Halong Cruise and Kayak 3 days

Halong Cruise & Kayak 3 days
Routes: Hanoi � Halong � Hanoi (175km one-way)Duration: 3 days 2 nights, sleep aboardFeature: Halong Bay is spectacular! The best way to visit all the hidden inlets and islands is via kayak. You will have 3 days on the water to explore this World Heritage Site with the support of our helpful experts and an authentic liveaboard Chinese Junk. Sleep on board under the stars and endulge in selections of the freshest seafood seved at lunch and dinner. On your kayak discover the magic as you paddle your way through narrow caves and secret interior lakes. Touch the untouched, name the unnamed, make your own magic, find your own route. Travel your way, the way travel should be!Difficulty: (3/5)Itinerary in Detail:Day 1: Hanoi � HalongHalong Cruise tour, travel to halongDepart 8:00 am to Halong. After a 3.5 hours drive we will board our private vessel, an authentic Chinese Junk, for a relaxing cruise to the bay. After lunch on the boat we will stop at a small floating fishing village where our kayaks will be waiting. Then take advantage of the afternoon (2-3 hours) by kayaking amidst the magic of Halong. Tonight's dinner will include a selection of the freshest sea food. Retire to your quarters on the boat or sleep under the stars on the top deck.(L,D)Day 2: Lost, let's sea what happens...book Halong kayaking tours in VietnamA full day of kayaking follows breakfast on the boat. This is the day to discover the hidden Halong and uncover the secrets of this World Heritage Site. Paddle through the emerald water to magnificent caves and deserted lagoons. Explore every nook and cranny of this specticle of towering limestone and ocean, kayak to places some have never been to.The day we will be fully supported by our boat. We will not have any designated route, we just paddle to the places you wish to go. Our only concern will be the weather's possible heavy rain or too much sun. If this is the case, we can easily go back to the boat for lunch, a short rest, more water or swimming. For those who are not feeling up to a full day of kayaking, cruising on the boat capturing photograph after photograph or sun bathing are some alternatives. As the sun sets, take pleasure in knowing that our second night will be spent on the water as well. (B,L,D)Day 3: More kayaking then onto HanoiHalong kayaking tour, travel to Halong VietnamSources: http://www.footprintsvietnam.com/Tours/Halong/DayTripsExcursions/Bai-Tu-Long-2days.htm
More Halong Tours
Breakfast, then more cruising and kayaking. Then we return to Halong City. We will see a little bit of the town as we will have lunch at a local restaurant here, then we will begin our return to Hanoi. You should be back in your hotel around 5:00 pm where your smile, tan and stories of adventure on the water will be the envy of others. (B,L)

Our Three-Day Tour

Upon arrival at our hotel in Hanoi (Vinh Quanh) we were immediately questioned about tours. We knew we wanted to visit Halong Bay and had been told and read that a tour from Hanoi was the most economical way to go. "Go now, weather is good" they said, which we also knew as we had been watching the weather keenly for the past week. Our hotel also told us that we could lock up our stuff while we were at Halong, "lockers in back, no problem," which would be great. Thinking we were now savvy to the game we declined this initial offer and went around town checking prices and asking questions. We got our low bids and went back to our hotel to see if they would match it. After a "serious" bargaining session, we got our 3 day small group tour, with kayaking and one night on the boat for $38, down from $45. With low expectations but a good price, we were satisfied with our dealings and excited to get out on the water.The morning of our trip we went down to the lobby to lock up our stuff and low and behold they didn't actually have the keys to open the lockers. But we were told we could leave our stuff in the back room. The back room was scattered with other travellers bags and two beds for the hotel workers. Seemed sketchy, but what most others were doing and the people at the hotel were very nice. Kelley said forget it and brought all of her things with her on the trip and I took out the important items from my bag and left a bit of clothes and a rain jacket. The whole situation was quite disappointing due to the fact that this was the reason to book the tour from our hotel. Anyway, our van showed up and we were carted off around town picking up our fellow travellers.The Old Quarter of Hanoi was very interesting in the fact that it seemed to get things going very late as compared to the other places we had been. At 7:30am, the relatively few vehicles in the streets were dominated by white and silver mini buses picking up people to cart them off to their varied destinations. Shops were still mostly closed up and it was even difficult to find food. Quite different than the streets of Lao and Thailand.The 3.5 hour drive form Hanoi to Halong was fine, we stopped for lunch then boarded our "Junk." The Junk, as with 95% of the boats in the bay, were more like ferries with little decorative sails. And that was if they were even to put the sails up, which none bothered.Unlike the "sailing," the bay itself was spectacular! Steep, pitted limestone islands covered with tangles of lush forest vegetation. The distant views were reminiscent of jagged mountain peaks in the Sierras, though they were surrounded by water. We motored through the bay islands, checked out some caves (more like Disneyland than natural caves, but they did have amazing formations), and were dropped off at a floating village to wait for our sleeping vessel. Twenty minutes later a much nicer boat showed up and we joined a new group of people for the evening. We cruised to a beautiful cove and anchored there for the night. The evening was great and we woke the next morning to sunrise on the water and another beautiful day.We came to port on Cat Ba Island and did a bit of hiking up to a peak and clambered up a rickety old tower for a great view. Once to Cat Ba town we started to realize our plight when the tour guide split us off from the group at lunch. We were told that we would be eating at a different restaurant for lunch and would stay at a different hotel than the rest of the group. We would also be having "free time" while the rest of the group went kayaking. It turned out, after persistently asking our guide, that our hotel actually booked us for a completely different, inferior tour and overcharged us for it as well!Lesson numbers 23, 24 and 25:Don't bargain for services, the people selling them to you are smarter than you are and you do not speak their native language; make a copy of your receipt as the tour company will take it from you when you get on the bus; and finally, go over your itinerary with your tour guide and travel agent before you leave, this is difficult to do, but if you don't you will probably get screwed at some point (ask almost anyone) and it is easy for them to pass blame on each other.So, we took the low budget meals and hotel in stride, that is what we had been doing anyway. We did however, (along with the help of the rest of the people on our trip) force the tour company to take us kayaking, which was great. We also got to stop at some devil monkey island that was nice, but the aggressive, tourist-trained monkeys were far from an appealing sight (the guide had gotten bitten the week before chasing a monkey off a stupid woman with cookies strapped to her back). We called our hotel back in Hanoi to let them know that we were upset that they had screwed us, only to have them hang up once they realized we were mad.The next day we split off from our tour and it was fantastic! We got the most beautiful room we have had over our entire trip, met some great local people (read Unlikely Teachers journal entry) and had some great food! We joined our group the next morning back to Hanoi on the "crappy bus" and with the "cheap food" and with a little forceful instance, they dropped us off grudgingly at our hotel.The throw down at the hotel also proved a mixed bag. We did get some money back our our tour "mistake" but, after 20 intense minutes of searching for my bag, I found it under the slats of a bed in the back room with two shirts missing. The hotel blamed the theft on other travellers, of course! We left them with heaps of bad karma and told everyone in the hotel not to book trips or store bags. They were pretty mad as well and we were happy to leave.We found a great hotel a few blocks away with a comedic employee who frantically yelled "Chicken Flu" everytime he sneezed. It was hilarious and a much needed break from our earlier stresses of the day.The next day we tooled around Hanoi trying to figure out trip planning. Everyone we talked to said southern Vietnam was pissin' rain and thus literally, no one had had a good time. We decided to bag the bad weather of Southern Vietnam and booked a cheap flight back to Bangkok for the next day! Sad to leave Vietnam after such a short time, but we couldn't justify heading into bad weather in hopes of a lucky break. We flew back to Bangkok on the 22nd of December with little idea on where to head from there.

