Caving in Halong Bay

Photos courtesy of Taking5. All rights reserved.
Ever been in a karst cave before? This is what it's like in one of the larger caves in Halong Bay, Vietnam. As it's part of the Unesco Heritage Site area, the cave has been lit with a few bright lights within all the better to see with. However if you're unsteady on your feet or claustrophobic, don't. It's a steep climb up stairs often without a handrail and the cave can be a little moist on the ground. So wear decent shoes and go slow.

I've seen karst landscapes before in Kedah, Malaysia so none of this was a surprise to me although it has to be said this was the largest limestone cave I've been in yet. I also saw temperate climate limestone scenery in England but there, they have a whole activity called caving in which one has to don special suits etc and it is a much more adventurous sport than the casual tourist walk in Halong Bay.

The best bit was coming out of the cave and seeing the large stone legs overhanging as if someone up there was enjoying the vista across Halong Bay too.

Sailing Away down Halong Bay

Photos courtesy of Taking5. All Rights Reserved.

Halong Bay turned out to be every bit as scenic as I imagined. The junk was Chinese style complete with sails which stayed furled throughout. What was a surprise was the food turned out to taste almost exactly like home cooked healthy Chinese food with the exception of having simple salads and the odd habit of serving white rice only towards the end of the meal.

And the second surprise was the party-ing that went on at night. In the quiet of Halong bay surrounded by mystical karstic landscape, the night was punctuated with loud karaoke singing of hits from 70s all the way to 90s. Each junk had its own particular brand of music blasting through the dark wooden walls and airconditioning so that it was possible to hear each boat's merry making from quite a distance.


There was even an intrepid few who were swimming from junk to junk, asking to be allowed on board just for the thrill of jumping off the second level and diving into the cool waters in the evening. It was certainly a memorable trip from the peaceful cruise amid limestone scenery to the amusements on board of a very mixed bunch of guests from Europe, America and Asia.

More anon.