Day 84 – Halong Bay
Up for breakfast and to start the bus journey to Halong.
3 hours that we didn’t expect, stupidly thought Halong was right next to Hanoi!
We booked a 2-night luxury cruise around Halong Bay.
A nice way to finish our South East Asia trip.
We boarded the Le Theatre Cruise ship.
It’s actually more like a floating hotel. It doesn’t actually cruise very far!
We take a day boat for an hour before reaching the ship.
We seem to have the best room on the ship – thank you Simon @ Travel Agent Hanoi!
It has a great balcony and even a bathtub with views. (Albeit we get a lecture on minimising water use before we board as all water needs to be brought aboard… so pretty but pointless).
Great room, a little bottle of wine and fruit to welcome us. Love it.
The first day we opt to ‘lounge’ on the decks and watch the water and the iconic landscape.
We get the chance to make some fresh spring rolls before we head to get ready for dinner.
Dinner is a proper affair – with the most amazing seafood platter – with clams, oysters and sea bass.
Really delicious and surprisingly we both ate it given how ill we had been a few days before.
Day 85 – La Han Bay and Viet Hai Village
We are up very early and off the ship and go to La Han Bay for a bike ride to a wee village.
Loving the cycling by now – bikes have baskets and there is a nice clear concrete path.
Smiles all round.
The village is supported by the government, residents are paid to stay and ‘perform’ for the tourists.
Includes a fish spa from the 2000’s – but it’s a good one and it’s a bit of an experience, we enjoy it.
Get to visit a traditional farm house where I meet a large spider in the loo.
And we see but not taste the snake wine!
The place is stunning.
Swimming (or sun bathing in my case) in the afternoon.
Having seen what is floating in the bay I opt to watch Pete instead.
It’s then back to the ship for pretty much the same schedule of the fresh spring roll class and dinner.
All in all a great wee trip and a great way to finish our Vietnam experience.
