Being home to many spectacular caves and islets, Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Vietnam, is a magnet to tourists from all over the world. This is the second time I paid a visit there after around 7 years and except for the unchanged beauty of the bay, I had a totally new experience in just a one-day cruise on Halong Bay.
The distance from Hanoi to Halong Bay is approximately 170km, and it took me about 2 hours and a half drive, including the time for one stop during the journey (for the toilet haha). It was in June, one of the hottest months in Vietnam so I left early in the morning to stay away from the heat and enjoy the beautiful scenery on the way.
The first stop was Sung Sot Cave ('sung sot' means 'surprizing' in English) which is one of the most popular caves in Halong Bay. It has a natural structure formed by stalactites and stalagmites in different shapes. The temperature inside the cave is always lower than the outside, and wetter as well so I felt like I was discovering a huge fridge! It took me around 25 to 30 minutes to finish this 10,000-square-meter cave following the tour guide's direction.
After having lunch and enjoying the peaceful view of the bay on the cruise, I got to the next destination - Luon Cave. I had two choices: kayaking or getting on a bamboo boat rowed by local people to explore Luon Cave. I was so excited to kayak but the weather was too hot so I chose the latter. I heard that there were many monkeys living here but unfortunately, I saw none of them :( But I still enjoyed this experience ^^
The last stop before coming back to the port was Titov Island. Are you curious about the sound-like-foreign name of the island? I had searched on Google about the origin of the island's name and there really is a story behind it! It was named after Gherman Stepanovich Titov, a Russian cosmonaut who paid a visit to Halong Bay in 1962 with President Ho Chi Minh and fell in love with this place. When I visited this small island, I understood the reason.
Unsurprisingly, it was hard to enjoy the tranquillity during the tourist season but I was impressed by blue waters and white sand dyed by the ocean surf and the beach is shaped like a crescent moon. There were quite lots of activities to try such as swimming, kayaking, and sunbathing but I was a little bit worn out after a long day of exploring so I just trekked to the Titov peak. From there, I could see a panoramic scene of water, islets, and cruises.
Although the trip only lasted for 1 day, I felt like I was experiencing a lot of activities and having so much fun. There would be no better way to relax and calm down than living in harmony with nature. I would love to have a chance to come back to Halong again and spend more time on a food tour!