Snake Village

My friends Mike and Buffalo Joe were determined to eat snake, and so was I. We wanted to see if the blood, actually had viagraic effects like the Lonely planet claimed. We asked our moped-taxi drivers from earlier to take us to this "Snake village", they were very willing to do so. It was raining in Hanoi, and the three drivers handed us ponchos. Although mine smelled distinctly of urine, I was just happy to be somewhat dry, and hey beggers can't be choosers. The journey took around 30 minutes by scooter. The roads seemed to have only one regulation, when someone beeps, get out of the way or die. We passed through the outskirts of town and crossed a bridge over a wide river. Where we ended up was definitely less seen by the tourist eye but had a magical feeling about it. We arrived at a restaurant that was completely open at the front with an upstairs balcony. The walls were adorned with vases, large and small, filled with cobras, geckos, and scorpions of all shapes and sizes. The owner immediately greeted us and showed us his missing finger, an apparent casualty of the profession of handling cobras. There were two cages along the wall filled with snakes, one for male and the other female. A man threw one on the cement in front of us and then proceeded to torment it until its neck flared out in discontent. We went upstairs and drank beer with our local tour guides while we waited. Two workers then brought a snake in front of us and cut it open, removing the still beating heart and draining the blood into a glass. The blood was poured into shot glasses and mixed with grain alcohol. As the heart pulsated on the plate before us, we cut it up and "shot" it with the blood/vodka. The combination of the vodka and fresh blood warmed the body and made us feel somewhat more manly. Who would believe us? Good thing we had video and pictures. Another shot was on its way, this time of vodka and bile, not delicious, but then again neither is tequila. For $40 american we received this and an eight course meal of snake. Each course was small, but different from the next. Our guides, and now friends, were celebrating a sucessful days work. As we chatted with them, they sold eachother out. One was smoking "rustic tobacco" and the other was clearly drunk. We talked about politics and Mohammed Ali, and then sung "Don't worry be Happy" together. Priceless

Our Three-Day Tour

Upon arrival at our hotel in Hanoi (Vinh Quanh) we were immediately questioned about tours. We knew we wanted to visit Halong Bay and had been told and read that a tour from Hanoi was the most economical way to go. "Go now, weather is good" they said, which we also knew as we had been watching the weather keenly for the past week. Our hotel also told us that we could lock up our stuff while we were at Halong, "lockers in back, no problem," which would be great. Thinking we were now savvy to the game we declined this initial offer and went around town checking prices and asking questions. We got our low bids and went back to our hotel to see if they would match it. After a "serious" bargaining session, we got our 3 day small group tour, with kayaking and one night on the boat for $38, down from $45. With low expectations but a good price, we were satisfied with our dealings and excited to get out on the water.The morning of our trip we went down to the lobby to lock up our stuff and low and behold they didn't actually have the keys to open the lockers. But we were told we could leave our stuff in the back room. The back room was scattered with other travellers bags and two beds for the hotel workers. Seemed sketchy, but what most others were doing and the people at the hotel were very nice. Kelley said forget it and brought all of her things with her on the trip and I took out the important items from my bag and left a bit of clothes and a rain jacket. The whole situation was quite disappointing due to the fact that this was the reason to book the tour from our hotel. Anyway, our van showed up and we were carted off around town picking up our fellow travellers.The Old Quarter of Hanoi was very interesting in the fact that it seemed to get things going very late as compared to the other places we had been. At 7:30am, the relatively few vehicles in the streets were dominated by white and silver mini buses picking up people to cart them off to their varied destinations. Shops were still mostly closed up and it was even difficult to find food. Quite different than the streets of Lao and Thailand.The 3.5 hour drive form Hanoi to Halong was fine, we stopped for lunch then boarded our "Junk." The Junk, as with 95% of the boats in the bay, were more like ferries with little decorative sails. And that was if they were even to put the sails up, which none bothered.Unlike the "sailing," the bay itself was spectacular! Steep, pitted limestone islands covered with tangles of lush forest vegetation. The distant views were reminiscent of jagged mountain peaks in the Sierras, though they were surrounded by water. We motored through the bay islands, checked out some caves (more like Disneyland than natural caves, but they did have amazing formations), and were dropped off at a floating village to wait for our sleeping vessel. Twenty minutes later a much nicer boat showed up and we joined a new group of people for the evening. We cruised to a beautiful cove and anchored there for the night. The evening was great and we woke the next morning to sunrise on the water and another beautiful day.We came to port on Cat Ba Island and did a bit of hiking up to a peak and clambered up a rickety old tower for a great view. Once to Cat Ba town we started to realize our plight when the tour guide split us off from the group at lunch. We were told that we would be eating at a different restaurant for lunch and would stay at a different hotel than the rest of the group. We would also be having "free time" while the rest of the group went kayaking. It turned out, after persistently asking our guide, that our hotel actually booked us for a completely different, inferior tour and overcharged us for it as well!Lesson numbers 23, 24 and 25:Don't bargain for services, the people selling them to you are smarter than you are and you do not speak their native language; make a copy of your receipt as the tour company will take it from you when you get on the bus; and finally, go over your itinerary with your tour guide and travel agent before you leave, this is difficult to do, but if you don't you will probably get screwed at some point (ask almost anyone) and it is easy for them to pass blame on each other.So, we took the low budget meals and hotel in stride, that is what we had been doing anyway. We did however, (along with the help of the rest of the people on our trip) force the tour company to take us kayaking, which was great. We also got to stop at some devil monkey island that was nice, but the aggressive, tourist-trained monkeys were far from an appealing sight (the guide had gotten bitten the week before chasing a monkey off a stupid woman with cookies strapped to her back). We called our hotel back in Hanoi to let them know that we were upset that they had screwed us, only to have them hang up once they realized we were mad.The next day we split off from our tour and it was fantastic! We got the most beautiful room we have had over our entire trip, met some great local people (read Unlikely Teachers journal entry) and had some great food! We joined our group the next morning back to Hanoi on the "crappy bus" and with the "cheap food" and with a little forceful instance, they dropped us off grudgingly at our hotel.The throw down at the hotel also proved a mixed bag. We did get some money back our our tour "mistake" but, after 20 intense minutes of searching for my bag, I found it under the slats of a bed in the back room with two shirts missing. The hotel blamed the theft on other travellers, of course! We left them with heaps of bad karma and told everyone in the hotel not to book trips or store bags. They were pretty mad as well and we were happy to leave.We found a great hotel a few blocks away with a comedic employee who frantically yelled "Chicken Flu" everytime he sneezed. It was hilarious and a much needed break from our earlier stresses of the day.The next day we tooled around Hanoi trying to figure out trip planning. Everyone we talked to said southern Vietnam was pissin' rain and thus literally, no one had had a good time. We decided to bag the bad weather of Southern Vietnam and booked a cheap flight back to Bangkok for the next day! Sad to leave Vietnam after such a short time, but we couldn't justify heading into bad weather in hopes of a lucky break. We flew back to Bangkok on the 22nd of December with little idea on where to head from there.

