HomeACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA ) aims to advise travelers places to kayak and cruise in Vietnam. Travelers have the chance to discovery the breathtaking landscapes, remote scenery and get exciting experiences.
Kayak Halong Bay, Vietnam
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No. of Halong Bay lovers:According to ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA’s tours to south-east Asia, travelers want to visit some marvelous places in Vietnam that have been recommended by travel experts and reporters.
Kayaking in Halong Bay, Vietnam
GETTING to Halong Bay in Vietnam’s northeast has been quite a journey.
It has taken almost four hours by road to cover the 180km from Hanoi, and all the while we are dodging a typhoon. Earlier in the morning our trip was canceled when authorities ordered all vessels out of the World Heritage-listed bay.
Kayaking Halong Bay, Vietnam
Disappointed, we console ourselves with the thought that while we might miss out on seeing one of the world’s most beautiful geographical treasures, we could always go shopping.
Then the captain of the junk calls to give the all-clear. The typhoon has changed course, yet again, and it is now safe to set sail.
Mar
22
22
ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA kicks off Kayaking Halong Bay 3-Day Tour for Summer Promotion 2010 in Vietnam
Posted by chi.nh
ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA) blazing hot promotion offers great kayaking adventure into the majestic Ha Long Bay and also a glimpse into culture of the Vietnamese.
Summer Promotion 2010 - Halong Bay Kayaking Tour
This tour offers a great chance to discover Halong Bay in Vietnam – a world heritage site recognized by UNESCO. The calm sea provides an ideal location for sea kayaking as paddling through a maze of islets amid dramatic natural scenery. The trip is for true and different kayaking experience in Halong Bay.
“Traveling has kept many people busy at this time of year, including myself.” The author said
Traveling has kept many people busy at this time of year, including myself. My first destination was Halong Bay with some friends visiting from Singapore.
We were fairly disorganized with our travel plans which usually makes for the best trips. Getting to Halong turned out to be no problem. Traveling and everything involved with Halong Bay is very efficient and trustworthy.
Vietnam is a country of stunning natural beauty and a turbulent history. In the northern part of Vietnam, near Hanoi and the country’s border with China, lies Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The towering natural cliffs and islands that rise above the bay offer a picturesque view and the smooth water is an ideal surface for boats of all sizes.
Indochina Sails on Halong bay
Step 1 Tour the bay. One of the most popular activities in Halong Bay is a boat trip across the bay. Peruse the range of tours and tour operators available until you find one that suits your needs and budget. For excellent views and a romantic atmosphere, take a sunset cruise. When out on a boat, take a jacket; the weather in this part of Vietnam can change rapidly.
Step 2 Rent a boat. If boat tours with large groups of people are not suitable, consider renting a kayak or smaller boats. You might choose to tour Halong Bay in a group of kayakers, or set out on your own. Be sure to ask about safety standards and ideal itineraries. Remember to bring sunscreen and plenty of water, as Vietnam’s sun can be harsh during the warmest part of the day.
Step 3 Bring your camera. Halong Bay offers countless photo opportunities. It has arguably the most stunning natural scenery in all of Vietnam, and is ideal for photos at all times of the day. For dramatic photos, head out to Halong Bay at sunrise or sunset to capture the reflection of the colored sky on the water, with the cliffs in the background. Be sure to bring extra sets of batteries and ask your hotel staff about the best vantage points.
Step 4 Learn basic Vietnamese phrases. Many vendors and hotel owners near Halong Bay will know a significant amount of English, but it is a good idea to memorize handy phrases in Vietnamese. Locals will appreciate that you took the time and effort to appreciate their culture, and you will likely receive kinder treatment. Bring a Vietnamese phrasebook on your trip to Halong Bay, and refer to it as needed.
Step 5 Be prepared for culture shock. Vietnam has seen an increase in tourism in recent years, but visitors should still be prepared for a vastly different culture. Because Halong Bay is a popular destination for foreign and national tourists alike, there is a significant infrastructure. If you arrive prepared to be patient in situations that will inevitably be frustrating, your trip will be infinitely more enjoyable.
