December 4th, 2024
On the suggestion of our friend, Gaye, we booked a three day two night cruise on Bai Tu Long Bay. Most people do Ha Long Bay but it’s apparently super popular, so very busy, and the former is quieter and more pristine. (Note: our guide told us later that there can be 500 boats in Ha Long Bay while, you’ll only find about ten on Bai Tu Long Bay.)
Bai Tu Long Bay, situated to the northeast of Vietnam, is a part of the larger Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spread across an area of approximately 157.83 square miles, Bai Tu Long Bay is home to hundreds of islands, most of which are uninhabited. The islands are limestone islands and schist islands, an ancient image of the terrain with a geological tectonic age of about 300 million years, due to the process of uplifting and lowering many times from the continent to the sea basin. The process of Karst erosion and weathering creates a special form like a watercolor painting created from the sea and islands. On the rocky islands of the bay, there are also karst caves, which people used as a shelter for ancient ships during rough seas. Bai Tu Long Bay is a more sustainable and ethical alternative to the popular Ha Long Bay. Most of the bay is developed as a wildlife reserve, and tourism activities are restricted.
Tidbit: Bai Tu Long means bowing down to the dragon’s children.
We had to be at the cruise terminal in the city of Ha Long by 11:30 so we had a leisurely morning getting exercise, showers, tea time and packing done. We caught a Grab to the terminal in time to meet the rep from the cruise line. Most people taking this cruise coming directly from Hanoi by a bus linked to the cruise company but we had chosen to come a day early and get our own hotel and the travel agent booked yesterday’s transport for us as well. We will be taking the provided transport after the cruise to Hanoi. The weather was great yesterday with mostly sunny skies and today looks the same. Let’s hope it lasts for the 3 days on sea!
Our rep met us and we had to wait until 12:20 when our tour guide, Vic, arrived and then we were walked over with the ship’s captain to the tender where we boarded with our luggage and were taken to the boat. We went directly to the dining area and were given a welcome drink and Vic explained a few things while they took our luggage to our rooms.
We are sailing on the ship Renea, which has 14 rooms on three floors. We booked a suite on the middle deck and it is only one of two with a balcony (reminds us of our river boat in Egypt!). There is one dining area and a rooftop sun deck. We have a queen bed and a single, a jacuzzi tub in a separate room and a bathroom with a shower. There is AC and three windows as well as French doors to the balcony. It’s got a lot of dark Chinese looking wooden features.
There was NO safety briefing; we were just told there were life jackets in our closets, a hammer (in case we needed to break a window) and flashlight! Vic gave us an itinerary for the afternoon and then we were released to go to our rooms and come back at 1:15 for lunch. We got some nice shots from our balcony before heading to the dining room. (We are on the same floor as the dining room.)
The spectacular scenery begins pretty quickly and it was really hard for Fran to stop taking photos!
Lunch was a sit down meal that consisted of about 7 small courses including dessert. It was quite tasty but too much food – we had stated we were vegetarians so the veggie dishes were just for us.
We had about a half hour free after lunch before we were taken by the tender to a spot to get kayaks and then we went off for about a half hour around the karst islands sticking more or less with our guide. They were double kayaks and Fran was glad to have Doug in the back steering.
After returning to the tender, they tied up all the kayaks and we could jump off the boat and go for a swim. The water was a little cool but quite welcome after the kayak ride.
Upon returning to the ship, we had time to shower and relax before meeting at 6pm for happy hour. It was buy two drinks get one free so Fran enjoyed 3 piňa coladas; beer was not included in happy hour.
Before dinner, the Chef – Huan, came out and showed us how they make flowers out of vegetables: carrots, peppers, cucumber, radish and chilis. He made it look quite easy and they are beautiful creations.
Dinner was served on the roof sun deck since it was not windy and not too cool. This too was sit down with several courses and good.
After dinner there was a game time but we chose to return to our room. The night sky was clear and there was a sliver of a moon out.
We met several people; four others from Canada, Quebec to be exact, a couple of Dutch ladies, 3 Italians in the room next to us with the other balcony; a very nice couple from the Philippines (Christine & Renato); 3 from Israel, at least 8 Ozzies and a few Brits. Many of them were only doing the one night cruise.
Day two started with a tai chi lesson at 6:30 after the sun rose which Fran took part in – the class was actually delayed a bit as we wanted photos. Vic gave us a lesson on the 8 moves of Vietnamese tai chi (apparently Chinese tai chi is harder and the sequences are 3 times longer at a minimum). This was a nice way to start the day.
