Day 9: Halong Bay

The train pulls into Hanoi at 4am. and we stumble down to the platform and find our pick-up back to the Handspan office. We have a leisurely breakfast and then join a group on a minibus for a 3.5 hour drive to Halong Bay, where we'll spend the night on a small cruise ship.

Land is expensive, so people expand their properties vertically.

Halong Bay is a vacation spot for international tourists and citizens of Vietnam. It's a port for cruise ships and various day trips are available too. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Little transport boats take us and our luggage to our ship, the Treasure Junk.

We didn't know what to expect, but the rooms are very nice. Ah, the familiar toilet - shower combo!

The food and service on the boat is great! A seafood salad, spring rolls and noodles for lunch.

Kayaks are tethered to the ship, ready for our afternoon adventure. We're given dry sacks for our camera equipment and the sky clears as we head out to the water. The water is beautifully serene as we glide around the towering rocks.

© Amy Lee 2013