Yet another day in Vietnam started , we were going to Halong Bay for a 2-day cruise and had to pack a single small suitcase each for the cruise, leaving our big pieces of luggage behind.
After the complimentary breakfast, we left Hanoi for Halong Bay, which was 164 km away, it would take us 4 hours. We had a mandatory comfort stop, where I saw a big tanker and wanted a snap with it.
Ha Long Bay in the North-Eastern part of Vietnam, in the Gulf of Tonkin, a part of South China Sea is world-renowned for its stunning seascape of nearly 2,000 towering limestone karsts and islets formed over 500 million years ago, rising majestically from emerald-green waters and creating an amazing labyrinthine landscape.
As a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is famous for its breathtaking cruise experiences, hidden caves, unique floating fishing villages, and ancient geological history.
The name "Ha Long" translates to "descending dragon," originating from a local legend that dragons created the islands to protect Vietnam from invaders.
When we reached the destination, we were taken to the Ha Long Pearl Centre. In the workshop, we found pretty girls with beautiful glassy complexions, sitting with oysters, pearls and their equipment placed before them and we were shown how the oysters get the pearl seeds planted and then sown back into the bay, under careful observation, they are harvested years later.
We watched the sorting, grading and matching required to create pearl jewellery. Akoya, South Sea and Tahithi are said to be the best pearls.
Before 1893, only natural pearls were available, In 1893 Kokichi Mikimoto succeeded in producing the first cultured pearl, from 1998 Vietnam started pearl implantation technology.
We were then taken to the showroom where thousands of pearls were displayed, in all sorts of colours, shapes and lustres. The largest one was 20 mm and apparently took 8 years.
Pearls which are used to make jewellery also increase the power of the moon. A pearl represents gentleness, love, a pleasant family life, and most importantly, a balanced mind, mental stability, strong and healthy heart, better fertility and eyesight.
Basically, two types of pearls are available, freshwater and saltwater. Freshwater pearls are cultivated in artificial lakes, whereas saltwater pearls are discovered in the sea. Saltwater Pearl is regarded as the greatest and highest-quality gem.
Pearls are white, blue, silver, and gold. Most women choose white pearls. South Sea pearls are undoubtedly the biggest and most exquisite saltwater pearls. They are difficult to grow because of restricted cultivation space.
Because of its funny size, the baroque pearl is fittingly referred to as the comical king of pearls.
Basra pearls are magnificent natural masterpieces and are unique since they can only be found in the Persian area. Tahitian pearls are naturally black and are the world's second most valuable commercially cultivated pearls. They come in stunning black, dark grey, and peacock colors. Akoya pearls are certainly the most popular and farmed saltwater pearls. .
We waited in the waiting room at Tuan Chau Harbour and got onto the speed boats also called junks which regularly depart from and return to Tuan Chau Harbor and in half an hour we reached our cruise the Lotus D'Orient a Luxury Cruise
Our luggage would directly be placed outside our room, we assembled in the dining area for a welcome drink, and meet the captain and crew to get a brief introduction about the cruise and safety guidelines.
The crew of the ship were all young Vietnamese boys and girls, very courteous and helpful. We completed the check-in procedure and went to our cabins to freshen ourselves up.
Our cabin was indeed big and spacious and more importantly, there was a big balcony where I could sit and stare at the vast expanse of water around me. Being a Cancerian, something about water excites and simultaneously soothens me.
Lunch time arrived and all of us gathered for lunch. By then, the ship started sailing, and we could see the other ships laden with tourists and a lot of fascinating rock formations go by.
The cruise menus typically featured a multi-course fusion of Vietnamese seafood, local specialties, and Western dishes, served in buffet or set menus. Typical meals included fresh spring rolls, grilled seafood (squid, oysters), salads, curry, and traditional desserts, with breakfast offering pastries, fruit, and pho, cucumber salad with dressing and steamed shrimp and crab, fish, chicken, rice, fresh fruits and Vietnamese tea and coffee.
At 3 pm we shifted to the speedboat to visit Ba Trai Dao beach, one of the cleanest beaches. We arrived to find tall green lime mountains with thick foliage and deep caves surrounding us, the water was cool and emerald coloured.
Some of our fellow tourists got into the water wearing life jackets and most of us did kayaking, 2 per boat.