Breakfast was served at 7 and the people on the one night cruise, took off on the tender around 7:45 for the nearby island to visit a cave.
The were 9 of us staying for the two nights and at 8:30 we were picked up and taken to a “day boat”.
We were then taken to the ancient fishing village – pretty much the only one left in the area as the government moved people to the mainland when tourism blossomed in this area. A few were allowed to return and they are fisherman and pearl oyster farmers. Their children go to school on the mainland and they sleep during the day and fish at night for squid and more. There homes are on rafts and they have dogs to “guard” their homes during the day. Here is a photo taken of the village from an angle we couldn’t get:
We were taken in two groups of four in bamboo boats around the area for about 45 minutes – a lovely ride in the peace and quiet and beauty of the islands. It was nice to have such a small group today instead of the 30 or so we had yesterday. Our guide, Tony, spoke very good English and our day was wonderful.
There was one floating vendor in the village when we were there:
Here the two boats are more visible after they’ve dropped us back at the dock:
On the ride we’d saw the pearl farms:
After We were shown how they “plant” pearls in the oyster shells and then shown a pearl shop for things to purchase (only one group did purchase something for their grandmother – pearls are not Fran’s thing) and then we returned to the boat for lunch which was okay.
After lunch on the boat, we all changed and were taken to a kayaking dock. As we paddled around, Tony caught a fish with his hands!
Tony took us out kayaking for about 45 minutes where we made a stop at a cave known in English as “Teacher’s Cave” because in the past it was used as the only classroom around when fisherman lived on the water in these islands. We got out of the kayaks to learn about it and take a walk inside – it goes in about 100 m.
We then kayaked another 30 minutes to a beach and after beaching our kayaks, we were able to go for a swim which felt great as the sun was hotter today and it was nice to cool off. The kayak back to the boat after 20 minutes or so took about 10 minutes and there we were given fresh fruit and could order more drinks and we felt it was beer time!
The day boat then took us back to our ship after we paid our drink tab and tips.
A new group of people had arrived on our ship to do a one night trip and they were just finishing lunch when we arrived so they were setting off on a kayak/swim trip like we did yesterday. We had the opportunity to join them, of course, but we’d had enough of sitting in the kayak ourselves. These ones had no backs on the seats and both of us felt it in our groin area. The rowing itself was not hard and we were usually the front of the pack but it was the sitting in that position and we both felt that our hands had had enough too.
We retired to our cabin, showered and sat our on deck enjoying the scenery. Fran did some typing and Doug went off for a hot stone massage around 3. (Massages are not Fran’s cup of tea.)
The day was mostly clear skies and nice temperatures and it was really a great day. We went upstairs for happy hour and met a few of the new guests. We had dinner with a couple from Stouffville, Ontario where we have friends but they are younger than their kids. We enjoyed a pleasant dinner with them before retiring to our room.
Friday we awoke to mostly cloudy skies and Fran decided to skip Tai Chi in favour of watching the cruise through the narrow water ways between the karst mountains that she wasn’t able to enjoy during the class yesterday.
After breakfast, we got in the tender and went to a nearby mountain where there is a cave about a third of the way up. There is a landing area and a staircase up to the entrance.
The cave is a good size with many stalactites and stalagmites although many have been damaged over the centuries.
At the exit of the cave there was a lookout but it had a few too many trees to great really good shots:
But if you stood on the side you could get this:
We returned to the boat just as it started to rain and had until 9 am to pack up and leave our bags outside our room in the hallway. We had already packed before breakfast so we sat and enjoyed our balcony for 40 minutes. We are so lucky to have had the good weather we had yesterday as today the water is choppy today and overcast.
They took us to the harbour and served us brunch there; bills needed settling, tips needing paying and then we were taken by tender to the cruise terminal. Here we waited for our arranged transportation to Hanoi. It was a 9 seater mini van again which made only one stop on the way and we were at the hotel by 2:45 pm. To see more photos of our cruise (and there are lots!) click here.
For many, many more photos of our cruise, check out this link.
Tidbit: Hanoi means “city located within the river”.
Here at the Silk Moment hotel, we paid $209 for five nights; we had a king suite with private bath, a fake balcony, Wi-Fi, a fridge and a kettle as well as sitting area. It’s an older building right in the heart of the Old Quarter where many of the sights are located.
