Being home to many spectacular caves and islets, Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Vietnam, is a magnet to tourists from all over the world. This is the second time I paid a visit there after around 7 years and except for the unchanged beauty of the bay, I had a totally new experience in just a one-day cruise on Halong Bay.
The distance from Hanoi to Halong Bay is approximately 170km, and it took me about 2 hours and a half drive, including the time for one stop during the journey (for the toilet haha). It was in June, one of the hottest months in Vietnam so I left early in the morning to stay away from the heat and enjoy the beautiful scenery on the way.
On my way heading to Halong Bay at 6 A.M!!!
The first stop was Sung Sot Cave ('sung sot' means 'surprizing' in English) which is one of the most popular caves in Halong Bay. It has a natural structure formed by stalactites and stalagmites in different shapes. The temperature inside the cave is always lower than the outside, and wetter as well so I felt like I was discovering a huge fridge! It took me around 25 to 30 minutes to finish this 10,000-square-meter cave following the tour guide's direction.
After having lunch and enjoying the peaceful view of the bay on the cruise, I got to the next destination - Luon Cave. I had two choices: kayaking or getting on a bamboo boat rowed by local people to explore Luon Cave. I was so excited to kayak but the weather was too hot so I chose the latter. I heard that there were many monkeys living here but unfortunately, I saw none of them :( But I still enjoyed this experience ^^
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The last stop before coming back to the port was Titov Island. Are you curious about the sound-like-foreign name of the island? I had searched on Google about the origin of the island's name and there really is a story behind it! It was named after Gherman Stepanovich Titov, a Russian cosmonaut who paid a visit to Halong Bay in 1962 with President Ho Chi Minh and fell in love with this place. When I visited this small island, I understood the reason.
Unsurprisingly, it was hard to enjoy the tranquillity during the tourist season but I was impressed by blue waters and white sand dyed by the ocean surf and the beach is shaped like a crescent moon. There were quite lots of activities to try such as swimming, kayaking, and sunbathing but I was a little bit worn out after a long day of exploring so I just trekked to the Titov peak. From there, I could see a panoramic scene of water, islets, and cruises.
Although the trip only lasted for 1 day, I felt like I was experiencing a lot of activities and having so much fun. There would be no better way to relax and calm down than living in harmony with nature. I would love to have a chance to come back to Halong again and spend more time on a food tour!
