Day 3: At 8 a.m., we were away from the La Siesta and on our way to our next adventure – Halong Bay. The van for transport was very comfortable for the six of us and a lovely couple, Sabine and Lars from Germany.

The three hour drive took us along the Red River Delta. This is a prime agricultural area and we viewed many rice fields and other crops. The pictures are taken from the van as we passed by so not the best quality, but will give you an idea of the area.

It was interesting to see all of the small cemeteries in the fields. One of our guides had told us the traditional ritual of burial in these rural northern communities. After a multi-day funeral, the family will bury the deceased in the middle of their own rice paddies, signifying a return to the soil that fed them in life. After three years, the body is exhumed and the eldest son (or male relative if there is no son) washes the bones which are then reburied in a permanent cemetery which is often located on family land.

Before reaching our port, our van stopped at a commercial rest stop. The objective of this stop was obvious as there were many items for sale. The main shop was Viet Pearl. In this area of Vietnam, pearls are grown artificially, using special techniques and equipment that allow controlling and optimizing the process of pearl creation. To pass through this rest stop, you first see some craftspeople demonstrating the process and then you must walk past many counters of pearls for sale. We weren’t enticed into buying any. The highlight of the stop was the egg and coconut coffee we bought before reboarding the van.

A short distance from the rest stop, we arrived at the Tuan Chau Marina where we waited to board our Orchid Trendy Cruise.

Halong Bay sits in Vietnam’s northeast corner. Halong means descending dragon and legend tells us that the Jade Emperor sent the Mother Dragon and her children to help defend the Vietnamese during an ancient invasion. The dragons stayed and took the form of the over 1900 towering limestone jungle-clad islands that are spread across the 1500 square kilometres of the Tonkin Gulf.

Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it was very obvious that it has an extremely thriving cruise industry. That being said, the bay is big and you do not feel overwhelmed by the abundance of cruise ships.

We took a smaller boat to our ship where the crew were waiting and served us a refreshing welcoming drink.

The cabins on the boat were very comfortable and surprisingly roomy.

The scenery of Halong Bay is spectacular!

One of the activities offered in the afternoon was kayaking. Debbie and Harvey decided to take this opportunity to cruise the bay and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Another activity was a spring roll cooking class. The host for the cruise was present everywhere and her quirky, forthright manner during the class was entertaining and humorous (I’m not sure she meant it to be that way). Debbie, Carol and I followed her precise instructions and were quite happy with our creations. Even Harvey gave it a go and was quite successful – although his roll was a bit overfilled!

In the late afternoon, we relaxed on-board and enjoyed watching the sunset.

Dinner on the boat was wonderful! The presentation was top-notch and the food was delicious. Great kudos to the chef and the waiters!

Day 4: After a peaceful night on the ship, there was an early morning option to trek to a cave. Debbie and Carol went on this expedition and found it quite enjoyable. The rest of us relaxed on-board. After an early light breakfast and an abundant brunch, it was back to the port and our return van journey to Hanoi.

Back in Hanoi, we returned to the La Siesta Classic Hang Thung where we were greeted like old friends. They even had a picture from our previous tour waiting for us in the room.

For dinner, the hotel recommended 4Ps Pizza and Pasta. It was excellent and a nice change to have an Italian dinner.

We then enjoyed a walk around the French Quarter, viewing the beautifully lit buildings.

Day 5: This was our day to relax and recharge. Debbie and I started that off in a great way with massages and facials at the hotel’s lovely spa.

On my Vietnamese food list was a bahn mi and we found delicious ones at a street stand not far from our hotel.

Hồ Hoàn Kiếm Lake was a short walk from our hotel. A stroll around this 12 hectare lake provided a lovely way to watch the locals and tourists enjoying a Sunday afternnon.

One last stop at the Hanoi Coffee Culture – this time, I tried the Salt Coffee and it was amazing!

We had another excellent dinner (this time at the Oriana Boutique Hotel) and a last stroll around the neighborhood.

Our visit to Hanoi and Halong Bay exceeded our expectations. Hanoi is a big, busy city with great sights to visit and traditional lifestyles to observe – but the city, the countryside and Halong Bay have many serene spots where you can enjoy both the nature and the people.

And the people – so friendly and helpful, none more so than our fiend Thao at the La Siesta!

What will we see next? Stay tuned!

Cheers,

Bev & Harvey