Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba

Day One:

First of all, we’ve had some luck here! We were due to stay on a traditional luxury boat for three days, sailing around Ha Long Bay and the quieter islands of Cat Ba. But the company had overbooked and cancelled on us, so we had to stay in Hanoi for a couple more nights. It turned out well, because it has been torrential rain every day on the proposed trip, and reports said it wasn’t the best experience because of the weather.

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We rebooked for today, and the sky is blue with not a cloud in sight for the first time in days. Not only that, but when we explained how disappointed we were about the cancellation—since this was our honeymoon treat (OK, it’s a bloody long honeymoon that may last years!)—it worked. Boy, did it work! We now have a luxury honeymoon suite all to ourselves, right on top of the boat next to the captain. It has a balcony courtyard with seats and loungers, and inside it’s quite decadent: a queen-size bed caressed in red rose petals, with a couple of folded towel swans to complete the scene.

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But there’s no time for the room right now—we’re straight onto a tender boat. We cut away from the main vessel and cruise through limestone pillars and islands to a floating fisherman’s platform tucked away in a cove. Standing on the loose wooden planks just a few feet above the water, looking toward the kayaks we’re about to explore on, it all feels almost unreal. I’m in one of my dream destinations halfway across the world, and it truly seems like a dream. Every single thing is amazing—it’s sensory overload. If you let your mind wander to something mundane, you suddenly feel guilty for not soaking in the majesty of what’s here.

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I thought kayaking in Montenegro and Alaska was good, but this is on a whole new level. We paddle through endless narrow channels between towering karst walls of rock, each undercut by the erosion of tides and weather. Lush greenery clings to every crevice, and trees somehow thread their roots through the tiniest porous cracks and holes. Above us, kites and sea eagles circle in the sky.

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We thread our way under a small arch in a massive cliff and paddle into a hidden lagoon, greeted by gasps of disbelief and joy. This really is something special. Already, friendships are forming within our small group of maybe twelve, as we laugh, joke, and swim together in the fresh waters. Well, some of us swim—Wendy isn’t confident about getting back into a floating kayak. “Come on, how hard can it be?” I thought. Bloody hard, as it turns out! With my dodgy knees, I struggled like a walrus, egged on by the laughs and cheers of our fellow paddlers.

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Back on board, there’s no time to waste. It’s straight into a cooking lesson, followed by a buffet lunch out on deck. But no staying up late—it’s an early start tomorrow! We’ll cruise through the islands of Lan Coc to a floating village, then tackle hiking, mountain climbing, caves, dinner, and swimming at a secluded beach. Oh my goodness—we’ve signed up for boot camp!

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Day Two: The Floating Village

After an unforgettable cruise through the myriad of otherworldly islands and inlets, we entered a narrow gorge that opened into a sheltered bay. Beneath the protective sheer rock face lay a very large floating village.

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Local boats harvest oysters in baskets placed in the shallow waters beneath the cliffs. With tides rising and falling about two meters most days, the oysters can be collected at low tide. Outside their floating homes, rectangular pens keep the catch of oysters and fish alive.

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Life here looks hard, but the fishing families are friendly and seem to tolerate tourists forever gawping at them and snapping pictures. I was no different—the urge to photograph was irresistible. Life here feels so alien to anything I’ve ever seen, yet it carries a notion of freedom and romanticism.

The Jungle Trek

Our guide for the jungle trek on the island of Cat Ba was Bing. He waits for no one—running a tight ship and keeping everything to schedule. At a fork in the dense forest, he announced:

“Whoever wants to turn back can return from here. If you’re fit enough, we’ll climb the mountain to the summit. The path will run out and we’ll scramble over rocks, but it’s not too difficult with everyone helping each other.”

It was a quick decision—because Bing was already off! A few stayed behind, but most of us followed, not knowing if he was joking. He wasn’t. And it was amazing what a group of mixed ages and fitness levels could achieve when not left to ponder.

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The Summit

Most of the group made it to the summit, though some stopped just short as the final few meters were the hardest. The top was about ten square meters, triangular like a child’s drawing of a mountain peak.

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Above: The Drop

I walked to the edge and stood looking out at one of the most breathtaking views of my life. The horizon was literally hundreds of peaks, all green right to the very top. The valley floors were jungle canopy stretching as far as the eye could see. Even at the summit, butterflies and dragonflies buzzed around me.

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I peered down at my feet and saw the sheer rock face drop away. At first I felt no fear, but when Wendy joined me, I advised her not to go near the edge and held onto her. Then came a delayed fear—I realized how dangerous it was. The sheer overwhelming majesty had numbed me to it.

We shared the moment, congratulating ourselves that all the “oldies” had made it, leaving the younger ones behind. Truly magical, almost overwhelming—we were so fortunate to witness these wonders of the world. It makes you feel alive and grateful to be.

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The Descent

As always on our adventures, we descended the mountain in an unlikely fashion. We got a little lost until, at a fork in the trail, we found an arrow pointing to a downward path marked “Dangerous.”

“I’m surprised Bing went this way,” said one of my new friends. “But I’m sure I saw him up ahead.”

Like Wile E. Coyote or Daffy Duck, we took it—why wouldn’t we! It was crazy, bloody dangerous, and no, Bing had not taken it. But we shaved off a good half hour from the descent. Evidently, it was a very old path wiped out by a super typhoon, hence all the fallen trees we had to climb under and over.

It was brilliant though!