Halong Bay Bliss: A Magical Cruise through Northern Vietnam’s Limestone Wonders

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Adrift Couple Leave a comment

The couple of days on the cruise ship in Halong Bay in Northern Vietnam were truly magical with the constant sight of hundreds of limestone islands jutting out from the sea. Oh, what a natural wonder!

Since the moment I saw pictures of The Halong Bay with its mysterious rocky outcrops rising out of the waters, I had oh so wanted to visit this mesmerizing and wondrous marvel!
Not wanting to keep this on the bucket list forever, Achal and I ended up here on his birthday week.

We were lucky to be blessed with clear weather and not too many tourists (I had also seen photographs of the limestone islands shrouded in mist and the waters flooded with cruise boats!!)

During the days we kayaked in the open sea, under the rocky outcrops and through the caves and grottoes while also visiting one of the inhabited islands, Cat Ba and the Viet Hai Village.

While in the evenings we indulged in jacuzzi baths and massages to ease our aching muscles and later enjoyed sundowners on the upper deck with twinkling lights from the other ships forming a romantic backdrop.

The endearing stories of the dragons descending from the heavens and spitting out emeralds and jade which turned into the islands and islets to form a protective wall against the invaders to save the people of Vietnam.

However, it would have been just perfect if we had had the choice of Indian food as well!
Most of the overnight Halong Bay Cruise companies offer transfers from Hanoi to the Halong Bay Marina waiting lounge (2.5 hours). From the Marina a high speed tender transfers to the main cruise boat (Around 25 minutes). Choose to stay for a duration of 2 nights so that you can enjoy this experience truly by visiting the nearby Cat Ba Island and Viet Hai Village, Cycling and Kayaking in the open sea!