Halong Bay Vietnam

Geographical locationHalong bay is in northeastern Vietnam, from E106°56' to E107°37' and from N20°43' to N21°09'. The bay stretches from Yên Hưng district, past Hạ Long city, Cẩm Phả town to Vân Đồn district, bordered on the south and southeast by the Gulf of Tonkin, on the north by China and on the west and southwest by Cát Bà island. The bay has a 120 kilometre long coastline and is approximately 1,553 square kilometres in size with 1969 islets. The area designated by UNESCO as the World Natural Heritage Site includes 434 km² with 775 islets, of which the core zone is delimited by 69 points: Đầu Gỗ island on the west, Ba Hầm lake on the south and Cống Tây island on the east. The protected area is from the Cái Dăm petrol store to Quang Hanh commune, Cẩm Phả town and the surrounding giants zone.ClimateThe bay is a sea islands in tropical wet with 2 seasons: hot and moist summer, dry and cold winter. Average temperature is from 15°C- 25°C. Annual rainfall is between 2000mm and 2200mm. Halong bay has the typical diurnal tide system (tide amplitude ranges from 3.5-4m). The salinity is from 31 to 34.5MT in dry season and lower in rainy season.HistorySoi Nhụ culture (16000- 5000 BCE)Located in Hạ Long and Bái Tử Long, there are symbolic archaeological sites such as Mê Cung and Thiên Long. There are mounds of remains of mountain shellfishes (Cyclophorus) and spring shellfishes (Melania), some fresh water mollusk and some rudimentary labour tools. The main living procedures of Soi Nhụ's habitants were catching shellfish and fish, collecting fruits and digging for bulbs and roots. Their living environment is coastal area unlike other Vietnamese cultures, for example those found in Hoà Bình, Bắc Sơn, etc.Cái Bèo culture (5000- 3000BCE)Located in Hạ Long and Cát Bà island, its habitants developed to the level of sea exploitation.History shows that Halong Bay has been the setting for local naval battles against Vietnam's coastal neighbours. On three occasions in the labyrinth of channels in Bach Dang river near the islands the Vietnamese army stopped the Chinese from landing. In 1288 General Tran Hung Dao stopped Mongol ships from sailing up the nearby Bach Dang River by placing steel-tipped wooden stakes at high tide, sinking the Mongol Dubhai Khan's fleet.During the Vietnam War, many of the channels between the islands were heavily mined by the navy of the United States, some of which pose a threat to shipping to this day.System of isles and cavesThien Cung grottoThien Cung grottoThe bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto in the Halong area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century French graffiti). There are two bigger islands, Tuan Chau and Cat Ba, that have permanent inhabitants. Both of them have tourist facilities, including hotels and beaches. There are a number of wonderful beaches on the smaller islands.Some of the islands support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Many of the islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes: such names include Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 989 of the islands have been given names. Birds and animals including bantams, antelopes, monkeys, and iguanas also live on some of the islands.CivilizationFloating fishing villageFloating fishing villageA community of around 1600 people live on Halong bay in four fishing villages: Cửa Vạn, Ba Hang, Cống Tàu and Vông Viêng in Hùng Thắng commune, Hạ Long city. They live on floating houses and are sustained by capture fishing and marine aquaculture (cultivating marine biota).Originally in Ha Long Bay there was only one fishing village. Now there are about ten.Honourable nameIn 1962, Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism arranged Halong Bay as National Renowned Lanscape Vestige.The bay was World's Natural Heritage listed by UNESCO at the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Phuket, Thailand on December 17th, 1994) for its outstanding universal aesthetic value according to the criteria explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. On December 2nd, 2000 at the 24th meeting of Committee of the World Heritages in Cairns, Australia, Halong bay was admitted as a World Heritage Site for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value according to the criteria of that Convention.[1]Halong bay was introduced to nominate by New Open World Foundation as World's 7 Natural Wonder having result on 08/08/2008.[1]The Kissing RocksThe Kissing RocksGeology and geomorphologyHistory of tectonicsScientists say that Halong bay has experienced at least 500 million years in the various geological states of orogeny, marine transgression and marine regression. During the Ordovician and Silurian periods (500-410 million years ago), Halong bay was deep sea. During the Carboniferous and Permian periods (340-250 million years ago), Halong Bay was at shallow sea level.Karst geomorphology valueAs of simultaneous combination of factors like thick limestone layer, hot and moist climate and slow tectonic process in whole, Ha Long bay has had a complete karst evolutionary for 20 million years. There are many of karst topography kind in Ha Long such as karst field.BiodiversityHa Long Bay is host to two ecosystems: a tropical, moist, evergreen rainforest ecosystem and a marine & coastal ecosystem. The bay is home to seven endemic species.Endemic species * Livistona halongensis * Impatiens halongensis * Chirieta halongensis * Chirieta hiepii * Chirieta modesta * Paraboea halongensis * Alpinia calcicolaThe many islands that dot the bay are home to a great many other species, including (but likely not limited to): 477 magnoliales, 12 pteris, 20 salt marsh flora and 4 amphibia, 10 reptilia, 40 aves, and 4 mammalia.EconomyTourismHa Long Bay is perhaps the most popular travel destination of the country. Foreigners and natives alike are attracted to its natural, universal appeal, not to mention the shopping and dining prospects located close by.CuisineSeafood in Ha Long is diversifying. Cuttle-fish- mực, oyester- hà, cyclinae- ngán, prawn (penaeidea- tôm he, panulirus- tôm hùm, parapenaeopsis- tôm sắt...), spunculoideas- sá sùng, nerita- ốc đĩa, charonia tritonis- ốc tù và, cà sáy... are popular in many famous delicious dishes.In literatureNguyễn Trãi wrote about Halong bay: "This wonder is ground raises up in the middle of the high sky". Xuân Diệu utter a praise: "Here is the unfinished works of the Beings...Here is the stones which the Giant played and threw away". Nguyên Ngọc summarized: "...to form this first- rate wonder, nature only uses: Stone and Water...There is just only two materials themselves chosen from as much as materials, in order to write, to draw, to sculpture, to create everything...It is quite possible that here is the image of the future world". Ho Chi Minh remarks: "It is the wonder that one cannot impart to others". Pham Van Dong embarrassed: "Is it one scenery or many seceneries? Is it the scenery in the world or somewhere?". Nguyễn Tuân recognized that:"Only mountains accept to be old, but Ha Long sea and wave is young for ever".Che Lan Vien sensed:"Hạ Long, Bái Tử Long- Dragons were hidden, only stones still remainOn the moonlight night, stones meditate as men..."Lord Trịnh Cương overflowed with emotion: "Mountains are glistend by water shadow, water spill all over the sky".Huy Cận was agitated: "Night breathes, stars wave Ha Long's water".

