| When it comes to weekend getaways, you just | | | | near the islands the Vietnamese army stopped |
| can't beat flopping around on the deck of a | | | | the Chinese from landing. Also in 1288 |
| junk in Halong bay, says Duc Hanh | | | | General Tran Hung Dao stopped Mongol ships |
| | | | from sailing up the nearby Bach Dang River by |
| At 11.30 am, the sun is high in the sky and | | | | placing steel-tipped wooden stakes at high |
| burning bright. At the pier countless wooden | | | | tide, sinking the Mongol Kublai Khan's fleet. |
| junks, sailboats, speedboats and tiny bamboo | | | | Of course, the legend is that a slew of |
| boats bob around. While tour guides try to | | | | dragons spat out jewels and jade into the |
| organise how to get their groups on board, we | | | | sea. These jewels turned into the islands and |
| sit with our bags in hand, ready to test out | | | | islets that are dotted around the bay, which |
| our sea legs. | | | | could be linked together to form barriers |
| | | | against would-be invaders. |
| "Which one is ours?" says a fellow traveler | | | | |
| on my tour a tad impatiently. | | | | It's easy to see why residents of Halong |
| | | | would have conjured up such legends to |
| After a four-hour-stint in the van from | | | | explain the supreme scenery. |
| Hanoi, everybody is understandably itching to | | | | |
| kick back and feel the sea breeze on board. | | | | Understandably, after our mini-hike a thirst |
| | | | is upon the travelling party! We clamber back |
| Just then a speedboat arrives with a flourish | | | | on board for a few sundowners with beers and |
| and we pile on board before zooming off to | | | | cocktails all round. The sun drops behind the |
| the Indochina Sail, a large, handsome junk | | | | surrounding islands as we sit in the |
| that the captain proudly announces is 40 | | | | dwindling twilight. |
| metres long and 8.5 meters wide - and indeed | | | | |
| it seems a fine, seaworthy vessel to me. | | | | Heading back to my cabin to shower and change |
| | | | for dinner, I'm fairly surprised to discover |
| In my time I've been on board a few of the | | | | a royal costume laid out for me. A card |
| bay's shabbier junks. It is one point worth | | | | reads: "For tonight's Royal banquet." |
| making: when it comes to visiting Halong Bay | | | | |
| it's worth treating yourself. Thankfully | | | | Slightly tipsy, I happily oblige. It's only |
| there's more than a few classy junks to | | | | when I arrive up on deck for the BBQ dinner I |
| choose from these days. | | | | realise that the costume is a rather baggy |
| | | | and my hat fairly cumbersome, still I manage |
| Walking around on board the Indochina Sail, I | | | | to move around and fill my plate. A Japanese |
| discover a restaurant, the Indochina Sail | | | | tourist, Megumi Katsu is more taken by her |
| Bar, a gift shop and even a library. Guests | | | | new look - "This is the most fun I have had |
| can also avail of binoculars, snorkeling | | | | on my holidays yet!" |
| equipment or top-of-the-line Canadian made | | | | |
| kayaks. | | | | At night in the bay is magical. A canopy of |
| | | | glittering stars above us, a refreshing |
| With a grand view ahead, I tentatively start | | | | coolness in the air - it is pure bliss just |
| with the binoculars. Most of my fellow | | | | to sit around with the other travelers, your |
| travellers are content to flop around the | | | | friends or partner. Conversation is optional. |
| deck, sipping drinks, surveying the scene or | | | | |
| catching a bit of sun. A trip to Halong is | | | | Chris Wedlake and his wife, both looking |
| first and foremost about relaxing! | | | | positively regal, are on their honeymoon. |
| | | | "It's an earthly paradise for a couple of |
| Sun-shy, I stretch out on a lie-low on the | | | | newly weds!" So smitten with Halong, he and |
| more shaded lower deck and listen to the | | | | his wife says they'd come back for their |
| buffeting breeze and the sound of the boat | | | | anniversary every year if they could. |
| chopping through the waves. Time passes and I | | | | |
| happily doze a little in the salty air. | | | | Traditional Vietnamese melodies hang in the |
| | | | air. The boat gently rocks. A few of the |
| However, a call for lunch stirs me right out | | | | staff invite guests to fish for cuttlefish. |
| of my light slumber. A five-course lunch is | | | | But my eyes are heavy and I slip away to my |
| devoured by the hungry guests. We hadn't even | | | | cabin promising myself I'll rise with the |
| worked up an appetite. | | | | dawn - someone mentions morning tai chi |
| | | | exercises on the top deck and I nod in |
| Afterwards, I fight the urge to have a siesta | | | | enthusiastic agreement. |
| and head out onto the deck as the boat floats | | | | |
| into Bai Tu Long Bay. We drop anchor at Soi | | | | But when I wake the sun is already up. I hear |
| Sim island, famed for its rose myrtle brush. | | | | the voices of vendors who have rowed up to |
| | | | our junk to sell snacks, seafood, souvenirs |
| The island sits in clear, blue waters and is | | | | and cigarettes. I stumble upstairs and |
| also home to white sandy beaches. A member of | | | | discover guests still there from the night |
| the crew asks if anyone wants to swim but | | | | before - each one chose to sleep on deck in |
| we're already in our trunks and bathing suits | | | | the open air rather than spending the night |
| ready to dive in. Afterwards, we head ashore | | | | in their cabin. |
| and climb to the summit of the island which | | | | |
| offers yet another idyllic setting. Although | | | | A smell of fresh coffee is in the air as the |
| Halong is a large area with over 1,900 | | | | boat pulls away; the crew informs us of our |
| limestone islets and a 120-km coastline, when | | | | itinerary for the morning, but all of the |
| you get in amongst the islets it seems more | | | | passengers just reply with sleepy smiles. We |
| intimate than grand. | | | | are already under Halong Bay's spell. No one |
| | | | really minds where we go next, anyway, you |
| The random scattering of islets meant the bay | | | | can't take a wrong turn while cruising in |
| had its defensive advantages in the past. On | | | | Halong Bay. |
| three occasions in the labyrinth of channels | | | | |