i booked our halong bay day tour in advance through our hotel. we really didn't have much time if we still had to scout a good deal when we reached hanoi. luckily for us, our hotel booked a wonderful tour and it turned out to be a value for our money.
we were picked by our tour van from our hotel which was quite convenient. then, it picked up a few more along the way before we finally went on our journey. most in our tour group had availed an overnight cruise while the rest which included us, only opted for a day tour.
we had two enthusiastic tour guides, one for the cool overnight group and another one for us, the day-trippers!
at the start of our commute, this one guide entertained us with some tidbits about vietnam like how vietnamese love their coffee and claim it to be the best in the world. he also talked about the three reasons why vietnamese won during the vietnam war: help from other communist countries, their unity and patriotism, and their leader that time, ho chi minh.
with everything he said, all i could think of was this kind of nationalistic pride is something to be proud of. who would love first a country other than its very own citizens?
when we arrived at halong bay tourist wharf, we, the day trippers separated from the rest of the group. actually, we were only 6 including our tour guide and to put out the excitement, we didn't have the boat for ourselves. haha
we even initially decided to have our own table but we were then asked to share the table with the other two, as the other groups from different travel agencies arrived.
the tour included a good lunch but rather unfit for the german woman who's a vegetarian and a pakistani who doesn't eat meat. :(
so, better specify your meal restrictions ahead.
after our lunch in the boat, our first stop was the fishing village in halong bay. it amazes me how these villagers can live in the bay all their lives. they even have their own school built on the bay! and they only take shelter in the mainland if there is a typhoon.
one amusing info told by our guide was the kids here learn how to swim first before they learn how to walk. for a non-swimmer like me, that is a very splendid idea! like very. lol
one amusing info told by our guide was the kids here learn how to swim first before they learn how to walk. for a non-swimmer like me, that is a very splendid idea! like very. lol
we stayed in the village for quite a while, just enough time to do kayaking around the area or do a quick tour on a small non-motorized boat. my cousin and i opted to remain on the dock while eva did her kayaking. we chose to content ourselves with the scenery upon us but our tour guide was too persistent in convincing us to take the small boat tour.
and we were glad that we heeded his advice! it cost us 6USD each and somehow with several more tourists availing the tour, i hope this value could go a long way for these villagers.
the man who paddled our boat didn't speak even a single word of english. he only made some gestures to get across what he was trying to say. he even mumbled in approval if he caught a good glimpse on the preview of our cameras, as we clicked and clicked like there's no tomorrow.
the immense size of the karsts towering over us, is so breathtaking that it made me imagine that they had eyes watching us -- the minute humans. it took millions of years before these natural structures become what they are today and to be in the midst of them was truly an experience!
when our quick tour was almost done, we passed by a boathouse with a father and his son playing cards. they seemed to be engrossed on what they're doing at that time, oblivious or maybe already used to the presence of curious strangers.
our next stop was at dong thien cung cave which is also known as the heaven cave. the cave was so massive that we found ourselves milling inside with many other tour groups. there were designated spots where our tour guide pointed his laser pen towards the ceiling so that he could tweak our imagination. he then explained what a certain stone formation was supposed to be which was otherwise unapparent for our clueless eyes. we then, uttered our "ahhs" in astonishment after we shaped the stones in our minds.
with how weird i sometimes become, the cave reminded me of disney sea because i remember the cave of ariel, the mermaid to be also this colorful. just so you know, those are artificial lights giving a different splash of colors to the cave.
this must be an ongoing expansion on the dock to accommodate more boats, carrying tourists bound to visit the cave. i hope they finish it soon enough because a crane is off against the beauty of the bay.
we weren't listening to our guide when the boat slowed down for us to admire those iconic rocks. we were ecstatic with our own business, taking in everything around us with the cold breeze caressing our eager faces.
did he just say that these are called kissing rocks to one in our group? yes, i guess he did. it's also known as kissing cocks which is a little weird.
four hours went by so swiftly and our boat then returned to the tourist wharf before sunset. oh, those red vietnam flags dancing in the winds make such a contrasting and pretty sight, don't they?
--
Halong Bay Day Tour
Halong Galaxy Cruise (Booked through our hotel)
Price per person: 35USD
5USD for kayaking if paid in advance. Price in the fishing village is a few dollars more. I can't exactly remember how much.
o-O
No comments:
Post a Comment