After unpacking, we spent some time online and then went for a walk to find dinner. We ended up on Beer Street – yes, that’s a thing and we found a vegetarian place. Here we met a young couple from the US, Liam and Chloa who were traveling Southeast Asia. They were just finishing up so they turned their chairs around to face our table and we chatted over beer and our dinner.
As we were eating, we saw Harry and Karissa pass by and said “hello”.
Next morning Doug did his long run – ten times around the lake (ten miles) and Fran exercised in the room. Then we had the helpful lady at the front desk find Doug a dentist outside the touristy area and he took a Grab over there. (he’s been experiencing some pain with cold food the past few days.) Turns out he needs a root canal and maybe a crown – at least we’re in a cheap place to get that done. He had the root canal done right away and has to go back tomorrow and then on Tuesday as well if the crown is needed.
Fran went for a walk, enjoyed a Cong Ca Phe coconut coffee, bought a few drinks and items we needed and walked a bit around the local lake. On the weekends it’s closed to traffic so a much more pleasant walk as there are NO motorbikes to dodge or horns to hear right behind you.
Last night Fran noticed that her wedding ring was cracked on the inside. She has three rings saudered together; one is the engagement ring, one is the wedding band and one is the second band Doug have her for our tenth anniversary. She had stopped at a jeewelr’s on her walk but they don’t do repairs but did recommend a street to find one. She couldn’t find it on her phone but our hotel receptionist did and we walked over there when Doug got back. The first place we went to said “on the corner” so we walked over there and yes they could fix it in one hour for $4! We left the ring, went for a walk and came back an hour later, it was done and all shined up. Great deal.
We returned to our room for a while and went out around 5:30 to find dinner. Fran was craving pizza and found a highly rated one that we walked over to. They mostly take reservations but they said if we could order and eat within an hour, they’d give us a table. Done. The place is three stories tall. The pizza was very good and we’ll probably go back.
Sunday after our morning routine, Doug returned to the dentist and Fran once again walked around including the lake but skipped the coconut coffee as it’s cold drink and today it’s overcast and only 16C / 60F and a bit damp so it feels cold. We have no warm clothes with us so we’re wearing our rain jackets against the wind.
Fran spotted a bat trang pottery shop. This is made in the village of Bat Trang, 13 km / 7 mi away and it’s quite famous. We don’t have a lot of room and we don’t buy a lot but she bought two small sauce bowls with nice pictures on them for less than $5.
By then she was cold and returned to the room to wait to hear from Doug. The plan this afternoon is to go to the “Train Street” not far from our hotel to sit at a coffee shop and watch the train speed through the narrow space between the houses. The street is lined with houses, shops, cafes, and lanterns. Tourists can enjoy coffee on the sidewalk and take photos. The tracks were built by the French in 1902 and the buildings were built by the Vietnamese.
Turns out Doug couldn’t make the train after all so Fran enjoyed a mango coconut smoothie while waiting and chatting with an American couple seated beside here. Just before the train arrives a woman yells something and everyone must clear the track and then you hear the train horn and it passes by. The 11:52 am train showed up at noon and lasted about 15 seconds as it went by the guests seated within a metre on either side in the coffee shops. It’s an exciting and cool experience.
That afternoon she did some more shopping (items that are cheaper here than back in Australia like toothpaste, etc.) and Fran found a fellow on the street who makes rubber stamps with your name on it so we had one made for our granddaughter.
For dinner we met up with Christine and Renato at the pizza place. Fran had arranged with the hotel reception to get us a reservation. We took a local pedi car to get there.
It was a very pleasant dinner and we enjoyed ourselves getting to know them better. Hopefully one day we’ll meet again as they love to travel as much as we do.
Monday we skipped the hotel breakfast and tried to catch the viewing of the earlier train than yesterday but the spot Ffran walked up to the tracks on yesterday was blocked by police who told us to go all the way around. We didn’t really have time for that and the train came by. So we opted to try again for the 11:50 train. In the meantime we went to see some sights.
We saw the Presidential Palace that was not accessible.
Then the new Assembly Hall (parliament) built in 2009 after the old one was torn down.
We walked the Ho Chi Minh Square and Mausoleum.
We then tried to get to his home on stilts but there was a fee which we felt wasn’t worth it.