Our Three-Day Tour

Upon arrival at our hotel in Hanoi (Vinh Quanh) we were immediately questioned about tours. We knew we wanted to visit Halong Bay and had been told and read that a tour from Hanoi was the most economical way to go. "Go now, weather is good" they said, which we also knew as we had been watching the weather keenly for the past week. Our hotel also told us that we could lock up our stuff while we were at Halong, "lockers in back, no problem," which would be great. Thinking we were now savvy to the game we declined this initial offer and went around town checking prices and asking questions. We got our low bids and went back to our hotel to see if they would match it. After a "serious" bargaining session, we got our 3 day small group tour, with kayaking and one night on the boat for $38, down from $45. With low expectations but a good price, we were satisfied with our dealings and excited to get out on the water.The morning of our trip we went down to the lobby to lock up our stuff and low and behold they didn't actually have the keys to open the lockers. But we were told we could leave our stuff in the back room. The back room was scattered with other travellers bags and two beds for the hotel workers. Seemed sketchy, but what most others were doing and the people at the hotel were very nice. Kelley said forget it and brought all of her things with her on the trip and I took out the important items from my bag and left a bit of clothes and a rain jacket. The whole situation was quite disappointing due to the fact that this was the reason to book the tour from our hotel. Anyway, our van showed up and we were carted off around town picking up our fellow travellers.The Old Quarter of Hanoi was very interesting in the fact that it seemed to get things going very late as compared to the other places we had been. At 7:30am, the relatively few vehicles in the streets were dominated by white and silver mini buses picking up people to cart them off to their varied destinations. Shops were still mostly closed up and it was even difficult to find food. Quite different than the streets of Lao and Thailand.The 3.5 hour drive form Hanoi to Halong was fine, we stopped for lunch then boarded our "Junk." The Junk, as with 95% of the boats in the bay, were more like ferries with little decorative sails. And that was if they were even to put the sails up, which none bothered.Unlike the "sailing," the bay itself was spectacular! Steep, pitted limestone islands covered with tangles of lush forest vegetation. The distant views were reminiscent of jagged mountain peaks in the Sierras, though they were surrounded by water. We motored through the bay islands, checked out some caves (more like Disneyland than natural caves, but they did have amazing formations), and were dropped off at a floating village to wait for our sleeping vessel. Twenty minutes later a much nicer boat showed up and we joined a new group of people for the evening. We cruised to a beautiful cove and anchored there for the night. The evening was great and we woke the next morning to sunrise on the water and another beautiful day.We came to port on Cat Ba Island and did a bit of hiking up to a peak and clambered up a rickety old tower for a great view. Once to Cat Ba town we started to realize our plight when the tour guide split us off from the group at lunch. We were told that we would be eating at a different restaurant for lunch and would stay at a different hotel than the rest of the group. We would also be having "free time" while the rest of the group went kayaking. It turned out, after persistently asking our guide, that our hotel actually booked us for a completely different, inferior tour and overcharged us for it as well!Lesson numbers 23, 24 and 25:Don't bargain for services, the people selling them to you are smarter than you are and you do not speak their native language; make a copy of your receipt as the tour company will take it from you when you get on the bus; and finally, go over your itinerary with your tour guide and travel agent before you leave, this is difficult to do, but if you don't you will probably get screwed at some point (ask almost anyone) and it is easy for them to pass blame on each other.So, we took the low budget meals and hotel in stride, that is what we had been doing anyway. We did however, (along with the help of the rest of the people on our trip) force the tour company to take us kayaking, which was great. We also got to stop at some devil monkey island that was nice, but the aggressive, tourist-trained monkeys were far from an appealing sight (the guide had gotten bitten the week before chasing a monkey off a stupid woman with cookies strapped to her back). We called our hotel back in Hanoi to let them know that we were upset that they had screwed us, only to have them hang up once they realized we were mad.The next day we split off from our tour and it was fantastic! We got the most beautiful room we have had over our entire trip, met some great local people (read Unlikely Teachers journal entry) and had some great food! We joined our group the next morning back to Hanoi on the "crappy bus" and with the "cheap food" and with a little forceful instance, they dropped us off grudgingly at our hotel.The throw down at the hotel also proved a mixed bag. We did get some money back our our tour "mistake" but, after 20 intense minutes of searching for my bag, I found it under the slats of a bed in the back room with two shirts missing. The hotel blamed the theft on other travellers, of course! We left them with heaps of bad karma and told everyone in the hotel not to book trips or store bags. They were pretty mad as well and we were happy to leave.We found a great hotel a few blocks away with a comedic employee who frantically yelled "Chicken Flu" everytime he sneezed. It was hilarious and a much needed break from our earlier stresses of the day.The next day we tooled around Hanoi trying to figure out trip planning. Everyone we talked to said southern Vietnam was pissin' rain and thus literally, no one had had a good time. We decided to bag the bad weather of Southern Vietnam and booked a cheap flight back to Bangkok for the next day! Sad to leave Vietnam after such a short time, but we couldn't justify heading into bad weather in hopes of a lucky break. We flew back to Bangkok on the 22nd of December with little idea on where to head from there.

Vietnam Travel Information

Vietnam Information Most visitors to Vietnam are overwhelmed by the sublime beauty of the country's natural setting: the Red River Delta in the north, the Mekong Delta in the south and almost the entire coastal strip are a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies tended by women in conical hats.There are some divine beaches along the coast, while inland there are soaring mountains, some of which are cloaked by dense, misty forests. Vietnam also offers an opportunity to see a country of traditional charm and rare beauty rapidly opening up to the outside world.href=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/vietnam/
Vietnam Travel Vietnam ToursAs a local tour operator, Footprint can take you on a custom-made tour to destinations throughout Vietnam. From small group tours of historical Vietnam; to eco-adventures in Halong Bay; to cultural community-based tourism products in Ha Giang.We have been a Vietnam ambassador to thousands of travelers Worldwide, we pride ourselves as being your guide to experiencing the real Vietnam at your own pace and stylehttp://www.footprintsvietnam.com
Tong cuc Du lich Viet Nam - Vietnam National Administration of TourismOfficial Website of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, includes information about Vietnam people and country and tourism.www.vietnamtourism.com
Wikipedia VietnamVietnam was under Chinese control for a thousand years before becoming a nation-state in the 10th century. Successive dynasties flourished along with.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam

