Beautiful Halong Bay

We spent 2 nights and 3 days in Halong Bay in northern Vietnam. Halong bay is an UNESCO world heritage site and is incredibly beutiful. After driving from Hanoi we boarded a 'junk' for our cruise through the bay.



This is a popular tourist spot so the bay was full of the old styled junks. After enjoying a 4 hour cruise through the gorgeous scenery we got off on Cat Ba island, the largest inhabited island in the bay. We spent one night here hanging out with some other travelers, drinking Bia Hoi (20 cents in this case per draught), and enjoying the interesting sights along the street, such as the live scorpions for sale, which the locals cook up to eat:



The next morning we went for a hot and strenuous trek into the interior of the island, but were rewarded with beautiful views of the bay and mountainous interior of the island. (we forgot the camera though!)

In the afternoon we went kayaking in the bay and enjoyed the small islands and deserted beaches. That evening we boarded the junk for an overnight stay on the boat moored in the bay. We enjoyed more beautiful views:







and took a sunset swim. Some people, including Kate, were brave enough to jump off the top of the boat for their swims:



This trip was definitely worth the small amount of money we paid for it. Halong Bay has proved to be one of the most beautiful places either of us have ever had the privledge of seeing.