A Cruise in Ha Long Bay
View over the bow of the Orchid Trendy
You can see the hot tub in the foreground.
Ha Long Bay was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. It is located in the northeast part of Vietnam, and covers an area of 65,650 ha and includes 1,133 islands and islets. It’s karst mountains jutting out of the sea provides iconic imagery, and is a must visit if travelling to northern Vietnam.
I advanced booked a two day/1 night cruise aboard the Orchid Trendy ship through Halong Bay Tours.
Orchid Trendy
Photo from Halong Bay Tours website.
Unfortunately during our cruise they never put the sails up.
We travelled to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi via minibus, with a short stop at a pearl factory along the way (for a little shopping). The damage from Typhoon Yagi was still evident along the route and in the port, with downed trees and missing roof tiles. When we reached the port we were greeted by Orchid Trendy staff, and took a small launch to the main ship. The ship isn’t the smallest available, but I liked that it was still quite intimate, with only 20 cabins. The room was elegant, and the bathroom lovely - with both a big tub and a shower.
After we settled in, we had an beautifully presented and delicious lunch, followed by a chance to go by bamboo boat to see some of the islands and the Dark and Light cave up close. We were very fortunate to catch a glimpse of some CRITICALLY ENDANGERED Cat Ba Langurs (Trachypithecus poliocephalus) that hadn’t been previously seen since Typhoon Yagi hit. Unfortunately, I was too far away to get a decent picture through the foliage.
After the excursion we returned to the boat to rest and prepare for dinner. I saw locals on a boat next to our ship, passing up wares to guests on a higher deck. It reminded me of cruising the Nile and how locals would come out to passing cruise ships and offer to sell a variety of goods.
L-R: We are all looking up at the area where the primates are, but I can’t make them out in this photo; Inside the Dark and Bright Cave; Locals passing up goods to guests on the ship
We had a nice dinner and sat and chatted with other guests on the cruise. Some chose to try their hand at squid fishing (even though it wasn’t the season for them). Others enjoyed the bar or resting in the comfort of their cabins. I was looking forward to the hike the next morning so I turned into bed at a decent hour.
Sunrise
In the morning a group of us proceeded to Cat Ba Island to hike to Trung Trang Cave. It was wonderful to go ashore and see some of the flora and fauna up close.
We then returned to the ship for brunch and to head back to port. It was a short excursion, but definitely worth it! The karst limestone mountains are stunning and it was a much needed change of pace from Hanoi.
A Spectacular Sunset!
Bucket List ✔️