Step 6 Travel safely. Vietnam is generally a safe and friendly country, but dangers exist in high-traffic tourist areas like Halong Bay. When in public, be careful to keep your bag across your chest and in front of you to avoid petty theft; keep wallets in a front pocket to avoid pickpockets. When choosing meals, be careful to choose food that has not been left to
Source: ehow
Recommend vessels for Halong bay cruises:
Indochina Sails: http://www.indochinasails.com
We got off the bus and were greeted by a guide with Indochina sails. We were taken inside a building to wait for our boat to be ready. We were given cold towels at the door, you know your entering luxury when you get a towel to freshen up. We waited for about a half hour, while our luggage was taken to the ship. We then were put on a small boat or the “tender” and taken to the ship. As we were drawing close to the ship, one staff member on the boat was playing a drum, it was a bit odd, feeling like your in a King Kong movie or something.
We were greeted by a female staff member and were brought to the dining room on the 2nd level of the ship. There was 13 people including ourselves. We were given the safety speech and told a bit about our itinerary. Then we were given our key and told to settle in a bit then return to the dining room for lunch at 1pm. We had a room on the 2nd floor, which I think would have been better than the 1st level. We had a fantastic view of the bay and our room was amazing. Definitely one of the best showers we’ve seen. It was like a 4 star hotel room.
Indochina Sails Suite Cabin
We settled in and looked at our in tin a bit closer, then headed to the dining room. We had a set lunch, which included cream of pumpkin soup, papaya salad, prawns, fish, chicken, spring rolls and fruit salad. Overall it was really good quality. The prices for drinks wasn’t actually too bad and they had a really good selection. After lunch we were told we would cruise to a fishing village with 400 floating houses. The bay is as stunning as everyone says it is! The legend behind it involves a family of dragons that were sent by the gods to help protect the coast during times of war with China, the dragons spit out jade and emerald which turned into the islands around the bay. After the war the family of dragons decided to stay and the mother settled into Ha Long bay and the children in other near by bays. The islands do have an amazing dense green to them, like nothing we’ve ever seen. I can see why it is a UNESCO world heritage site.
We cruised for about an hour and a half before we reached the fishing village. We all hopped on the tender and were taken around the Cua Van village by the guide. The village is supported by the government these days and the people are provided with a basic education and health care within the village. There were a lot of children around, some around 6-9 years old, rowing their own boats. There was a squid fishing boat, the primary school and even a local cafe for relaxing. It was really interesting. After our tour we headed back to the boat and doubled back to Ti Tov beach. We opted to go kayaking for $10 each. We had to wait for them to bring the kayaks to the boat, which set us back a bit on our itinerary. I’ve never been kayaking before, so this was going to be interesting.
We got in and were on our way, everyone except one couple went. We ended up going quite a ways to the east of the boat, a good 2km. We came upon Bat cave, which was a opening to a otherwise closed off section, which the guide called a lake (which it wasn’t). It was cool to just drift though the cave. The section past it was so serene and peaceful. We drifted around for about 20 minutes then our guide took off, so we figured we should go too. Kayaking is hard work, especially when there is a fairly strong current. We had to pause a lot on our way back, but it was nice to really soak up the experience. Eventually we made it back and were directly taken by the tender to the beach.
The sun wasn’t out but we figured we might was well go in the water. You could climb to the top of the island, some 400 steps, but kayaking was enough for us. The other two girls who were on our bus told us the water was actually pretty warm, they were both from B.C… So we swam around for about 20 minutes, chatting with them and a couple from Australia. Then we were all herded back on the tender to the ship
We had some time to get ready for dinner at 7:30. You could do a wine tasting before dinner, which was tempting but we passed. We relaxed in our room for a bit and freshened up. The sun, what sun there was, went down quick and it became pitch black out. We went out to the top deck, the weather was actually quite pleasant. Some staff was fishing for squid off the front of the boat, so we watched them catch a few. Then we headed to the dining room for dinner, which was a set menu as well. I had a relish glass of red wine, a rarity in Asia I think. We had vegetable soup, shrimp and grapefruit salad, calamari and beef with potatoes and veggies. The main course was a bit unimpressive, especially when you are used to Alberta beef. We had chocolate cake for dessert.
After dinner we could watch a movie (which was a Vietnamese dubbed classic), fish for squid or a few other activities. We opted to try the squid fishing. We were both unsuccessful, but other people caught a couple. They use a bright light to attract the fish that the squid eat. They were pretty cool, they were little and they’d squirt ink when they were caught. It was funny to watch. They had a 2 for 1 happy hour on all drinks from 9 to 11pm, so we had a couple beers while fishing. Then we went up to the top deck and sat in the lounge chairs. It is so peaceful here. The manager told us that we were anchored at an exclusive spot. All the other tour boats anchor somewhere else, there can be up to 50 of them when its busy. There were 3 other boats around us. I’m happy we’re at the exclusive spot. We took in the beautiful night, then decided we better head to bed. We have another early start tomorrow and we were pretty exhausted from the day. I am so ready for a comfy bed! Ciao for now!