Halong Bay Vietnam

Geographical locationHalong bay is in northeastern Vietnam, from E106°56' to E107°37' and from N20°43' to N21°09'. The bay stretches from Yên Hưng district, past Hạ Long city, Cẩm Phả town to Vân Đồn district, bordered on the south and southeast by the Gulf of Tonkin, on the north by China and on the west and southwest by Cát Bà island. The bay has a 120 kilometre long coastline and is approximately 1,553 square kilometres in size with 1969 islets. The area designated by UNESCO as the World Natural Heritage Site includes 434 km² with 775 islets, of which the core zone is delimited by 69 points: Đầu Gỗ island on the west, Ba Hầm lake on the south and Cống Tây island on the east. The protected area is from the Cái Dăm petrol store to Quang Hanh commune, Cẩm Phả town and the surrounding giants zone.ClimateThe bay is a sea islands in tropical wet with 2 seasons: hot and moist summer, dry and cold winter. Average temperature is from 15°C- 25°C. Annual rainfall is between 2000mm and 2200mm. Halong bay has the typical diurnal tide system (tide amplitude ranges from 3.5-4m). The salinity is from 31 to 34.5MT in dry season and lower in rainy season.HistorySoi Nhụ culture (16000- 5000 BCE)Located in Hạ Long and Bái Tử Long, there are symbolic archaeological sites such as Mê Cung and Thiên Long. There are mounds of remains of mountain shellfishes (Cyclophorus) and spring shellfishes (Melania), some fresh water mollusk and some rudimentary labour tools. The main living procedures of Soi Nhụ's habitants were catching shellfish and fish, collecting fruits and digging for bulbs and roots. Their living environment is coastal area unlike other Vietnamese cultures, for example those found in Hoà Bình, Bắc Sơn, etc.Cái Bèo culture (5000- 3000BCE)Located in Hạ Long and Cát Bà island, its habitants developed to the level of sea exploitation.History shows that Halong Bay has been the setting for local naval battles against Vietnam's coastal neighbours. On three occasions in the labyrinth of channels in Bach Dang river near the islands the Vietnamese army stopped the Chinese from landing. In 1288 General Tran Hung Dao stopped Mongol ships from sailing up the nearby Bach Dang River by placing steel-tipped wooden stakes at high tide, sinking the Mongol Dubhai Khan's fleet.During the Vietnam War, many of the channels between the islands were heavily mined by the navy of the United States, some of which pose a threat to shipping to this day.System of isles and cavesThien Cung grottoThien Cung grottoThe bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto in the Halong area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century French graffiti). There are two bigger islands, Tuan Chau and Cat Ba, that have permanent inhabitants. Both of them have tourist facilities, including hotels and beaches. There are a number of wonderful beaches on the smaller islands.Some of the islands support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Many of the islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes: such names include Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 989 of the islands have been given names. Birds and animals including bantams, antelopes, monkeys, and iguanas also live on some of the islands.CivilizationFloating fishing villageFloating fishing villageA community of around 1600 people live on Halong bay in four fishing villages: Cửa Vạn, Ba Hang, Cống Tàu and Vông Viêng in Hùng Thắng commune, Hạ Long city. They live on floating houses and are sustained by capture fishing and marine aquaculture (cultivating marine biota).Originally in Ha Long Bay there was only one fishing village. Now there are about ten.Honourable nameIn 1962, Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism arranged Halong Bay as National Renowned Lanscape Vestige.The bay was World's Natural Heritage listed by UNESCO at the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Phuket, Thailand on December 17th, 1994) for its outstanding universal aesthetic value according to the criteria explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. On December 2nd, 2000 at the 24th meeting of Committee of the World Heritages in Cairns, Australia, Halong bay was admitted as a World Heritage Site for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value according to the criteria of that Convention.[1]Halong bay was introduced to nominate by New Open World Foundation as World's 7 Natural Wonder having result on 08/08/2008.[1]The Kissing RocksThe Kissing RocksGeology and geomorphologyHistory of tectonicsScientists say that Halong bay has experienced at least 500 million years in the various geological states of orogeny, marine transgression and marine regression. During the Ordovician and Silurian periods (500-410 million years ago), Halong bay was deep sea. During the Carboniferous and Permian periods (340-250 million years ago), Halong Bay was at shallow sea level.Karst geomorphology valueAs of simultaneous combination of factors like thick limestone layer, hot and moist climate and slow tectonic process in whole, Ha Long bay has had a complete karst evolutionary for 20 million years. There are many of karst topography kind in Ha Long such as karst field.BiodiversityHa Long Bay is host to two ecosystems: a tropical, moist, evergreen rainforest ecosystem and a marine & coastal ecosystem. The bay is home to seven endemic species.Endemic species * Livistona halongensis * Impatiens halongensis * Chirieta halongensis * Chirieta hiepii * Chirieta modesta * Paraboea halongensis * Alpinia calcicolaThe many islands that dot the bay are home to a great many other species, including (but likely not limited to): 477 magnoliales, 12 pteris, 20 salt marsh flora and 4 amphibia, 10 reptilia, 40 aves, and 4 mammalia.EconomyTourismHa Long Bay is perhaps the most popular travel destination of the country. Foreigners and natives alike are attracted to its natural, universal appeal, not to mention the shopping and dining prospects located close by.CuisineSeafood in Ha Long is diversifying. Cuttle-fish- mực, oyester- hà, cyclinae- ngán, prawn (penaeidea- tôm he, panulirus- tôm hùm, parapenaeopsis- tôm sắt...), spunculoideas- sá sùng, nerita- ốc đĩa, charonia tritonis- ốc tù và, cà sáy... are popular in many famous delicious dishes.In literatureNguyễn Trãi wrote about Halong bay: "This wonder is ground raises up in the middle of the high sky". Xuân Diệu utter a praise: "Here is the unfinished works of the Beings...Here is the stones which the Giant played and threw away". Nguyên Ngọc summarized: "...to form this first- rate wonder, nature only uses: Stone and Water...There is just only two materials themselves chosen from as much as materials, in order to write, to draw, to sculpture, to create everything...It is quite possible that here is the image of the future world". Ho Chi Minh remarks: "It is the wonder that one cannot impart to others". Pham Van Dong embarrassed: "Is it one scenery or many seceneries? Is it the scenery in the world or somewhere?". Nguyễn Tuân recognized that:"Only mountains accept to be old, but Ha Long sea and wave is young for ever".Che Lan Vien sensed:"Hạ Long, Bái Tử Long- Dragons were hidden, only stones still remainOn the moonlight night, stones meditate as men..."Lord Trịnh Cương overflowed with emotion: "Mountains are glistend by water shadow, water spill all over the sky".Huy Cận was agitated: "Night breathes, stars wave Ha Long's water".

