Halong Bay, the Thousands of Vietnam!
What is Halong Bay?
Heaven?
Halong Bay makes a pretty strong case for itself. It almost looks fake. Rest assured, it’s a tangible reality, with the scent of ocean water and misty air.
Image by Marina Lobato
The bay is a series of many, many tiny islands, off of northern Hanoi. It’s commonplace to arrange a boat trip there if you’ve made it to Hanoi. The boat trips have overwhelming variation. I recommend the less cruise-like options. With these, you’ll feel as though you’re in an old interactive postcard all the more.
(Cover Image by Filipe Freitas)
How to Do Halong Bay?
Boating includes excursions to some of the littler minute islands, swimming, and having a locally made smoky BBQ lunch on a small uninhabited island. We were cooked a camp-fire type meal of fish and spiced peanuts on a day-trip to a mini island and could bask in the waters with a background of jungled boulders situated above.
Image by Lewis Goetz
The bay has the title of World Heritage Site and it’s not a puzzle as to why. The boating excursions are all-inclusive and transportation from your place of stay can be easily arranged, often part of the deal.
The day to overnight excursions are reasonable but choose your boat wisely. Over recent years the draw of the bay’s beauty has overwhelmed the waters and to reduce an exploited situation, I suggest opting for something minimal.
Its Story
Deep within the annals of Vietnamese folklore lies a near forgotten legend about Halong Bay, this place renowned for its breathtakingly vistas. This tale recounts a compelling origin of the bay's iconic limestone karsts and literally thousands of islands.
Long ago, before the dawn of humankind, a celestial dragon named Long Vuong lived. Long Vuong had a home in the heavens, and ruled over the clouds and rain only. With his immense power, he had reign over the weather and delivered prosperity down to the lands below him.
One particular day, Long Vuong was soaring through the sky, and he spotted a group of invaders who were in earnest to pillage the peaceful village that existed by the coast. Filled with a protective compassion as well a righteous justice, the dragon descended upon the earth in armor to the innocent.
Image by Venus Major
A fierce battle followed suit as Long Vuong fought with valiancy against all of the invaders. He unleashed indomitable power and his breath of actual fire.
However, the invaders were strong and outnumbered him, Long Vuong weakened through the onslaught and fight…
To end the battle with an assurance of the village people’s safety, Long Vuong made a bargain sacrifice. With his last remaining breath, he dove down into the depths of the bay’s waters, the Gulf of Tonkin. He forged a magnificent barrier with his very own body. The invaders' ships were swallowed by the waves in this upheaval, and the village was spared their overtaking.
As this occurred, Long Vuong's body sank deep deep deep into the ocean and it transformed into the majestic limestone karsts and islands that now rise up comprising Halong Bay. The magnanimous formations emerge from the water, they resemble the dragon's own arching backbone, and the countless emerald islets represent his scales.
Legend has it too that the dragon's spirit resides rooted on the ocean floor of the bay. He forever guards the area and bestows good fortune to all who protect and visit. Even the low clouds that often sail over the karsts are said to be of the dragon's residual breath of his bygone power. And to remind us of his sacrifice from which this area was protected.
The enchanting legend offers an empowering perspective of Halong Bay. The mythical heroism enriches the landscape of those that came before, and those that continue to come after to the Bay that’s raised, erodes, and exists.
Image by Daniel Klein
My Intel
During the Bay excursion, we linked up with another couple of guys and altogether embarked on an excursion to a small island during a day-trip. That’s the cool thing about smaller-scale boating is that it’s not too overwhelming when it comes to being crowded with a ton of strangers. However, it’s intimate enough to where you’ll inevitably meet a few people during activities.
The Boat to Choose: Inodochina Junk Cruises!
The warmth of these boats provides place and pace to celebrate this culture’s core out on the waters of these islands in the sea. The rooms are wooden and splendid, they give a very rustic yet royal vibe.
Sleeping on the older boats is also fun. They’re not as solid on the waters as cruise-sized ships so prepare for that slight swaying motion. It’s genuinely rare to get seasick on these but it is a little rockabye baby.
We traveled for three days and two nights and it was sufficient to experience the islands as well as get a fun experience sleeping on the ship. Indochina offers a couple of options, the one I recommend is actually the two-day one-night option, while there is a similarly priced three-day and two-night option though the two-day boat is more extravagant in features than the three-day.
Both are great ways to experience Halong Bay in the junk boat.
Halong Bay, Image by Nguyễn Văn Đức
*Safety tip
Try to minimize the valuables you bring on the boat. Your hotel should have a safe or keeping and it’s better to reserve what you can on land rather than truck too much stuff with you boat-side. Also, sunscreen, ginger candy, peppermint gum, and Dramamine in case of seasickness.
Bottom line
Overall, the vista of Halong Bay is exceptional, affordable, and culturally unique. It’s a supreme addition to the immersion of Vietnam. It actually may be one of the premier reasons to trek to Vietnam altogether.
