I failed to mention in my last post that, upon reaching Hanoi, we finally got a reprieve from the heat and humidity of Cambodia and southern Vietnam. While still warm, Hanoi was way less humid and much more enjoyable.
The final leg of our journey included a two-hour bus ride from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay. Our ride included stops at a convenience store, including a vending machine of clothes, and Legend Pearl, a cultured pearl farm and showroom. We learned that their cultured pearl industry began in the 1960s after realizing the water and climate conditions were ideal for oyster and pearl harvesting. Today, Ha Long Bay produces 10 million pearls annually, making it one of the largest pearl-farming communities in the world. After learning about the implanting, harvesting, and extraction process, we toured the showroom full of beautiful jewelry featuring white, gold, and black pearls. I may or may not have fallen in love with a lovely necklace, but my husband reminded me that I had already purchased a piece of “jewelry” in Siem Reap – the silk piece of art that now blankets our living room floor!
Upon arriving at Ha Long Bay, we took a short ferry ride and transferred to the Paradise Grand, a Lotus Cruises yacht, for our weekend stay.
Home to nearly 2,000 towering limestone islands jutting high above its emerald-hued waters and spanning more than 500 square miles, Ha Long Bay is believed to be more than 500 million years old, with its iconic towers formed by the movement of tectonic plates over thousands of years. “Halong” means “descending dragon” in Vietnamese, named for the way these limestone mounds resemble the humps of a dragon moving fluidly in and out of the water.
After settling in and enjoying lunch with our fellow Inspirato explorers, we visited Viet Hai village, where some of us were transported by electric carts and others opted to bicycle to a local house that offered fish pond foot massages. If you have never experienced a fish foot massage, you must! As we plunged our tired feet into the small pond, dozens of mouth-sucking fish began to nibble away at our calluses and dead skin! Between the screams, squeals, and laughter, it was a memory we won’t soon forget!
The property also featured a small pond with a haphazard bridge made of wooden logs, referred to as "monkey bridge," that many of us ventured across. To my disappointment, there were no monkeys. The name reference was likely more to do with how you look trying to cross this thing!
Back on the ship, we were treated to the most beautiful sunset, followed by happy hour and dinner with our Inspirato friends. While other passengers were on the ship, 18 from our original tour group chose this extension, and Inspirato kindly reserved group tables for each lunch and dinner. While we thoroughly enjoyed interacting with everyone on the entire trip, the weekend with this smaller group allowed us to get to know one another even more. We can only hope our paths cross again on a future Inspirato Experience.
Saturday included stops at a fish genetics research farm – the only one of its kind in Northern Vietnam, and a visit to Ba Trai Dao islet featuring a sandy beach. Some kayaked, others swam, and the rest enjoyed the warm sun aboard the excursion boat.
After lunch, we continued exploring the area by cruising to the Tai Keo Caves, where kayaking was again available to those interested.
A word about the landscape we experienced while on Ha Long Bay. Photos can’t capture the beauty of this place. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and different from anything we’ve seen before in our travels. Yet, we found ourselves laughing at the sheer number of photos we took and acknowledged that the images would likely all look the same upon reflection back. Nevertheless, we clicked away with every chance we got!
It’s also important to note that this body of water was once sadly and heavily polluted with trash. However, with strides in recent years by the government to ban all plastic bottles and containers from any vessels on Ha Long Bay (and aided by the natural clearing that occurs from typhoons), the waters have become much cleaner. We only experienced one small area where litter was still an issue.
In addition to the incredibly fortunate weather we experienced, especially since a typhoon hit further south of us during our visit, the pace of this weekend was more relaxing. We had time to catch our breath, relax, and take in the beauty surrounding us. It was quiet, peaceful, and serene, quite the juxtaposition from the sensory overload and frenetic pace we experienced during most of our trip. I can’t imagine a better way to end our expedition-style trip than this!
Our final morning included a stop at Sáng Tối Caves, or Dark and Bright Caves, regarded as the most beautiful and interesting caves on the bay. They are formed from different limestone islands forged over time and contain large archways and stalactite rock formations. We were intent on getting all 10 of us (several opted to sleep in) in one boat – a boat clearly meant to hold 4-6 people. We tipped our boat rower well, which prompted him to speed us back to the dock just as rain settled in!
We transferred back to the marina, and a two-hour bus ride later – complete with two stops at convenience stores (again, think Vietnamese version of a Buc-ee’s), we arrived back at Hanoi for one final day before our departure home.
We spent a leisurely afternoon walking the streets of Hanoi, taking in the sights and sounds of the 36 Streets of the Old Quarter, and picked up a few last-minute gifts. We ended up at Colette French Bistro and Wine Bar for drinks and dinner. What a treat! The food was superb, as were the atmosphere and service. A perfect ending to a fantastic day and trip.
I had to take a pic of this precious Corgi happily riding on the footboard of this scooter!
As this travel journal of our Indochina adventure comes to a close, I’ll wrap up by saying how thankful we are for the ability and means to travel, as we believe it broadens our perspectives, minds, and hearts. And we’ve found lifelong friends with whom to share these journeys. Two were on this trip with us; others have joined us on previous trips. In our mind, there is no better way to enjoy these experiences.
Until our next adventure – coming in May 2025 from South Africa, thanks for joining us on our travels!
“A journey well shared is a journey well enjoyed.”
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