Halong Bay Vietnam

Geographical locationHalong bay is in northeastern Vietnam, from E106°56' to E107°37' and from N20°43' to N21°09'. The bay stretches from Yên Hưng district, past Hạ Long city, Cẩm Phả town to Vân Đồn district, bordered on the south and southeast by the Gulf of Tonkin, on the north by China and on the west and southwest by Cát Bà island. The bay has a 120 kilometre long coastline and is approximately 1,553 square kilometres in size with 1969 islets. The area designated by UNESCO as the World Natural Heritage Site includes 434 km² with 775 islets, of which the core zone is delimited by 69 points: Đầu Gỗ island on the west, Ba Hầm lake on the south and Cống Tây island on the east. The protected area is from the Cái Dăm petrol store to Quang Hanh commune, Cẩm Phả town and the surrounding giants zone.ClimateThe bay is a sea islands in tropical wet with 2 seasons: hot and moist summer, dry and cold winter. Average temperature is from 15°C- 25°C. Annual rainfall is between 2000mm and 2200mm. Halong bay has the typical diurnal tide system (tide amplitude ranges from 3.5-4m). The salinity is from 31 to 34.5MT in dry season and lower in rainy season.HistorySoi Nhụ culture (16000- 5000 BCE)Located in Hạ Long and Bái Tử Long, there are symbolic archaeological sites such as Mê Cung and Thiên Long. There are mounds of remains of mountain shellfishes (Cyclophorus) and spring shellfishes (Melania), some fresh water mollusk and some rudimentary labour tools. The main living procedures of Soi Nhụ's habitants were catching shellfish and fish, collecting fruits and digging for bulbs and roots. Their living environment is coastal area unlike other Vietnamese cultures, for example those found in Hoà Bình, Bắc Sơn, etc.Cái Bèo culture (5000- 3000BCE)Located in Hạ Long and Cát Bà island, its habitants developed to the level of sea exploitation.History shows that Halong Bay has been the setting for local naval battles against Vietnam's coastal neighbours. On three occasions in the labyrinth of channels in Bach Dang river near the islands the Vietnamese army stopped the Chinese from landing. In 1288 General Tran Hung Dao stopped Mongol ships from sailing up the nearby Bach Dang River by placing steel-tipped wooden stakes at high tide, sinking the Mongol Dubhai Khan's fleet.During the Vietnam War, many of the channels between the islands were heavily mined by the navy of the United States, some of which pose a threat to shipping to this day.System of isles and cavesThien Cung grottoThien Cung grottoThe bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto in the Halong area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century French graffiti). There are two bigger islands, Tuan Chau and Cat Ba, that have permanent inhabitants. Both of them have tourist facilities, including hotels and beaches. There are a number of wonderful beaches on the smaller islands.Some of the islands support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Many of the islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes: such names include Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 989 of the islands have been given names. Birds and animals including bantams, antelopes, monkeys, and iguanas also live on some of the islands.CivilizationFloating fishing villageFloating fishing villageA community of around 1600 people live on Halong bay in four fishing villages: Cửa Vạn, Ba Hang, Cống Tàu and Vông Viêng in Hùng Thắng commune, Hạ Long city. They live on floating houses and are sustained by capture fishing and marine aquaculture (cultivating marine biota).Originally in Ha Long Bay there was only one fishing village. Now there are about ten.Honourable nameIn 1962, Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism arranged Halong Bay as National Renowned Lanscape Vestige.The bay was World's Natural Heritage listed by UNESCO at the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Phuket, Thailand on December 17th, 1994) for its outstanding universal aesthetic value according to the criteria explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. On December 2nd, 2000 at the 24th meeting of Committee of the World Heritages in Cairns, Australia, Halong bay was admitted as a World Heritage Site for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value according to the criteria of that Convention.[1]Halong bay was introduced to nominate by New Open World Foundation as World's 7 Natural Wonder having result on 08/08/2008.[1]The Kissing RocksThe Kissing RocksGeology and geomorphologyHistory of tectonicsScientists say that Halong bay has experienced at least 500 million years in the various geological states of orogeny, marine transgression and marine regression. During the Ordovician and Silurian periods (500-410 million years ago), Halong bay was deep sea. During the Carboniferous and Permian periods (340-250 million years ago), Halong Bay was at shallow sea level.Karst geomorphology valueAs of simultaneous combination of factors like thick limestone layer, hot and moist climate and slow tectonic process in whole, Ha Long bay has had a complete karst evolutionary for 20 million years. There are many of karst topography kind in Ha Long such as karst field.BiodiversityHa Long Bay is host to two ecosystems: a tropical, moist, evergreen rainforest ecosystem and a marine & coastal ecosystem. The bay is home to seven endemic species.Endemic species * Livistona halongensis * Impatiens halongensis * Chirieta halongensis * Chirieta hiepii * Chirieta modesta * Paraboea halongensis * Alpinia calcicolaThe many islands that dot the bay are home to a great many other species, including (but likely not limited to): 477 magnoliales, 12 pteris, 20 salt marsh flora and 4 amphibia, 10 reptilia, 40 aves, and 4 mammalia.EconomyTourismHa Long Bay is perhaps the most popular travel destination of the country. Foreigners and natives alike are attracted to its natural, universal appeal, not to mention the shopping and dining prospects located close by.CuisineSeafood in Ha Long is diversifying. Cuttle-fish- mực, oyester- hà, cyclinae- ngán, prawn (penaeidea- tôm he, panulirus- tôm hùm, parapenaeopsis- tôm sắt...), spunculoideas- sá sùng, nerita- ốc đĩa, charonia tritonis- ốc tù và, cà sáy... are popular in many famous delicious dishes.In literatureNguyễn Trãi wrote about Halong bay: "This wonder is ground raises up in the middle of the high sky". Xuân Diệu utter a praise: "Here is the unfinished works of the Beings...Here is the stones which the Giant played and threw away". Nguyên Ngọc summarized: "...to form this first- rate wonder, nature only uses: Stone and Water...There is just only two materials themselves chosen from as much as materials, in order to write, to draw, to sculpture, to create everything...It is quite possible that here is the image of the future world". Ho Chi Minh remarks: "It is the wonder that one cannot impart to others". Pham Van Dong embarrassed: "Is it one scenery or many seceneries? Is it the scenery in the world or somewhere?". Nguyễn Tuân recognized that:"Only mountains accept to be old, but Ha Long sea and wave is young for ever".Che Lan Vien sensed:"Hạ Long, Bái Tử Long- Dragons were hidden, only stones still remainOn the moonlight night, stones meditate as men..."Lord Trịnh Cương overflowed with emotion: "Mountains are glistend by water shadow, water spill all over the sky".Huy Cận was agitated: "Night breathes, stars wave Ha Long's water".

