3…2…1… Action: Peaceful Halong Bay

Halong Bay’s majesty surrounded us during our overnight trip off Vietnam’s coast in the Gulf of Tonkin. Certainly the highlight of the unique experience was kayaking in complete peace for two hours in an area inaccessible to the Chinese junk boats. But it was not all time for quiet reflection.

It is 5:45am. Not a sound is audible except for the heavenly songbirds. Even the nearby pearl farmers are still slumbering:

Greg and his pal Justin from India rolled the dice and went swimming with “sharks and crocodiles”:

To escape the clatter created by the multitudes of Chinese junk boats, we kayaked through a watery tunnel to Eden:

Ah, the sound of silence amongst the fascinating limestone karsts:

The Malaysian family aboard the Pinta (our Chinese junk boat) enjoyed karaoke even more than Greg. Our guide Trung ate it up:

- Greg and Ash

Learn From Our Footsteps:

1. It is nearly impossible to know what kind of group dynamic you will have during trips with strangers. However, you may inquire about percentage of capacity sold, ages, and nationalities before booking. With that info, you can compare operators not just by price, but also by the group’s demographics.