We left Hanoi this morning for a 3-hour drive to Halong Bay where we booked an overnight cruise on the ‘Peony’. Halong Bay (aka ‘Land of the Descending Dragon’) consists of a unique network of limestone islands and mountains in the Gulf of Tonkin. The area is UNIESCO designated due to the limestone ‘karsts’ which rise out of the bay.
On the way to the bay, we stopped at a commercial oyster farm. Big business here! In spite of the ‘tourist trap’ vibe, it was really interesting to see the process by which the oysters are artificially inseminated and harvested for their pearls.
There are a lot of ships in the bay, too many, as this is a very popular vacation destination. Our ship is docked in the middle of the bay and we needed to take a 45-minute transfer boat to the Peony. Our ship worked its way through the limestone formations before setting anchor. Lots of folks set out in kayaks and swam from the boat. We watched and enjoyed the scenery. An enterprising villager in a small boat went from cruise ship to cruise ship hawking goods – snacks, beer, wine, etc. She used a long pole & net to hand up purchases and get cash in return.
Later, the ship cruised to a quiet spot in the bay before anchoring for the night. We had a hands-on cooking demonstration on how to make spring rolls, which we ate as an appetizer before having an excellent meal.
We met a very nice Australian family from Melbourne – Sam, Kelly, Cruise and Lucy. They did everything, including nighttime squid fishing! We had a peaceful evening until about 1AM when a ferocious storm came through with fierce thunder and lightning. I literally jumped up in bed (according to Dick). I thought the ship had been hit!
Mary