A four-hour bus ride, torrential rains and great expectations. This was the prelude to our upcoming visit to one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Vietnam. The term World Heritage site usually resonates with an ancient historic architecture, a nature reserve of biological diversity or a lost city of a forgotten civilisation. Also, it evokes images of hundreds of tourists flocking to these sites, taking photos and making the entire place abuzz with their footsteps and conversations. And that was the very reason why I was not keen on visiting Ha Long Bay in Northeast Vietnam while planning our ten day trip to the country.
However, the tourist in me didn't want to miss the otherworldly limestone landscape either. After all, this is where God sent the mother dragon millions of years ago to save the Vietnamese people from the invaders. So, on a foggy morning we boarded the bus from Hanoi, completely unaware of the pleasant surprise in store for us. On arrival, a passenger ferry at the Ha Long Bay wharf was ready to take us to our junk boat – the Swan cruise.
Before boarding the ferry, Nam – our ever so helpful guide – informed us about the site we were going to spend the night. And it was not exactly in Ha Long Bay. Instead, it was Bai Tu Long Bay – the eastern part of the World Heritage site – covering almost three quarters of Ha Long Bay. We didn’t know how to react since the name was completely new to most of us. But his reassuring words didn’t leave much room for doubt either. And before we knew it, we were in the middle of nowhere. Bai Tu Long Bay embraced us with its impressive silence, towering limestone karsts and solitary islets. The myths say this is where the child dragon descended to fight the enemies of Vietnam, while her mother went down to Ha Long Bay.
It was almost mid-day when we arrived at our junk (cruise). Time for a lavish five- to six-course lunch and an informal get-to-know of the fellow travelers. While a couple from Canada and their daughter showered much-needed attention on our toddler, the young women from Spain and two office colleagues from London talked animatedly about their forthcoming hikes in Sapa, alleys of the ancient town of Hoi An and cruising the Mekong delta.
About the sumptuous lunch, Vietnamese cuisine is renowned the world over. Be it Bún bò Huế, pho or bun cha, the freshness, the aroma and of course the unforgettable taste makes every single dish a speciality in itself. Before we could start gorging over the delectable spread, the chief chef of the cruise taught us how to roll a rice paper with shrimps, carrots, eggs and noodles inside to make a spring roll. Most of us did fairly well, except our little one who preferred to eat just the shrimps and veggies, leaving aside the thin sheet of paper. We could have easily gotten into a food coma, but Nam made sure that we get ready for a trip to the lone floating fishing village and one of those secluded beaches which are still nearly unexplored.
While most of the travellers opted for the kayaks, I was pretty content sitting on my special perch up on the deck with the kid. For the kayakers, though, with the emerald waters below and the crystal blue skies above, it must have felt as if the world was just theirs. Once on the tiny little beach, which was just perfect for an afternoon barbeque, most of us jumped into the waters for a nice swim.
It was getting dark and we had spent enough time frolicking in the still waters. The kayakers started their journey back amidst the majestic limestone outcrops and I hopped on to the ferry carrying my furiously unwilling toddler along.
By the time we arrived at the junk, entire environment around us seemed to have gone through a dramatic transformation. There was absolute silence everywhere. We were on the upper deck and only a few cruises were visible in the faraway vista. It was as if the dark sky, the whispering air and the giant cliffs were creating a heavenly abode on earth. This aura of peace is unique to Bai Tu Long Bay, quite different from its over explored sister bay. One night was evidently not enough to soak in the surreal quietness of the panoramic expanse.
The next morning it was time for some ‘adventure’. So, we climbed up 100 stone steps to reach the Thien Canh Son Cave situated in the centre of Cong Do Island. Main attraction being the natural limestone stalactites, the open ocean view from above did justice to our active effort as well.
It was time for yet another five-course lunch after the hour-long cave hiking. Most of us were too full from the morning breakfast and preferred to sit on the deck to take one last look at this distinctly enchanting natural heritage. Far away, the outline of the city of Ha Long Bay was calling us back. Yet, I was wishing for one more day of sailing through the pristine solitude of Bai Tu Long Bay.
(The writer is a Bengaluru-based blogger and is a former reporter, Times Of India. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
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