Halong Bay, Vietnam: Unesco World Heritage Site

When the limestone and dolomite islands of Halong Bay first slide into view from the deck of your Chinese junk, the effect is extraordinary.Nestling before you in the warm emerald waters of North Vietnam's Gulf of Tonkin is a seascape dotted with rugged peaks, intimate sandy coves and concealed grottos. Halong Bay's treasures are best explored by booking a three day trip from Vietnam's capital Hanoi, which should give you time enough to enjoy not only the towering islands, with their beaches and labyrinth caves, but also the floating villages tucked alongside, which the local pearl and fish farmers call home.On this Exquisite Safari, you can sleep aboard your junk and will have the chance to swim, snorkel and even try out sea-kayaking in this watery wonderland.

Exquisite Safaris Client Comments:
"Honestly, one cannot think of the right words to describe this place. It is absolutely amazing. The stillest, calmest, bluest waters for miles. Sheer limestone cliffs rising all around you. Chug along in a gorgeous hire boat into beautiful lagoons, explore immense caves, discover 'sea villages'. And when the mist begins to settle in as the day whistles by, one cannot help but feel like they are in a whole other world. A dream experience.

After two days in bustling Hanoi, we drove three hours east to one of Vietnam's jewels, Halong Bay. Part of the larger Gulf of Tonkin, the surreal limestone karst formations of Halong - there are more than 3,000 islands sprinkled throughout the Bay make for an incredibly dramatic national park.

We set out to explore the bay on a traditional style junk that featured some critical modern amenities. We plied the azure waters through narrow channels between cliffs covered in thin forests and surrounded by swarms of small lizards.

The world "halong" means "where the dragon descends into the sea," and local legend holds that a great dragon once lived in the area. When it ran towards the coast, its flailing tail dug up an endless series of valleys, which filled with water when the dragon entered the ocean. Only the high points of these valleys are now visible as the islands of Halong Bay.

Dragon or not, we wanted to see these islands up close. With the sun drawing closer to the horizon, pulling the tropical temperatures down with it, we set out in a kayak to explore a few of the bay's unique islands. The tide was out, as the deep grooves at the base of the cliffs revealed. After circling two smaller islands near our main boat, we set out in kayaks towards a larger one, several hundred meters away.

Working to avoid passing junks, we arrived at the edge of the island to find a low hanging cave leading inwards. With another hour to go before sunset, we paddled into the cave, our heads just a few feet below a jagged roof. The light ahead told us the cave opened up again, but we were astonished when we emerged into a hidden bay. The interior of the island had been eroded, creating small beaches and forest and vine covered cliffs on the inside, none of which had been visible from outside the cave.

Except for the narrow cave entrance, there was no other way in or out of this unexpected oasis. We paddled around this interior ring, marveling at a pair of monkeys scampering among the treetops and the songs of birds echoing from shore to shore. Outside, junks filled with tourists were steaming around the bay, but here, beneath a blue circle of sky, the world was a different place.

We thought for a moment of trying to camp out in our discovered bay, but in our swim gear, we were not suited to spend the night. As it was, we had to return to our boat before sunset made the trip too perilous and before a rising tide closed off our cave. But before heading back, we paddled into the center of our hidden lagoon, let our kayaks drift across the calm surface, and savored the solitude and calm of this secret sanctuary."


Vietnam Links:
Philanthropic Travel Vietnam
Halong Bay World Heritage Site
Old Quarter Hanoi
Investing in Vietnam

Related Links:
My First Philanthropic Travel Experience
Teaching your Children Philanthropy
Understanding Philanthropic Travel
Why Exquisite Safaris?