Halong Bay

The trip at the top of our list for Vietnam was to sail on a junk overnight on Halong Bay.  When we arrived in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, it was clear that this is what most people come here to do – every single hotel, hostel, guesthouse and hole-in-the-wall travel agency sells these cruises.

Unfortunately, I think the sheer numbers of tourists means that the boat operators pretty much get away with whatever they want and once you are on board there  is nothing you can do about it.  Our boat was ok but certainly not what we were promised – the service was non-existent and the food barely average.  The weather was also against us – for our whole time in Hanoi it has been misty, cold and overcast and so the famous karsts of Halong Bay were pretty much hidden.  The kids however were telling us they thought  it looked like a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean which certainly gave it a mysterious, eerie quality!

Oh well, cruise done…  Now we’re back in Hanoi waiting for our Chinese visas. 

(Just a note about Chinese visas – anyone planning on travelling through Vietnam into China – you cannot apply for your visas at the embassay in Hanoi.  You can use a travel agent and pay a little extra in commission or apply in Saigon – allow 6 working days).