Skip to main content

Timeless Charm.......Northern Vietnam (Part 1): Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay.......mystically calm
A wet day.....the scenery of 4 hours journey from Ha Noi to Ha Long

The Ha Long city mainly lies on Hạ Long Bay which is located 178 km east of Hanoi. Vịnh Hạ Long or Ha Long bay (means "Descending Dragon Bay") is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 and located in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. Believe it or not...... this bay is also listed as one of the New Wonders of Nature.

The cruisers at Tourist Pier, Bai Chay



Just a gentle reminder, if you wish to visit Ha Long Bay from Ha Noi, do arrange with appropriate travel agent in Ha Noi, or you can communicate with me to get a cheap and professional cruiser agent contact. Trust me, they are cheap and good for door-to-door service. The minibus transferred from Ha Noi Old Quarter was around 0800-0830 and we reached Ha Long Bay around 1230. The lunch was served  straight away when the cruiser start departing from the pier. After the long transfer from Ha Noi, the simple seafood and vegetables lunch was more than enough.....and delicious too.

The partners in crime.......the Italiano, the Malay and the English


The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes. Ha Long Bay is a center of a larger zone which includes Bái Tử Long bay to the northeast, and Cát Bà islands to the southwest. Hạ Long city is divided into two parts: East Hạ Long and West Hạ Long. The eastern part is also known as 'Hon Gai', where most of the official buildings and industry are concentrated, is connected by bridge with the western part which is also known as 'Bai Chay', considered to be more of a tourism attraction. The tourist pier for  boarding the cruiser is located here too.

The fighting cocks....the symbol of Ha Long Bay








Ha Long Bay covers an area of around 1,553 km square, including 1,960–2,000 islets. The limestone in this bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments especially wind and water. The evolution of the karst in this bay has taken 20 million years under the impact of the tropical wet climate. At the time I visited Ha Long Bay, the weather was gloomy with rain on and off, so I did not manage to capture the magical moment as I wish. Nevertheless, the scenery was breathtaking.



While cruising around the bay, the cruiser stopped by at one of the fishing village. We were allowed to go for kayaking or transfer to a bamboo boat to explore the village and close surrounding. The water is crystal clear, very calm and good for swimming too, if you booked for the overnight cruiser the latter will be permitted.

The fishing village






The geo-diversity of the environment in the area has created biodiversity. Historical research surveys have shown the presence of prehistorical human beings in this area tens of thousands years ago. Some of the remaining can be seen in the caves or grottos. One of the popular grottos includes the "Dong Thien Cung" or the Heavenly Palace Grotto. The interior of the grotto was so beautiful however, the surrounding crowds from other cruisers have triggered my migraine.....too many people. Thanks god this was the last stop for the day cruiser tour. 

The Heavenly Palace Grotto





The tourist boat reached the tourist pier again at around 1630 and directly bound for Ha Noi. Do not try to arrange your own transport without the help of the local.....you’ll get a severe headache. All in all, Ha Long Bay is one of the must see nature wonder.....recommended!

Ha Long Bay, the fishing village and rainy day


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Converting Bedside Table to a Portable Wash-Stand (IKEA Hack)

What to do if a ready made furniture is not able to fit in the space that is available? Your choice will be either build a customised furniture or hacking a furniture for a different purpose. Hacking a furniture will cut almost 70% of the work required to build a customised furniture from zero.  Here, I share a step-by-step process on one of my DIY weekend projects converting bedside table to portable wash-stand. What will be required for this project? Tools (e.g. saw, metal ruler, hand drill), sand paper and brushes for wood work, base furniture to be hacked, water-resistant paint and metal knob. STEP 1. Get some ideas on the design and materials by visiting several furniture galleries/shops. For example here, the idea was from an IKEA wash basin base cabinet, Lillangen. The material mainly particleboard, which might not be that suitable for Malaysian humidity and bathroom practice. For that reason, I choose solid wood material the project. The dimension of the IKEA...
8 comments
Read more

Cinnamon Pear Cake

Another baking project for the weekend....."Now anyone can bake". Open my refrigerator and saw two pears that are still firm, just thinking what to do with them. Cake! but how to incorporate the pear with cake? So I just browsed the internet to look for recipe.....looking at what I have some adjusments here and there.....below is the final recipe. For pear topping: 2 medium firm-ripe pears (photo 1, peeled and sliced, photo 2), 1/2 cup of melted butter with some honey. For cake: 1 1/2 cups of plain flour 1 1/2 tsp. of baking powder 1/2 tsp. of ground ginger 1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. of salt 1/2 cup of whole milk 1 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract 120 g of butter, softened 1 cup light brown sugar 2 large eggs Preparing the baking pan and topping: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 180°C. Butter the bottom and sides of a 22 x 5 cm round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round baking paper and butte...
1 comment
Read more

The City in the Japanese Imaginary: Osaka, Japan

The Osaka Castle This is the last post for Japan Tour which covers the Metropolitan Osaka. Osaka is the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and the largest component of the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Japan with over 19 million population. This historical merchant city located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay. Osaka has also been known as the "nation's kitchen" and during the Edo period served as a center for the rice trade. A view of Osaka from the highest building in Japan, the Abeno Harukas A bird eyes view of Osaka at night To save some budgets, I bought the Osaka Amazing Pass (Y2500 for 1-day; Y3300 for 2-day) which comes with a complete guide and map. This pass covers all metro and bus connectivities within the city and fees for major attractions such as Dotonbori River Cruise, HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel, Osaka Museum of Housing and Living, Osaka Science Museum, Tsutenkaku Tower, Osaka Tennoji Zoo, Osa...
1 comment
Read more