Our recent Uniworld holiday includes renowned Halong Bay.
The coach-ride from Hanoi to the Gulf of Tonkin introduces us to Vietnam’s lush countryside. At one point, we sight farmers at work in their leased rice paddies. Some still cultivate their little plots with water buffalo; others plough larger tracts with small tractors. And teams of women hand-plant rice seedlings in flooded plots. “Our tropical climate permits three crops annually,” guide Tri explains. “Farmers produce enough rice for their families and sell the surplus for export.” Unexpected ancestral burial shrines dot these farmlands, splashing green landscapes with pinks, yellows and maroons.
Halfway there, the coach stops in at a modern cooperative. Tri jokingly calls these restroom breaks ‘happy room inspections.’ Most of us browse the splendid silk merchandise, including handmade tapestries depicting Vietnam’s iconic scenery. A few snack on ice-cream bars.
Legs stretched, we roll onward. Sighting the Bay, Tri tells us, “Its nearly 2,000 monolithic limestone islets cover over 1500 square kilometres. Long attracting locals, a World Heritage designation in 1994 revealed its unique beauty worldwide and initiated plans for preserving the pristine natural environment.”
At Bai Chay Harbour marina, Tri shepherds us onto Paradise Elegance. This classy French colonial-styled ship features polished hardwoods, lustrous brass fixtures and wrought iron railings. Our cabin proves comfortable and spacious. Windows frame views of towering islands blanketed with thick jungle vegetation.
In the upstairs salon, a buffet lunch fuels afternoon excursions. Small sampans first whisk us to Bo Hon Island’s concrete dock, in the middle of Halong Bay. “French explorers discovered Sung Sot Caves in 1901,” Tri states. Joining the crowd, everyone patiently climbs the 600 stone steps upward. Through the small entryway, the cavern opens up, becoming higher, wider and increasingly spectacular. No wonder it’s nicknamed Surprise Caves.
Dimly lit pathways wind through vast, cool chambers. Walls glitter. Stalactites drip from ceilings; stalagmites rise from the floor. Crystalline pools sparkle. Using his laser, Tri shows us formations resembling an elephant, horse, flower and tree.
Back aboard Elegance, afternoon tea refreshes. Hubby Rick and a few hardy shipmates head for Ti Top Island, named for a Russian cosmonaut. “Tackling 200 steep steps up Bai Tu Mountain, I likely shared the same island vistas Gherman Titov loved when he visited in 1962,” Rick reports. “And back down at the white sand beach, a swim cooled me off.”
During happy hour, cookery lessons on the sundeck delight. Chef teaches volunteers like Rick to make vegetable spring rolls; everyone eagerly samples their creative results. Signature national dishes highlight our sumptuous dinner. Passing through the bar later, we belt out a few golden oldies before retiring to our cabin.
At dawn, we snack on dragon fruit, pastries and lattés and meet fellow Tai Chi keeners on the sundeck. Surrounded by tranquil waters and mystic formations, we gently stretch our limbs. Then, overstaying leisure time on our balcony, we miss our ride to Bon Hon Island’s opposite shore. Luckily, a later sampan rescues those like us who linger in otherworldly quietude.
Soon catching up with shipmates on a floating pier, we all board a flat-bottomed bamboo boat. Young oarsmen propel us toward Luon Caves. Passing under a limestone archway, we emerge among other boaters and kayakers in a beautiful lagoon. Near the rugged shore, Tri points out several of the 50 resident monkeys playing and scurrying along a steep slope. Swinging down through dense foliage, some perch on a platform offering fruit.
Our wondrous experience aboard Paradise Elegance reveals Halong Bay’s magical world. Returning to the marina, we adventure onward.
See www.uniworld.com for more on Vietnam, Cambodia, the Mekong and other itineraries.