Vietnam Travel Information

Vietnam Information Most visitors to Vietnam are overwhelmed by the sublime beauty of the country's natural setting: the Red River Delta in the north, the Mekong Delta in the south and almost the entire coastal strip are a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies tended by women in conical hats.There are some divine beaches along the coast, while inland there are soaring mountains, some of which are cloaked by dense, misty forests. Vietnam also offers an opportunity to see a country of traditional charm and rare beauty rapidly opening up to the outside world.href=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/vietnam/
Vietnam Travel Vietnam ToursAs a local tour operator, Footprint can take you on a custom-made tour to destinations throughout Vietnam. From small group tours of historical Vietnam; to eco-adventures in Halong Bay; to cultural community-based tourism products in Ha Giang.We have been a Vietnam ambassador to thousands of travelers Worldwide, we pride ourselves as being your guide to experiencing the real Vietnam at your own pace and stylehttp://www.footprintsvietnam.com
Tong cuc Du lich Viet Nam - Vietnam National Administration of TourismOfficial Website of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, includes information about Vietnam people and country and tourism.www.vietnamtourism.com
Wikipedia VietnamVietnam was under Chinese control for a thousand years before becoming a nation-state in the 10th century. Successive dynasties flourished along with.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam

Halong Bay Vietnam

Geographical locationHalong bay is in northeastern Vietnam, from E106°56' to E107°37' and from N20°43' to N21°09'. The bay stretches from Yên Hưng district, past Hạ Long city, Cẩm Phả town to Vân Đồn district, bordered on the south and southeast by the Gulf of Tonkin, on the north by China and on the west and southwest by Cát Bà island. The bay has a 120 kilometre long coastline and is approximately 1,553 square kilometres in size with 1969 islets. The area designated by UNESCO as the World Natural Heritage Site includes 434 km² with 775 islets, of which the core zone is delimited by 69 points: Đầu Gỗ island on the west, Ba Hầm lake on the south and Cống Tây island on the east. The protected area is from the Cái Dăm petrol store to Quang Hanh commune, Cẩm Phả town and the surrounding giants zone.ClimateThe bay is a sea islands in tropical wet with 2 seasons: hot and moist summer, dry and cold winter. Average temperature is from 15°C- 25°C. Annual rainfall is between 2000mm and 2200mm. Halong bay has the typical diurnal tide system (tide amplitude ranges from 3.5-4m). The salinity is from 31 to 34.5MT in dry season and lower in rainy season.HistorySoi Nhụ culture (16000- 5000 BCE)Located in Hạ Long and Bái Tử Long, there are symbolic archaeological sites such as Mê Cung and Thiên Long. There are mounds of remains of mountain shellfishes (Cyclophorus) and spring shellfishes (Melania), some fresh water mollusk and some rudimentary labour tools. The main living procedures of Soi Nhụ's habitants were catching shellfish and fish, collecting fruits and digging for bulbs and roots. Their living environment is coastal area unlike other Vietnamese cultures, for example those found in Hoà Bình, Bắc Sơn, etc.Cái Bèo culture (5000- 3000BCE)Located in Hạ Long and Cát Bà island, its habitants developed to the level of sea exploitation.History shows that Halong Bay has been the setting for local naval battles against Vietnam's coastal neighbours. On three occasions in the labyrinth of channels in Bach Dang river near the islands the Vietnamese army stopped the Chinese from landing. In 1288 General Tran Hung Dao stopped Mongol ships from sailing up the nearby Bach Dang River by placing steel-tipped wooden stakes at high tide, sinking the Mongol Dubhai Khan's fleet.During the Vietnam War, many of the channels between the islands were heavily mined by the navy of the United States, some of which pose a threat to shipping to this day.System of isles and cavesThien Cung grottoThien Cung grottoThe bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto in the Halong area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century French graffiti). There are two bigger islands, Tuan Chau and Cat Ba, that have permanent inhabitants. Both of them have tourist facilities, including hotels and beaches. There are a number of wonderful beaches on the smaller islands.Some of the islands support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Many of the islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes: such names include Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 989 of the islands have been given names. Birds and animals including bantams, antelopes, monkeys, and iguanas also live on some of the islands.CivilizationFloating fishing villageFloating fishing villageA community of around 1600 people live on Halong bay in four fishing villages: Cửa Vạn, Ba Hang, Cống Tàu and Vông Viêng in Hùng Thắng commune, Hạ Long city. They live on floating houses and are sustained by capture fishing and marine aquaculture (cultivating marine biota).Originally in Ha Long Bay there was only one fishing village. Now there are about ten.Honourable nameIn 1962, Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism arranged Halong Bay as National Renowned Lanscape Vestige.The bay was World's Natural Heritage listed by UNESCO at the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Phuket, Thailand on December 17th, 1994) for its outstanding universal aesthetic value according to the criteria explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. On December 2nd, 2000 at the 24th meeting of Committee of the World Heritages in Cairns, Australia, Halong bay was admitted as a World Heritage Site for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value according to the criteria of that Convention.[1]Halong bay was introduced to nominate by New Open World Foundation as World's 7 Natural Wonder having result on 08/08/2008.[1]The Kissing RocksThe Kissing RocksGeology and geomorphologyHistory of tectonicsScientists say that Halong bay has experienced at least 500 million years in the various geological states of orogeny, marine transgression and marine regression. During the Ordovician and Silurian periods (500-410 million years ago), Halong bay was deep sea. During the Carboniferous and Permian periods (340-250 million years ago), Halong Bay was at shallow sea level.Karst geomorphology valueAs of simultaneous combination of factors like thick limestone layer, hot and moist climate and slow tectonic process in whole, Ha Long bay has had a complete karst evolutionary for 20 million years. There are many of karst topography kind in Ha Long such as karst field.BiodiversityHa Long Bay is host to two ecosystems: a tropical, moist, evergreen rainforest ecosystem and a marine & coastal ecosystem. The bay is home to seven endemic species.Endemic species * Livistona halongensis * Impatiens halongensis * Chirieta halongensis * Chirieta hiepii * Chirieta modesta * Paraboea halongensis * Alpinia calcicolaThe many islands that dot the bay are home to a great many other species, including (but likely not limited to): 477 magnoliales, 12 pteris, 20 salt marsh flora and 4 amphibia, 10 reptilia, 40 aves, and 4 mammalia.EconomyTourismHa Long Bay is perhaps the most popular travel destination of the country. Foreigners and natives alike are attracted to its natural, universal appeal, not to mention the shopping and dining prospects located close by.CuisineSeafood in Ha Long is diversifying. Cuttle-fish- mực, oyester- hà, cyclinae- ngán, prawn (penaeidea- tôm he, panulirus- tôm hùm, parapenaeopsis- tôm sắt...), spunculoideas- sá sùng, nerita- ốc đĩa, charonia tritonis- ốc tù và, cà sáy... are popular in many famous delicious dishes.In literatureNguyễn Trãi wrote about Halong bay: "This wonder is ground raises up in the middle of the high sky". Xuân Diệu utter a praise: "Here is the unfinished works of the Beings...Here is the stones which the Giant played and threw away". Nguyên Ngọc summarized: "...to form this first- rate wonder, nature only uses: Stone and Water...There is just only two materials themselves chosen from as much as materials, in order to write, to draw, to sculpture, to create everything...It is quite possible that here is the image of the future world". Ho Chi Minh remarks: "It is the wonder that one cannot impart to others". Pham Van Dong embarrassed: "Is it one scenery or many seceneries? Is it the scenery in the world or somewhere?". Nguyễn Tuân recognized that:"Only mountains accept to be old, but Ha Long sea and wave is young for ever".Che Lan Vien sensed:"Hạ Long, Bái Tử Long- Dragons were hidden, only stones still remainOn the moonlight night, stones meditate as men..."Lord Trịnh Cương overflowed with emotion: "Mountains are glistend by water shadow, water spill all over the sky".Huy Cận was agitated: "Night breathes, stars wave Ha Long's water".

