The Beauty of Descending Dragons

“Search the globe and you will find no other place that looks remotely like this.” -Anthony Bourdain on Ha Long Bay

It’s gorgeous. Seemingly endless. One of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ha Long Bay is an unbelievable and expansive bay filled with nearly 2,000 limestone islets.

In Vietnamese it means “descending dragon”. The story goes that long ago when the Vietnamese people were fighting off foreign invaders, the gods sent down a family of dragons to help protect the people. The dragons spit out jewels and jade that eventually turned into islands and islets, protecting the land from enemy ships.

Today, it is THE tourist destination in Vietnam, and after taking an overnight cruise around the bay, I can see why.

After a 2.5 hour bus-limo ride from Hanoi, I boarded the Hermes, a 5-star luxury vessel with 18 individual cabins. Onboard we were welcomed with a nice lunch buffet that included some amazing grilled oysters topped with crispy onions that paired so perfectly with a glass of chardonnay.

Following lunch, I checked into my room, which was classy and comfortable, replete with a jacuzzi tub, and a nice sized balcony for lounging around and looking out at the thousands of limestone structures and islands dotted in the aquamarine waters of the bay.

Our first activity of the afternoon was a visit to a pearl farm to learn how pearls are produced from oysters (I’m not big on jewelry, and I prefer oysters on ice with mignonette), followed by a short kayak excursion. I know how sore my arms get after kayaking, and considering the sweltering heat that day, I decided to avoid kayaking and instead hung out on the deck of the pearl farm sipping an ice cold coconut. I kept my life jacket on just in case however.

The next stop was Titov Island, a quaint island with a small beach and optional viewpoint hike, named after a Soviet astronaut and personal friend of Ho Chi Minh. The island was the perfect place to have a beer, and take a swim in the majestic waters of Ha Long Bay.

After a short ride on the tender back to the Hermes and a hot shower, it was time for a sunset happy hour on the top deck. There were some nice canapés- including a delicious smoked goose breast cold cut, cocktail specials, and a divine sunset beautiful enough to quell all of one’s worries for a time.

After a few cocktails it was time for dinner, which came with a set course menu: a colorful little salad, some creamy pumpkin soup, a perfectly cooked piece of seabass with a creamy lemon sauce, and beef steamed in bamboo stalk served with a glutinous rice cake.

I struck up a conversation with the couple seated next to me, Daniela and Alejandro, who were on an epic month-long honeymoon. Daniela was born and raised in CDMX, and eventually moved to Madrid to live with her Spanish born husband. After dinner, since none of us were particularly interested in squid fishing, we sat on the top deck speaking Spanglish and having a few drinks while exchanging tales of travel, intoxication, and the idiosyncrasies of the Spanish language (both Spanish and Mexican).

The next morning after breakfast, we tendered off to Sung Sot, the surprise cave. It’s a hike to get in and out of the cave, and with the heat and humidity it is not for the faint of heart, but it is amazing.

The cave features 3 chambers, each one more impressive than the last. The beauty of the different stalagmites and stalactites throughout the cave are a thing of wonder. Our guide pointed out some specific structures that looked like various animals, human faces and body parts, as well as one structure that resembled the overall layout of Ha Long Bay.

After the hike out of the cave, it was back on the boat for a little lunch, then checkout time.

If you come to Vietnam and don’t see Ha Long Bay, you’re doing it wrong.