After a speedy ride in the speedboat around the Halong bay where we could see thousands of towering limestone hills and thick green forests with the exotic caves, we came back to the cruise ship to watch a cooking demonstration by our cooks, there was a general sense of camaraderie and relaxed feeling among all, which only comes with being on a ship with no chance to leave it whenever one feels like.
As usual there were the "happy hours”,we took plenty of snaps with everyone and soon, it was time for dinner.
We were treated to a delicious dinner with local food prepared by our efficient cooks, it was an excellent experience to eat food on a gently rocking ship looking at other ships around us. Slowly lights started to flicker on in all the ships including ours, it looked as if the Halong bay was a new bride gradually adorning herself with precious jewellery, indeed the night views of Halong Bay were incredible.
I was reminded of our visit to Milford Sounds at New Zealand which was a very memorable trip, though not so crowded as this bay was.
After dinner, some of us joined for Karaoke and some for squid fishing, we relaxed on the sundeck, soaking in the terrific atmosphere.
We were called for the herbal foot soak treatment, where hot water was poured into wooden buckets, traditional Vietnamese herbs (such as ginger, mint, and cinnamon) were added, and we relaxed with our feet immersed in the buckets for almost half an hour.
Thoroughly relaxed, we retired to our rooms to sleep like babies.
The next day I woke up early, to see the sun rise. Slowly, the clouds started parting, giving way to the sun, the birds woke up with chirping sounds.
I could see small boats being pedaled by middle aged women, selling commodities like cool drinks and chips packets, seeing me, one lady signaled asking if I wanted to buy anything, I just smiled and nodded no.
There was Taichi demonstration for 15 minutes and a light buffet breakfast at 7 am, with freshly prepared eggs, bacon, sausage, pastries, yogurt, cereals, and Vietnamese staple items like Pho Bo (beef and chicken noodle soup).
We were then taken for rowing in a bamboo boat to explore the landscape, which was entirely a different experience compared to the one in the speed boat. We could see the Dark & Bright Cave (Lan Ha Bay border), Vung Vieng Fishing Village, and Trinh Nu Cave,
Expansive, stunning caves like Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave), which features impressive stalactites and stalagmites were there but unfortunately, as we had gone on a senior citizen tour, we couldn’t see inside the caves.
Luon Cave on Bo Hon Island in the southern part of Halong Bay is the most popular, iconic spot to start kayaking in Halong Bay, offering calm, enclosed lagoon waters surrounded by limestone cliffs, often with monkeys visible.
We passed by the cave but could not enter as we were in a rowboat, and only those who were kayaking could do so.
What makes these caves particularly special is their diverse geological formations, these caves showcase millions of years of geological activity, resulting in stunning stalactites and stalagmites that create natural architectural masterpieces.
Many caves, such as Tien Ong Cave, contain archaeological evidence of ancient Vietnamese civilisation, including stone tools and pottery.
Several caves are associated with local legends and folklore, such as the romantic story of Trong (Male) and Trinh Nu (Virgin) caves, which face each other across the waters.
According to folk legends, passed down through generations, once upon a time in a poor fishing village, there was a beautiful girl who, due to economic pressure, was forced to marry a rich landlord as a concubine, but she firmly refused because she already loved someone else.
The angry landlord ordered her to be exiled to a deserted island. Going through long days of hunger and despair while waiting for her lover, she turned to stone during a fierce storm. The young man heard the news and went to find her, but also met with disaster and turned to stone in the opposite cave.
Virgin Cave (Hang Trinh Nu) still preserves a stalactite shaped like a waiting girl, while the opposite Drum Cave (Hang Trong) has a stone statue believed to be the embodiment of the young man, facing towards Virgin Cave. These two caves have become unique natural symbols of spiritual value to the local people .
By 9:30 am, we were back in our cabins to pack our luggage and leave it outside the door. We had time to take some pics on the sundeck while our cruise ship was returning to the docking place.
By 10:00 am, we completed our check-out procedure and enjoyed a light buffet lunch at the restaurant while the cruise returned to Gia Luan Area.
Finally we got off the cruise and got on to the Tender Boat which took us back to Tuan Chau Habor.
We were then picked up by our bus driver who had our luggage in the bus and we proceeded to Hanoi airport for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