Around the block was the War Memorial which was very different to any we’ve ever seen:
We were very close to the Imperial City and royal residences but we had seen the one in Hue so we skipped it but did try to see the main gate:
At the Ticket office they had the displays set up:
The Flag Tower outside:
We returned to the Train Street and found a place to sit, have some lunch and wait for the train. Fran enjoyed the famous Egg Coffee:
The drink is made by beating egg yolks with sugar and condensed milk, then extracting the coffee into the cup, followed by a similar amount of egg cream, or egg yolks which are heated and beaten, or whisked.
It was quite rich tasting but yummy!
Doug had his sneakers cleaned real cheaply while we waited for the train:
The train passed by just after twelve and seemed a bit longer than yesterday but it’s hard to say. It was not quite as busy people wise.
Yesterday when Fran walking around she actually saw some of the running shoes that Doug loves so much: Hokas – turns out they are made here in Vietnam! She had pinged the location on her phone and we went over there and Doug bought two pairs for less than $60 – they are normally over $150 each!
We did a bit more shopping, bought some food for dinner and returned to the hotel. Doug had another dentist appointment at 3:30. Fran decided to get another pedi (including removal of the gel polish and this time got regular polish) as there is a spa right in the lobby of the hotel and she also did an eyebrow colour and wax. All that for about $30.
Doug returned from the dentist saying he had one more appointment tomorrow to attach the crown and hopefully that will be it!
Tuesday, after exercising, tea and showers, we dropped a big bag of laundry off at reception (where we were promised it would be ready by 6pm today) and we wandered outside the Old Quarter of Hanoi to see the French Quarter. Here it was less hectic, with wide streets and sidewalks that actually had places for pedestrians – sometimes even marked with white lines!
We went to see the “Hanoi Hilton” jail which was originally a French prison for Vietnamese political dissidents and the like, but during the Vietnam War with the Americans, it held American GI’s – mostly pilots like Senator John McCain who spent 5.5 years in prison.
It cost $2 USD to enter and we explored the rooms which were mostly propaganda against the French. There was much information about the torture and treatment of the prisoners and a section of remembrance of the Americans who spent time here and a smaller section about their release and the search for missing soldiers which was a joint mission between the two countries.
We went over to see the Quan Su Pagoda – Buddhist Temple which was much shorter than expected for what we envision a pagoda to be.
Quan Su Pagoda was built in the 15th century. At that time there was no Buddhist temple here but some cottages used as a place of worship. In 1822, the temple was renovated so that the local residents could practice worship here. After a brief time of war, the troops withdrew and the temple was returned to the villagers. Monk Thanh Phuong, who hosted the temple then, had corridors built, statues painted, bell made. The front palace is dedicated to the Buddha.
We then walked the main drag of the French Quarter for a few blocks and headed back to the Old Quarter stopping to see St. Joseph Cathedral and the large Christmas tree with nativity scene out front.
Since the Cong Ca Phe was right across the street, we stopped to indulge in our favourite drinks there.
Yesterday after Doug bought his new Hokas, he reached out to John in Adelaide who also loves these shoes and asked him if he’d like us to get him some (we will be heading to his place after Melbourne as we’ve arranged with his mechanic to do an oil change on Matilda and we have some packages being delivered there for Christmas and of course, we love seeing them both. At $28 USD how could he say no and wanted two pairs which we managed to get.
Doug got himself some lunch, Fran ate some leftovers in our room and he returned to the dentist for the permanent crown. (To get to the dentist and back, he tooks Grab cars or motorbikes.)
Today the sun tried hard to peek out but this is as far as it got:
After Doug returned, we chilled for a bit and then went over to Beer Street for a meal; Fran was not feeling great so she only had a ginger ale which helped a great deal then got two bananas on the walk back to the hotel.
Wednesday, a flying day, we had a good lie in and then got up to finish packing – we now had four extra pairs of shoes so luckily we still had Fran’s old back pack and we managed to fit everything in; we are allowed 20 kg of checked bags but it appears not to have to be only one bag so that’s helpful.
After packing up, we went downstairs to check out and pay the remaining bill (laundry) and Doug called a Grab to get us to the airport for our flight back to Saigon.
We had checked in online but at the bag drop, the clerk said our names on our tickets did not match our passports! She sent us over to the Vietjet counter where we learned that as our middle names are on our passports, they also had to be on the ticket! We had to pay $5USD each to get this changed. Never have we encountered this before!
This one way ticket from Hanoi to Saigon cost us $97.50 each.
We did not eat brekkie at the hotel as it was not very good anyway, and so we grabbed banh mi before going to the gate.
Here’s the link to more photos of our time in overcast Hanoi.
