From Hanoi, we took an overnight cruise on Halong Bay. Everyone who goes to Hanoi should take a trip to Halong. A few hours away, it is an incredible combination of natural beauty and silence compared to the rushing motos and oncoming traffic of Hanoi. We scoured town for the best deal, having to decide between a 2 or 3 day trip. We ended up using Tony, at our hotel, because he had built such credibility with us and promised he was giving us the best deal on his “favorite” boat. But, as we have learned, low expectations lead to pleasant surprises.
So we were impressed by the quality of the room when we boarded one of the many beat up well-loved junk boats. Classy.
We were also pleased by the amount of tasty food the chef prepared for us.
And by the beauty of Halong Bay despite the boat traffic jams and thick fog.
And the serenity of the sunset from the top deck.
And the hilarity of dancing to another passenger’s karaoke tunes.
And the joke that is “squid fishing.”
And the amazing-ness of the Amazing Caves (literally the name translates to Amazing Caves).
And the far-fetchedness of the rock names, like this one “Fighting Cock Rock.”
And when we found out we had paid more than some and less than others on the trip, we were pissed. It almost ruined the experience, and we were mad at Tony for tricking us into believing him. But, it’s Vietnam and people want to make money. So instead of sulking, we approached Tony about our disappointment and he immediately rectified the situation and honored the lower prices when we got back to his hotel. We were impressed by how he handled it, and our relationship has continued to blossom!
The only draw back to Halong Bay was the fact Joshua lost his sunglasses in the Bay. He jumped back onto the boat from a kayak, and they flew off his head and sank to the bottom of the ocean much like the necklace in Titanic–painfully slow. So we watched as the only pair of real Ray-Bans in SouthEast Asia claimed a stake in history as a part of Halong Bay. They had made it so far on the trip (he actually bought them for a Halloween costume in 2008–see our Mission Bike Messenger costumes below), but now a piece of us lives on at this World Heritage Site.
redshirtliving 
You will visit and appreciate one of many holy
temples within the site. A small thing perform on our tours can certainly produce a massive difference, so everyone
at Origin Travel, we attempt healthy to reduce the impacts while giving maximum enjoyment out of your traveling
experience. Sharing bed with parent is going to be
charged 50% the adult tour price. A great
tip to have best reduced prices for Halong Bay holiday cruises in case you have an
extended trip as well as your group has about
four persons plus much more, you must find some tour operators
in Hanoi and send a request in their mind and get those
to provide finest offer. Greet the brand new day with many Taiji exercises as being the sun
rises within the bay.
I savor, cause I found exactly what I used to be having a look for.
You have ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man.
Have a great day. Bye