. Our little trip took us to another small island where a group of monkeys were hanging out. After exploring the beach, Tola and I decided to take a little hike up the cliffs (on a path). The view at the top of the cliffs was spectacular and well worth it. Tola and I made our way down the cliffs after we finished enjoying the unbelievable view. I was the leader as we walked down and as we turned the corner, there was a larger monkey standing in the path. I screamed because I was really surprised, and the monkey kept coming towards us. Tola and I stepped to the side to let the monkey pass .. we didn't want to get in its way even though it seemed quite laid back. We ended up running into another monkey on our way down, and seeing these monkeys in their element fit right into our day. I wasn't as calm as Tola was during the experience, but now the stories are fun to tell. :)
Next the small boat took us to a smaller bay about one hour away. When arriving our guide told us we would be sleeping here for the night, and Tola and I again became surprised by what was in front of us. As we walked towards the shore, a small white sandy beach stood in front of us. There were a few gorgeous bungalows along the beach and there were not many people in sight. I felt like I was in a movie (I have felt like this a few times during our trip) as we walked along the quiet beach to our tables set for lunch. Throughout our trip, we really enjoyed our guide, and he ended up being very generous to Tola and me. He always made sure we were comfortable and he really helped us have a great time in Halong Bay.
Resting was a big part of the rest of our day. We settled into the beautiful setting around us, and we had an evening to admire the area around us. Tola and I also took another kayaking outing, and we were able to enjoyed the bright sunset. Enjoying the sunset as we kayaked around the cliffs was the perfect way to end another evening. If you look closely at the second to last picture, you can see a school of flying fish in the middle of the picture. The fish were amazing!
After two nights it was time to head back to Halong City and Hanoi. Sitting on the boat deck allowed me to think of the past few memorable days on Halong Bays. The views surrounding our boat were just as spectacular as our boat headed back towards the mainland.
Halong Bay was a wonderful way to end our time in Vietnam. Our three days were incredible and they are probably days that will really stand out at the end of the next couple of months. The more we travel through Southeast Asia, the more I am impressed. Asia is such a big part of the world, and I know I am so fortunate that I am able to experience many beautiful places within its boundaries.
Northern Laos is beautiful, and after riding on a shaky "VIP" bus for 4 hours, we came to the stunning town of Vang Vieng. The roads in Laos are a lot better than I had imagined, but they still are very windy. Taking them seems to be worth it though because the roads lead to the unexpected beauty of a wonderful country.
We were excited about heading North of Vientiane, and we became even more excited when we actually arrived in Vang Vieng. The beautiful little town sits right on a river, and it overlooks an area of of limestone mountains. From our hotel we experienced some of the best views of our trip so far, and the natural area that surrounded us was mesmerizing. We immediately grew fond of Vang Vieng because it was relaxing and very convenient. There were countless restaurants and the people were very friendly. The people of Laos seem to be much more laid back than any place we have been so far, and it is so refreshing as everyone appears to be so happy.
During our time in Vang Vieng we rested, relaxed, and enjoyed the outdoors. We spent mornings on a little porch overlooking the beautiful mountains and evenings walking through the small town. On our second day in Vang Vieng we went out with our guide named Kham. Kham is around our age, so he became more of a friend than a guide, and we had a lot of fun as he took us around the surrounding area of Vang Vieng.
First, Kham took us to four caves within the limestone mountains. Tola and I had a unique experience because it was the two of us and Kham and our torch lights. The three of us went into the caves and our small lights guided us through the pitch black corridors within the limestone mountains. At times the darkness felt a bit eerie, and I was thankful that we didn't stay in the caves for too long. During the Vietnam War the people of Laos often hid in caves, and today one can see the names of people written on the cave walls. People hid in two of the caves that we visited, so we saw hundreds of names written on the cave walls. It was amazing to think that hundreds of people spent time hiding in the caves, and it really wasn't that long ago.
My favorite cave of the day was the "water cave." It is a cave filled with water, but one can sit on a tube and float through the cave. Once in the cave, Tola and I pulled ourselves along a rope and we floated along the water. At one point our guide led us through an area where we waded through the water and it was quite the cave experience. It was amazing to think that there are hundreds of caves in the Vang Vieng area today, and the formations inside of them are beautiful.
After the caves, we visited a Hmong Village located outside of Vang Vieng. Kham was able to tell us many stories about the Hmong people, and it wasinteresting getting first hand information. Kham told us that about ten years ago the Hmong people and the Laos people did not get along, and they would fight each other right outside of Vang Vieng. Kham told us how he was a scared 10 year old during this time, and how he has a lot of bad memories from the time of unrest. He was happy to tell us that everything has been resolved for now, and the Laos and Hmong people have a good relationship today.
Our final activity of the day was tubing on the Vang Vieng. Every year thousands of foreigners travel to Vang Vieng for tubing, and this really means for "partying" along the beautiful riverside. As we got into our tubes we could see the gorgeous limestone mountains on one side and numerous riverside bars on the other side. Tola and I stopped twice to experience what the fuss was about, but I mostly enjoyed taking in the amazing scenery.
I was happy to find that the bars haven't taken over the entire riverside yet, and one can enjoy a quite ride down most of the Vang Vieng River. I still find it a bit weird that foreigners travel across continents to party in another man's land, but perhaps I am just getting a little too old, haha. :) Kham told us that the people who reak benefits love when foreigners come to Vang Vieng, but others prefer when foreigners are not so obnoxious. Tubing down the Vang Vieng ended up taking over 3 hours. It was a wonderful way to enjoy the area of Vang Vieng, and I am happy that we were able to experience the amazing river and mountains.
Vang Vieng has been a great stop. Tola and I are now excited about heading to Luang Prabang, but it will be difficult to give up the views of the limestone cliffs. We have heard from many that Luang Prabang is one of Southeast Asia's best cities, so we are really looking forward to it!
