Day 1 – May 18
Yesterday, May 17, we took a 9.5 hour day train from Sapa to Hanoi, which I wouldn’t recommend (stick with the overnight train, even if you don’t get any sleep). Once we got to town, we spent the night at Calypso Grand Hotel, which was perfect for what we needed – a clean place to lay our heads. The following morning, May 18, we were picked up at 7:45am by Indochina Junk and made a 4 hour journey by air conditioned van (with WiFi!) to Bai Tu Long Bay via Halong Bay. This was a total splurge for us as we decided to go with Indochina Junk’s newest 5 star cruise line, Dragon Legend, consisting of 24 luxury cabins, 4 levels with both inside and outside restaurants, a spa, bar, sundeck area and other entertainment options. For one night, it came to $424 total but that included 4 meals (lunch, dinner, breakfast, lunch), lodging and a few activities. Way above our $160 a day budget but when in Vietnam I guess. Given the boat we slept on in India had rats and cockroaches running around, we figured we had to spend more to get more. And the final selling point for this company was that they took us to Bai Tu Long Bay, which is far less touristy, far less visited yet just as beautiful as the infamous Halong Bay.
We boarded the Dragon Legend around 1pm and were not disappointed from there on out. It was clean, new and had great Vietnamese accents to make it feel authentic. The crew was extremely welcoming, funny and all seemed genuinely happy to be there. Their names were classic as well – Spider Man, Paul, James Bond, Nancy. I’m pretty sure their birth certificates say something different but these are probably much easier for us foreigners to pronounce. I, do however, wish the weather was a little less overcast and a little more sunny but as long as it doesn’t rain, I’ll be happy. Fingers are crossed and positive vibes are radiating through my body.
Our room with a view…
As soon as everyone settled in, we headed up to the outdoor restaurant on the main deck for an incredible 6 course meal. I was overly impressed when they were able to conform to each individual’s weird eating habits, including mine. Since I don’t eat fish or red meat, they replaced it with either chicken or a vegetarian dish but still gave it to Vinny so we were both beyond satisfied. A few examples of what was served – sweet & sour soup, chicken with koji berries, sea bass, prawns, stir fried cabbage, crab cakes, bananas and pineapple, etc. Not only was our lunch first class but the views as we cruised along the bay weren’t too bad either. Someone pinch me, I feel like I’m dreaming.
While cruising from Halong Bay to the Vung Dang and Cong Dam areas, we noticed so many jellyfish in the ever so green(ish) blue(ish) teal(ish) water. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Can you spot them in the photos below? They were everywhere. On that note, what kind of fish goes well with peanut butter? A jelly-fish!!!
Now that our food has digested and we needed to work off the thousands of calories we just ingested, everyone went for a fun filled hour of kayaking along the stunningly beautiful Karst Mountains in the Vung Dang area. Just like before, there were tons of jelly fish all around. Vinny kept trying to tip me over (semi-jokingly) but not very funny in my opinion. It was so hard to row our boat while still enjoying the picturesque scenery around us. No photos can properly do this place justice. Absolutely breathtaking.
After the hard workout, we rewarded ourselves with some beers on the top deck, enjoyed the scenery that surrounded us and relaxed until the sun went away and the moon came out to play…
That night, they served us yet another first class 6 course meal that included papaya salad, fried prawns, squid, pork, chicken satay, cream caramel, etc. The outside restaurant was set up beautifully with white table cloths, red rose pedals, candles and wine bottles in various formations. A lovely young couple from London, Hannah and Chris, probably in their mid 20’s, sat next to us at dinner and we just kept talking and talking and talking until the staff pretty much kicked us out around 11pm. I just love meeting new people.
That night, we slept peacefully in the Tra San area, with absolutely no sounds surrounding us. It was so quite, so tranquil, so different than the loud cities we are used to.
Day 2 – May 19
I woke up around 6am to join a few other people on the sundeck for some Tai Chi lessons. Trying to be as cultured as possible, you know? It was so hot and humid though, even this early in the morning. The minute I turned on my camera, the lense immediately fogged up. But with the sound of birds singing and the feeling of the limestone cliffs hugging you, it was quite a mystical moment. One that doesn’t happen all the time.
They served a light breakfast at 7am in their indoor restaurant. With a view, of course.
Then we set sail (literally) to Thien Canh San Island where we went cave exploring…
And then went kayaking, swimming and hung out on the beach of this very tiny little island. For the first time in my life, I was part of the cool kids group and was able to sit in the area reserved only for the rich and famous. Felt good. While hanging out, I met a girl from Los Angeles (I know, how boring). But she had a very interesting job. She worked for an agency that put on events around the world that focused on barista championships. Yes, barista. A coffee maker. Well, more than just a coffee maker I guess. The word barista is an Italian word, and in Italy, a barista is a male or female “bartender”, who typically works behind a counter, serving hot drinks (such as espresso), cold alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks. I didn’t even know competitions like this existed but I guess they do. And they seem to be quite popular as well. She was 40 years old but didn’t look a day over 30 – must be all that yoga she does and all that coffee she drinks.
This fabulous 24 hours ended with yet another delicious lunch on the boat. I am pretty sad we only did one night but most people told us one night would be enough. And if we weren’t on this 5 star ship, I’m sure that would be true. But given the amenities and top notch experience we had, another night would have been just as enjoyable. Oh well, better to have loved and lost than to have never loved before. Does that saying even work here? A bit of a stretch but you get what I mean, right?
We arrived back to Hon Gai Pier around 11:30am, piled back into the luxurious air conditioned van and headed to a local village for a traditional water puppet show that told various stories of Vietnamese history including rice plowing, marriage and family.
Halong Bay, (meaning “Descending Dragon”) although a UNESCO World Heritage Site title and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, seemed crowded, kind of dirty and very touristy from a distance. I highly recommend opting for Bai Tu Long Bay instead. I promise you won’t be disappointed. According to ancient legend, Bai Tu Long Bay is one of the Dragon children of Halong Bay so in our language, it’s younger, fresher and more hip.
This was the fifth stop on our Vietnam journey and it continued to support how much I love this country so far. Hopefully our last stop, Hanoi, can bring home the win with a 5 out of 5 rating. See you there!
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