Limestone peaks decked in greenery rising out of the crystal
clear waters of the Gulf of Tonkin make you want to believe that Halong Bay
lives up to the meaning of its name, descending dragon.
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| Halong Bay |
According to legend,
a family of these beasts sent by the gods came down from the sky
spraying enormous pieces of jade from their mouths to create a natural
defensive wall to protect the new nation of Vietnam from its enemies. These
gems eventually transformed into islands and peaks. Once the war was over the
family stayed on Earth. Halong Bay is where the mother settled.
En route we had a taste of everyday life in the country
as we passed by rice paddy fields and even stopped in a few villages.
We had seen pagodas and temples built centuries ago but Halong Bay is what
stopped you in your tracks.
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| A home on the water |
A Unesco World Heritage site for over 20 years, this beauty
is one of the country’s major tourist attractions and, like us, many visitors board a luxury junk
boat for an overnight cruise.
After a delicious seafood lunch, we sailed around some of
the islands on a small boat. Luckily, we did not stumble upon any dragons.
However, we did see fish swimming in the water. We saw floating villages,
temples, fish farms and watched as people traded with each other. We visited
hidden caves that were inhabited by people thousands of years ago. The whole
place seemed to be full of mystic and magic.
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| Old caves |
Then it was time to return to the boat and take in a cookery
class before enjoying a glass of wine while watching the sun set over this
magnificent setting.
Dinner was leisurely and there was a good choice of food
including plenty of fresh fish.
Time went really quickly. There were many
interesting people on board with tales to tell. There was even a chance of
trying your hand at fishing before bed. (Anything caught went straight back
into the sea.) For early risers, there was a Tai Chi class before breakfast.
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| Halong Bayis the perfect respite to the hustle and bustle of Hanoi |
Halong Bay is the perfect respite to the hustle and bustle
of Hanoi. After being lost in a tranquil world of beauty and stone statues for
a day and night, it was time to return to
reality.
By Daralyn Danns
Halong Bay is about a four-hour drive from Hanoi
I cruised with Bhaya Classic Halong Bay bhayacruises.com