Source: Travelpod
Halong Bay tours | Cruise Halong Bay | Halong Bay Vietnam | Halong Bay Travel | Halong Bay Junks |
Ha Long Bay is the leading candidate for Seven New Wonders of the World - an amazing, jaw dropping “have to see it to believe it” kind of place. And I had. Seen it. One year earlier, to be exact, while on a business trip and it amazing and my jaw did drop. I wanted S to experience the same thing and I was counting my blessings that I was going to see it again.
Normally we are on a tight, tight backpacker budget that forces us into fan cooled rooms with questionable stains on the walls, the sounds of the noisy street (or beach) keeping us awake. But for this, our one night (well, my second one night) on Ha Long Bay sleeping in a junk boat, for this we decided to splash out a bit. And what a difference that 20 extra dollars can make! The food on my trip last year had been good - a solid good. But this year…..just look.
The first course of lunch. We knew that things were looking good when this plate of humongous shrimp (I like to call’em shrimp) were set down in front of us. We peeled these guys and dipped them (who am I trying to kid? I bathed mine…) in the limey, salty peppery mixture you see at the top of this page.
I will let you in on a secret. I like eating squid, octopus and cuttlefish the most when they are purple. I have no idea why. When you place a plate of pale white calamari in front of me my stomach is like “nope” but when I see a piece of tako that is the color of concord grape juice something in my brain breaks and I become submissive to its charms.
Yes - we are still on lunch! You may recall that I am normally a vegetarian (an ass kicking’ food loving’ one) but on this trip I decided to eat fish because frankly, I think they are dicks. The wonderful staff on this boat made us an entirely proletarian 5-course meal. This was a lovely fish steak smothered in a sort of Vietnamese warm salsa - tomatoes, onions both spring and white, chili and of course, garlic.
Our boat was much nicer than our course backpacker senses were accustomed to. Every thing was dark wood polished to a high sheen - very posh.
We eyed the requisite karaoke machine with suspicion, knowing full well that all of the Da Lat wine and Ha Noi beer was going to loosen us up enough to give it a go. But first, a perfect simple photo of a cold towel in a little lacquered basket.
I am really at my very happiest when a meal begins with a vase of jumbo shrimp and some carved vegetable flowers. I want every meal to start with these things. Do not be surprised if you come to my house and I present you with a tall refreshing glass of shrimp and a carrot rosette before you’re even all the way in the door.
These were in served in a really light broth - mostly clam nectar and garlic and were very delicate and pretty, but….I have had a bad relationship with bivalves since a terrible, horrible, life changing-ly bad bout of food poisoning from mussels a few years ago. Only recently have I been able to even entertain the notion of placing a clam anywhere near my mouth - but these boys made the cut! Cautiously, mind you - I only ate about 5 and even then was terrified to go to sleep, as if they were little clam axe-murderers just waiting for me to relax and close my eyes.
For the grand finale: crab shells stuffed with crab cakes. Just when I was feeling a little riced out, a little accosted with lemongrass (I hate the stuff and am pummeled with it daily) they brought these little gems out. Now, I don’t harbor any notions that these are in any way Vietnamese other than the fact that the crab lived here, but let me tell you: I was one pinch of Old Bay Seasoning and a little pot of aioli away from sheer bliss.
I will always remember my first time to Ha Long Bay. I will remember the beauty, the eerie calm, the almost spooky way that the karts rock formations jut out from the murky sea. It was magic in the truest sense of the word.
But my second trip? I will think about those tiny limes, the plump shrimp, the delicate blush of an octopus tentacle, the meatiness of the rich crab meat.
And I’ll look you straight in the eye and tell you that the first time was more meaningful.
You’ll believe me, right?
Related to Ha long bay
Halong Bay is easily one of the most beautiful places in the world. We spent much of our day standing on one side of the boat with our camera’s out taking about 500 photos each, with every picture looking amazing. Our awesome wooden boat took us through the islands of Halong Bay, which we decided resembled Pirates of the Caribbean, Vietnamese style. We totally expected to see Jack Sparrow pop up and commandeer our ship, not that we would have minded of course!
