Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, is a chaotic bustling city; the roads are overflowing with motorbikes and there appear to be no rules of the road. It’s an amazing sight to see so many bikes on a 5 way junction all travelling in different directions and miraculously avoiding collisions. It certainly makes crossing the road an interesting experience!
In Hanoi we met up with our friends from home, Beth and Claire, who have come to join us for 3 weeks in Vietnam. We stayed in the heart of the Old Quarter where each street is named after the product it sells e.g. ‘Shoe Lane’. The local restaurants have child-sized plastic tables and chairs which spill out onto the pavement and street corners. From here it’s great to sit and watch the weird and wonderful sights of the city pass by.
Halong Bay
Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is often listed as one of the natural wonders of the world. We booked on to the Golden Sun 3 day 2 night junk cruise which visited both Halong Bay and the less touristy area of Lan Ha Bay. After a 3 hour drive from Hanoi, we boarded our boat and sailed through the bay, soon surrounded by huge limestone karsts protruding out of the blue waters. In the afternoon we visited Hang Sung Sot cave which has 3 chambers, each one larger and more impressive than the previous one.
We also visited Ti Top viewpoint which has 360 degree views of the bay. Unfortunately it had started to drizzle which meant the views weren’t as impressive as we’d hoped, but it did make for a rather atmospheric setting. The evening meal aboard the ship was incredible and included lots of seafood such as shrimp, squid and oysters. The food was abundant and we were all very satisfied by the end of the meal.
The following morning we sailed to Lan Ha Bay which was a much quieter area with only a few other boats. We kayaked around the bay and through arches worn into the karsts before pulling up on a small beach to play frisbee. Tonight was New Years Eve and after another delicious meal we drank and danced the night away. It was a beautiful place to see in the New Year.
On the last day we decided to give the early morning kayaking a miss. Instead, we opted for a lie in and a more relaxed morning as we were all feeling slightly worse for wear after last night’s celebrations.
Next stop: Ninh Binh, Vietnam
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