Beyond Halong Bay

Halong Bay

A World Heritage site for 18 years, Halong Bay is a stunning collection of limestone islands  jutting up in the ocean.

Also stunning, though in a bad way, are the sheer numbers of tourists out there. There were literally hundreds of us, on dozens of boats, jostling for space. Sea Kayaking was fraught with the risk of being run down by a speed boat. A cave exploration was brief, to keep on schedule. A beach visit was crowded, the water definitely too cold (and too polluted) for a swim.

Sea Kayaking

Granite Cave

Volleyball on a beach

Halong Bay is naturally beautiful in spite of the hordes, and the boat I stayed on was great, with good food and a really rather posh bedroom with ensuite bathroom. But I was very happy to spend a second day out on the sea, travelling to the far less crowded Lan Ha Bay.

Lan Ha Bay

Here, the karsts had white beaches and almost zero tourists. I was with a group of seven other people, and we didn't see another group of foreigners until we hit Cat Ba town for the night.

Beach in Lan Ha Bay

Fishermen in Lan Ha Bay

On the way, we got to explore Monkey Island, spotting half a dozen of the eponymous residents before climbing up a jagged granite path for great views from the top of the island.

Monkey Island beach

View from top of Monkey Island

Monkeys!

More Monkey!

Then it was on Cat Ba National Park, and a jaunty bike ride through hills and fields to a local village.

Cycling through Cat Ba National Park

Local kids

Cat Ba National Park

We stayed the night in Cat Ba Town, which had numerous hotels and bars. Then the next morning, we got to enjoy a leisurely, if a bit chilly, four hour boat ride back to Halong City to catch a bus back to Hanoi.

Oyster & Mussel farms

To anyone thinking of visiting this area, I highly recommend adding on a visit to Cat Ba National Park and Lan Ha Bay. It was a far better opportunity to appreciate this incredible landscape.

Karst Islands