Day 6 — Hanoi → Halong Bay
Breakfast, early morning departure to, Ha Long Bay is one of the most spectacular places in the whole of Vietnam.
an estimated 1969 islands pepper Ha Long Bay itself, with a further two thousand punctuating the coast towards China. Ha Long disappointing, especially since this stretch of coast is also one of Vietnam’s more industrialized regions – a major shipping lane cuts right across the bay. The huge influx of tourism has, of course, added to the problem, not least the litter and pollution from fume-spluttering boats, but a sizeable proportion of tourist income does at least benefit the local communities. The winter weather is another factor to bear in mind; from November to March there can be chilly days of drizzly weather when the splendour and romance of the bay are harder to appreciate. Bar a clutch of gorgeous caves, conventional sights may be few on the ground, but even if you tire of the scenery there’s a lot to do in the bay – kayaking across the tranquil waters, swimming amidst the twinkles of phosphorescent plankton, or even climbing up a rocky cliff with your bare hands., I board a traditional wooden junk boat, which navigates through a myriad of islands, islets, cliffs, and rocks, within which caves open up where stalactites and stalagmites create the most extraordinary scenery. Lunch and dinner on board are based on fish and seafood.