We headed to the caves at first, it was pretty impressive, despite the fact that it was decked out in neon coloured lights, not the most natural lighting design! The best part were the random penguin rubbish bins placed at every corner. The boat continued taking us into the islands, and we eventually stopped and jumped in for a much needed swim! After arriving at Cat Ba Island we had a late dinner before heading to a local nightclub, a teeny little room that had a DJ and a dance floor, with about 6 locals dancing around. So we joined them! After about 3 minutes we had scared them off and were the only ones dancing as most of the locals had gathered around the dance floor to stare at us and film us on their phones. So awkward, so we left! Hannah and I were really feeling the effects of far too much alcohol so we headed back to our room, laid out on the balcony with a few naughty (and disgusting) Cambodian branded cigarettes and blasted Michael Jackson’s Number Ones album for all of Cat Ba to hear!
Slightly hungover the next morning we dragged ourselves out onto the street and looked for something to eat. We were turned away by multiple restaurants, being told that there’s no food or we are not a restaurant (when it clearly was) or just being ignored completely. According to our guide some restaurants on Cat Ba won’t serve Westerners. He didn’t tell us why, and he sure as hell could have told us earlier! After finally finding somewhere that would serve us (and there are places, we just kept picking the ones that wouldn’t, purely out of bad luck) we headed to the local markets which sold such delicacies as sea horse kebabs and geckos on a stick. We took photos and headed right out the door!
Our hydrofoil ride back to the mainland was an epic failure. It didn’t show up. So we took a local bus to the other side of the island, grabbed a teeny tiny speed boat to the mainland about 1 hour from the bus station, took a local bus (complete with wobbly head ponies on the dashboard) to that station before jumping on our minivan to get back to Hanoi. Wow, effort!
To have a chance to experience Ha Long bay, please visit website: www.indochinasails.com
Source: Travel Blog
I know its been a while since I last wrote! Been quite busy with traveling but here is an entry I should have posted ages ago!!!!
On Wednesday the 1st of July we set off for Ha long Bay, we booked a two night three day tour, on a Junk which only had five cabins therefore a maximum capacity of 10 people. A mini van came to pick us up at 8 am and we set off to Ha long city, halfway to Ha long city we stopped at this silk factory thing which sold a lot of souvenirs at very expensive prices, but it seems everyone stops there for the break so we just walked around in boredom for about 20 mins before setting off again. The journey from Hanoi to Ha long City took about three hours. We arrived at Ha long City and then waited for about 15 mins and then we were taken to our Junk!
Ha Long bay sunset by Indochina Sails
The Junk was great beautiful made out of dark wood; our cabin was really nice with big windows so we had a magnificent view as we were going! Soon after setting off lunch was served which was really nice but eating was the
Actually turned the boat a little woopp! Last thing on my mind as we started going the view was just so beautiful and I had no idea that it was going to be so beautiful! After lunch we relaxed a bit on the boat just watching the view and relaxing on the deck, in the afternoon we went to do a bit of kayaking and looking out for birds our guide knew all the birds and seemed to really love his job which was great.
Afterwards we went back to the boat again and relaxed and then we had dinner which was a whole selection of different things, each course was very well cooked and tasted great the only downside was that there wasn’t enough of it! After kayaking and being in the water everyone was very hungry!
The next morning we were up early to kayak again this time to get to a deserted beach where we were going to have a barbecue lunch we kayaked for about 2 hours and then arrived to this adorable tiny little beach where we settled down to have a swim (water was perfect!!) or relax and have a beer while the chef prepared the barbecue. The barbecue was delicious!!!
After that we went back on the boat and the boat started moving again to go to the place where we would stop for the night, the sunset was beautiful! Seeing the golden sky through the different islands around the bay was amazing!
Since that was our last night the crew made a special dinner for us once again the food was amazing and then they sang some songs for us which was great!
The next and last day of our Ha long Bay trip we went to a local fishing village, the company that we used has an agreement with the village and helps them financially as well as making them aware of the importance of keeping the area clean. At the fishing village we were rowed by locals in a little boat around the village where we got to see how life goes on in the village it was a great experience and the village was very pretty.
After that we went back onto the Junk had another swim having fun jumping off the boat deck etc, and then we started heading back to Ha long City. Back at Ha long City we got off the boat very sadly as we would have loved to stay on for longer, one of the most peaceful and beautiful tours we have done on our trip so far, it was amazing!
Source: Travel Blog
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