Exploring Vietnam Hanoi to Ha Long Bay

(23 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Angie Matthews

Amaranth, ON

Safari & Cruising Specialist

I have been in the travel industry for over 7 years. I am passionate about nature and I love travelling to different countries to experience some of the most amazing sunrises or sunsets this world has to offer. I share my experiences and offer in...

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The Me Cung Cave

I have just returned from an exciting adventure in Vietnam with G Adventures National Geographic Journeys. My trip began in Hanoi and continued south ending in Ho Chi Minh city for a total of 14 days. I arrived a day early to Hanoi and awaited my G Adventures Transfer. I was then whisked off to the busy city of Hanoi and my hotel the Golden Silk for my first evening in Vietnam.

The traffic seems to flow around us as we merge into this never ending stream of motion. The hotel is located on a busy street with many local merchants selling their wares, often spilling out onto the side walk. I spent a little time browsing the shops before I settled in my room for the night and met my travel companion for the trip.

My next day was spent at leisure so I wandered the shops and chose to do a motorcycle tour of the area. This is a fantastic way to see the city! We had lunch at a local shop and then went out into the traffic with our drivers for a guide tour of Hanoi. This can be a little nerve racking at first because it seems that there is no opening in the traffic to let us in but our drivers expertly navigate their way into the stream and we are off on our adventure. We saw many different aspects of the city and even stopped at a little farming community along the River where we were able to see people living in floating houses. They were modestly constructed but did have solar power and seemed to serve well for their occupants.

After an afternoon on the bikes we returned the hotel to meet our tour guide Son, who would be with us for the duration of the trip. He explained what we might expect on our tour and asked if there was anything in particular that we might like to see on our trip. We then had our first group dinner and relaxed for the evening to prepare for next days travel to Ha Long Bay.

Our ride to Ha Long Bay took about 4 hours. We stopped for breakfast at Hoa Sua, a non profit training restaurant for underprivileged youth. This program, supported by Nat Geo, provides training for Vietnamese youth to help them gain the skills for employment in the hospitality industry.

We then continued our ride to Ha Long Bay along the bumpy transit road. The distance was not so far but we could not travel at speed due to the condition of the road. The trip is worth the bumps once you see Ha Long Bay. We boarded our Junk boat and settled in for a scenic journey along the water amongst the limestone rock jutting out of the water.

We cruised through Bai Tu Long bay and continued to a secluded spot where we could kayak to one of the sculpted limestone islands to investigate a small cave. We creeped along in the darkness until we found an opening to a small lagoon surrounded by limestone. The calm water was too inviting and many of us jumped in for a refreshing swim. As the sun was setting we climbed back into our kayaks for a paddle back to the dock and our boat. There was a boat to take people back if they did not wish to kayak on their return. It got a little dark but the junk boats lit the waters and we were able to navigate safely back.

We spent a quiet evening aboard the junk boat and enjoyed a delicious meal. There was a wonderful selection of Vietnamese cuisine, both sea food and pork or chicken for us land lovers. The chef gave a demonstration of carving vegetables into culinary works of art. Drinks were served and the evening was spent with music and dancing.

After breakfast the next morning the boat made its way to the Me Cung Cave. The morning was spent exploring the vast cavern, it is one of the most beautiful caves I have ever seen. When we came to the cavern exit, we were several feet above the bay and able to get beautiful pictures of the turqoise waters and junk boats below.

We cruised back to the main bay to say farewell to our junk boat crew and made our way back to Hanoi. Our Guide Son, arranged a stop for some of our group that was interested in visiting a pearl factory and a pottery factory. This was an added bonus that our guide would frequently do to personalize our experience.

We then made our way back to the Golden Silk for another evening. Since the evenings were ours to arrange dinner, Son asked if we would like to do a street food tour of the Hoi An Markets. This was a fabulous way to explore the city and sample great food and drink. My favourite was the Banh Mi a Vietnamese version of a submarine. This was a great way to end the day and some of the group stayed out and explored the markets afterwards.

The next morning we climbed aboard our cyclos for a tour through Hanoi's Old Quarter. As the drivers weave in and out of traffic, we took in the sites and marvelled at the traffic flow. Our destination was the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum where we participated in a guided tour. This museum, once the famous "Hanoi Hilton" prison has a very dark history and documents some very disturbing events. It is alarming to see such a violent history.

We will continue on to Mai Chau in my next post.