Ha Long Bay was a much needed splurge on our trip. It was by far the nicest thing we’ve done in five months of traveling. Our room was incredible, including a private balcony looking over the bay at all times; the food was delicious and always came in at least four courses; and we met tons of cool people to hang out with and enjoy the scenery. Ha Long means “descending dragon.” Vietnam has been a historically vulnerable country, with invasions and colonizations dotted throughout their history. Because of the many invasions the gods sent down a family of dragons which spit out jewels to create a giant wall to fight off invading ships. The islands are the remnants of this protective wall. After this, the dragon family laid to rest in the bay. Hence the name “descending dragon.” The adjacent bay is called Bai Tu Long Bay and means “dragon children,” where the children of the dragon family laid to rest.
Our first day we were able to see a floating fishing village. Ever since Ha Long Bay received world heritage status, the government has been trying to relocate the fishing villagers off the bay to reduce pollution. A few remnants are still intact and some villagers stay there to keep up the history and appearances of the bay. There are still many local Vietnamese who make their money on the bay. Our favorite were the people that would row up in the morning on boats full of snacks, water, and just about anything else. They would yell at you from the water below asking you to buy things and would deliver the goods in a giant bamboo net for you to drop money into.
We were able to go on many kayaking and swimming adventures throughout the emerald blue waters of the bay. The weather wasn’t perfect, but the warm water made it tolerable for swimming. One night they even let us jump off the highest floor of the boat, until the captain found out…
All of our meals were amazing. To our surprise everything came in multiple courses. Sea bass, shrimp, squid, steaks, salads, fried rice, banana pudding cake, and just about everything else you can imagine was served to us throughout the three days we stayed on the boat.
Ha Long Bay was an incredibly beautiful journey made possible by the generous gifts of Rachel’s parents and grandparents. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without you and are so grateful for your support in our journey!
