No tour of Vietnam would be complete without a visit to the iconic limestone karsts dotting Ha Long Bay and surroundings. Over 3,000 limestone islands rise from the waters of the bay, drawing thousands of tourists from around the world. Josh, Laura, Penny and I generally shy away from "tourist traps", preferring to do our own thing off the beaten path whenever possible. Nothing could have prepared us for the swarms of tourists, mostly 20-something backpackers, milling around a huge mustering station prior to boarding their choice of the 500+ junks waiting to take us out into the islands.
We had read critical reviews of some of the tour operators and conditions in the region and were thus extremely cautious in our choice, which really paid off. Thanks to excellent reviews on Trip Advisor, we chose Ethnic Travel for our three day experience. Their boats carry just 12 people plus crew, the meals are fantastic and the guides are young, smart and accomplished English speakers. Rather than learned-by-rote commentaries, the guides offered great insights into the region and its people with plenty of humour thrown in. Penny and I found ourselves surrounded and invigorated by 10 delightful young backpackers representing Ireland, England, Germany, Holland, Australia and Canada.
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| Our Ship |
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| Our Shipmates |
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| Our first afternoon on the water was misty, which added an extra charm to the magical scenery. |
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| We explored a floating village and a massive sea cave by kayak |
Descriptions of the two back-to-back cruises we chose are accessible from these links. For anyone contemplating a visit to this region, we wouldn't hesitate to recommend Ethnic Travel.
Day 1 and 2 of our cruise experience Day 2 and 3
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