Adrian and Leticia is a Spanish couple who spend many years in travelling around the world and running a travel blog http://www.mochileandoporlavida.com/ which has become one of the most important travel website in Spain and South America to share their experiences for everyone. Swan Cruises had been touch their expectation which sailing to Bai Tu Long Bay the beautiful remote of Halong bay.
In recent years, Halong Bay has become one of the most emblematic not only of Vietnam but throughout Southeast Asia. Which has more than 20 years recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and was recently included in the list of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World.
Halong bay is more than 3,000 small islands were created by
Mother Nature that form and that give it a unique appearance on the planet,
Halong bay or Dragon Bay attracts more tourists from around the world. It’s worth to visit.
Halong Bay has an area of 1,500 square kilometers, similar to the island of Gran Canaria, and is situated in the northeast corner of Vietnam, about 200km east of the capital, Hanoi.
Since the reputation of such a spectacular place as
Halong Bay has deteriorated largely because of the tens (or hundreds) of companies that have emerged quickly, and are far from being able to offer visitors everything they promise.
After reading many bad experiences about the
tours in Halong Bay, mafias, thief, boats shabby, unkept promises tours, … So, the last thing you expect when you have enthusiasm for visiting a magical and unique place. Therefore, we began to research on the Internet about companies, which offered a good itinerary and enjoying adequate good opinions as to leave one of the best experiences of our trip.
Among all, it caught our attention at
Swan Cruises Halong, a young company but already had hundreds of excellent reviews in the network, and has several routes
Halong bay.
And, another of the reviews we read is that
Halong Bay area (the area of life) is overly saturated by hundreds of boats that make lose some grace.
Instead, the area of
Bai Tu Long Bay, despite being right next door and still just as beautiful, is much less saturated and can feel virtually alone for many times.
Another thing that caught our attention
Swan Cruises is offering a program of
3 days and 2 nights, half of which was spent in a beautiful boat
Bai Tu Long Bay and the other half in a
home stay located in an area rural between
Halong Bay and Hanoi, where various activities like planting rice, walking, cycling or practicing traditional fishing techniques are performed.
So with a plan that convinced us on the table, we decided to contact them.
Quickly, our plan was confirmed and dated out.
Day 1
A week before our tour of
Bai Tu Long Bay,
Northern Vietnam had suffered over powerful typhoon Carina, leaving an unstable weather in the area, so enjoy some clear skies it was a matter of lottery.
But despite the bad omens, it seems we were very lucky, from the first moment to the last we enjoyed totally with the perfect weather.
As we had agreed, at 8.30am in the morning,
Tim, who would be our guide in
Bai Tu Long Bay, went to fetch for the reception of our hostel in the center of Hanoi.
After escaping the chaotic traffic of Hanoi and about to reach the area of Halong, the bus made a stop at a plantation oyster, one of the most popular products of Halong, where we explained the curious pearl production process.
We returned to the bus, and 30 minutes later we were in the office of
Swan Cruises in Halong Harbor.
Served a delicious tea and coffee then, we boarded the tender that took us to our boat.
As we approached it, the more we liked. 30 meters in length and with an elegant, modern look. This started very well!
Set foot on the boat, we confirmed that we had made the best choice we could. The interior finishes were beautiful, and our cabin, a room of luxury worthy of any 5 star hotel.
Swan Crew brought the heaviest luggage to our room, in the dining room as cool as we offered a delicious welcome cocktail!
After freshening up a bit, we went to explore the amazing deck, a perfect place to enjoy the scenery in which we were immersed place.
They immediately called us to start eating in the beautiful dining room with exterior views.
Certainly enjoy the delicious dishes that brought us while we reveled in sight with the beautiful karst formations that
Bai Tu Long Bay was an absolutely unforgettable experience.
After filling the stomach with delicious and abundant food, we went to relax on the sun deck. After that, we had come to
Thien Canh Son Cave, our first stop.
Thien Canh Son Cave is a cave that runs through many islands of
Bai Tu Long Bay. The peculiar rock formations that inhabit the interior are natural spectacle, seem made by a world renowned artist.
After visiting the wonderful cave, we headed back to the boat to set sail to the place where we would spend the night.
Half an hour of sailing, the boat stopped in a gap between small islands that wonderful landscape.
The sky was clear, the landscape seemed from another planet, and heat pressed, so … what better than a swim?
After dips in a unique setting, quickly we went to take a shower, because shortly after we had been quoted in the deck to enjoy a Sunset Party.
Halong Bay is probably one of the places in the world where you can enjoy most beautiful sunsets. See the Sun hiding behind the contour of the islands surrounding us, enveloped by a magical silence, it was one of the images that we more marked in northern Vietnam.
On the sundeck, they began serve plates of food and cocktails, to hold a Sunset Party where we had the opportunity to learn about our fellow cruise.
After the Sunset Party, we went down to the dining room for dinner. As at noon, as the succession of delicious dishes were coming to the tables on our faces was forming an increasingly pronounced smile.
After some entertainment while some went to rest, a few went to the bow of the boat, where we had prepared some squid fishing rods.
Day 2
The second day of our cruise in
Bai Tu Long Bay started early. Sorry. It started very early. At 5 am, nothing more, nothing less.
And it is 5 in the morning was the time that that sun which had fired 10 hours earlier, again make an appearance again. We were with few who woke up to welcome you, surrounded by silence and perfect peace.
After a few minutes in which only the sound of birds and wind could be heard, Tim appeared on the cover, dressed in a suit tai chi.
It was time intensive tai chi class. Half an hour in which we learn the 24 basic movements of this martial art then had not had the chance to meet.
That was a good way to start the day. Although for us, we will not lie, the best way to start the day was with the megadesayuno buffet awaited us in the dining room. So, yes!
Gradually, we were all going into our kayak, and began one of the highlights of the tour.
Move slowly The sheer among huge boulders that surrounded us was an experience.
After nearly an hour paddling, we reach a beach where we could relax a few minutes.
And get to the boat meant that the first part of our tour was about to end, and it was time to pack my bags and head back to port.
But not before witnessing an interesting class of Vietnamese cuisine, where one of the chef taught us how to cut some vegetables with lots of art, besides teaching us to prepare spring rolls.
And after, all had the opportunity to prepare fresh Vietnamese spring rolls, which would be our appetizer before trying the last meal of the cruise.
After the delicious meal, we went to the roof to bid farewell to the beautiful
bay of Bai Tu Long which had treated us so well for 24 hours.
When we reached the port, the guys
Swan Cruises carried our luggage to the bus that would take them back to Hanoi to everyone.
