Jagged silhouettes command the horizon, and only the sound of rippling waves pierces the tranquil silence. As we glide through Lan Ha Bay towards the enchanted emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, I feel as if I have ventured onto a different planet.
Fueled by strong Vietnamese coffee and breakfast pho, we bid adieu to lush Cat Ba Island at the crack of dawn. On this misty morning, my tired eyes soak up the sublime scenery with wonder. Despite the overcast skies, this natural paradise is anything but gloomy.
Having heard horror stories of overnight boat trips gone awry (rats? Seasickness? Food poisoning? Count me out...), we opted for the cheapest day trip we could find while still on Cat Ba Island. While I never wrote down the name of the company we chose, we saw that most day trips were essentially the same.
Despite being a type-A planner with a tendency to book everything in advance, choosing a cruise at the last minute worked out in our favor. After scouring the different tours advertised along Cat Ba's main road and choosing the best price, we opted for a route that started from Cat Ba, took us through the less crowded Lan Ha Bay, cruised through Ha Long Bay, docked in Ha Long and brought us back to Hanoi by bus.
Though our trip was interrupted by a surprise boat change once we crossed into Ha Long Bay (and naturally, as soon as I had snagged the best viewing spot on the first boat), the journey still blew me away. While it was no luxury cruise, in Vietnam it's still possible to get a high-quality experience on a tight budget.
With its colorful floating villages and otherworldly karst giants jutting out of the water, Ha Long Bay's ethereal seascapes look like they're straight out of a dream (or a Dalí painting). As we sailed past the surreal limestone sculptures, I couldn't stop smiling. For the rest of the day, I was positively buzzing with euphoria.
Have you ever been to Ha Long Bay?
What was your experience like?
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