Vietnam Dining and Shopping

Shop Hours: Shops run from 7 or 8am to 11 or 11:30pm. Some are open from 1 or 2pm to 4 or 5pm.generic items and local handicrafts: Local specialities include lacquer painting, reed mats, embroidery, tailor-made ao dais (female national costume) & mother-of-pearl inlay on ornaments & furniture, not to mention the local conical hats. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) has the best buys for modern goods like CDs and clothing.Antiques: The best place for shopping for antiques or replicas is in Hanoi. Export of antiques restricted by Vietnamese law, but laws on the subject vague & unevenly enforced. Antique objects can be subject to inspection & seizure by customs authorities with no compensation made to owners.Determining whether something is antique is arbitrary. Purchasers of non-antique items of value should retain receipts & confirmation from shop owners &/or Ministry of Culture & Customs Department to prevent seizure upon departure. Prior to purchasing antiques, travellers may wish to determine from Ministry of Culture whether object can be exported & amount of duty. Process of exporting antiques can be difficult & time consuming; however, travellers could insist that sellers obtain all necessary permits from Ministry of Culture & Customs Department before final purchase. DININGVietnamese food varies from region to region and is a total taste sensation everywhere you go. Almost 500 traditional dishes have been recorded. Rice and noodles are the staple foods and are served with nearly all meals. The most popular dishes are spring rolls, noodles with sliced pork, eggs, shredded chicken and shrimp, shellfish steamed with ginger and sea crabs fried with salt. Among common ingredients used are: shark fin, duck, pork paste, fish, spices, fruits, vegetables, crabmeat, lobster and oysters.Rice wine is very popular, and there are many brands available. There are a variety of fruit wines such as apricot, orange or lemon. Soft drinks are processed from the many varieties of tropical fruits available. Water from the tap should be avoided, even though it has already been filtered and sterilized. If you must drink it, boil the water first.Eating in Vietnam ranges from the cheap noodle soup for a quarter of a dollar eaten on the street to a banquet in one of the luxury hotels.Restaurants: Government-run restaurants catering to tourists add a 10% service charge to the bill.Tipping: Tipping is not customary in Vietnam, but it is enormously appreciated. A 5-10% tip for a meal is a very small amount of money for most tourists but to the average Vietnamese, it can easily equal a day's wages. Please avoid tipping too much, as it will set a precedent for others.The different local foods:Pho: The most typical Vietnamese food is Pho, the noodle soup with meat in it. It is very cheap (you can get a bowl for about VND 2000 - 3000) and usually well spiced. The main pho are: Pho Bo, with beef, Pho Bo Tai, with fish and Pho Ga, with chicken. Com: Boiled rice is eaten for lunch and dinner. There are many different kinds of rice. Typically, fragrant rice is used, like Tam Thom or Nahg Huong. Grilled rice is served in autumn. It is eaten with eggs, bananas and sapodillas.Banh Chung: The traditional sticky rice cakes are made of glutinous rice, pork and green bean paste and sometimes with onion, wrapped in bamboo or banana leaves. They are made by soaking the rice in water for an entire day. Wrapped in the fresh bamboo leaves, the rice turns slightly green. There is a legend attached to the creation of this traditional dish: Prince Lang Lieu created and presented the rice cakes to his father, winning high acclaim and thus securing the throne.Nuoc mam: This fermented fish sauce is used to spice anything.Baguettes: A legacy of the French is the small white bread loaves, resembling baguettes. You can get them for as little as VND 500. Sometimes they are combined with well-spiced meat, vegetables and salad to form an excellent sandwich.Seafood: Along the coast you get excellent fresh seafood almost everywhere.Cha ca: The fried fish slices are a specialty of the north. Snake: In the Mekong delta you are able to get cheap snake. This different, but delicious meat, is prepared in a variety of ways and is well worth trying...you will be pleasantly surprised. Beer: Imported beer is available in Vietnam, although a number of domestic beers are brewed.Duck eggs: This popular dish is another worth trying but if you feel squeemish...don't as it consists of an already partly developed foetus, complete with feathers, limbs and beak.

Our Three-Day Tour

Upon arrival at our hotel in Hanoi (Vinh Quanh) we were immediately questioned about tours. We knew we wanted to visit Halong Bay and had been told and read that a tour from Hanoi was the most economical way to go. "Go now, weather is good" they said, which we also knew as we had been watching the weather keenly for the past week. Our hotel also told us that we could lock up our stuff while we were at Halong, "lockers in back, no problem," which would be great. Thinking we were now savvy to the game we declined this initial offer and went around town checking prices and asking questions. We got our low bids and went back to our hotel to see if they would match it. After a "serious" bargaining session, we got our 3 day small group tour, with kayaking and one night on the boat for $38, down from $45. With low expectations but a good price, we were satisfied with our dealings and excited to get out on the water.The morning of our trip we went down to the lobby to lock up our stuff and low and behold they didn't actually have the keys to open the lockers. But we were told we could leave our stuff in the back room. The back room was scattered with other travellers bags and two beds for the hotel workers. Seemed sketchy, but what most others were doing and the people at the hotel were very nice. Kelley said forget it and brought all of her things with her on the trip and I took out the important items from my bag and left a bit of clothes and a rain jacket. The whole situation was quite disappointing due to the fact that this was the reason to book the tour from our hotel. Anyway, our van showed up and we were carted off around town picking up our fellow travellers.The Old Quarter of Hanoi was very interesting in the fact that it seemed to get things going very late as compared to the other places we had been. At 7:30am, the relatively few vehicles in the streets were dominated by white and silver mini buses picking up people to cart them off to their varied destinations. Shops were still mostly closed up and it was even difficult to find food. Quite different than the streets of Lao and Thailand.The 3.5 hour drive form Hanoi to Halong was fine, we stopped for lunch then boarded our "Junk." The Junk, as with 95% of the boats in the bay, were more like ferries with little decorative sails. And that was if they were even to put the sails up, which none bothered.Unlike the "sailing," the bay itself was spectacular! Steep, pitted limestone islands covered with tangles of lush forest vegetation. The distant views were reminiscent of jagged mountain peaks in the Sierras, though they were surrounded by water. We motored through the bay islands, checked out some caves (more like Disneyland than natural caves, but they did have amazing formations), and were dropped off at a floating village to wait for our sleeping vessel. Twenty minutes later a much nicer boat showed up and we joined a new group of people for the evening. We cruised to a beautiful cove and anchored there for the night. The evening was great and we woke the next morning to sunrise on the water and another beautiful day.We came to port on Cat Ba Island and did a bit of hiking up to a peak and clambered up a rickety old tower for a great view. Once to Cat Ba town we started to realize our plight when the tour guide split us off from the group at lunch. We were told that we would be eating at a different restaurant for lunch and would stay at a different hotel than the rest of the group. We would also be having "free time" while the rest of the group went kayaking. It turned out, after persistently asking our guide, that our hotel actually booked us for a completely different, inferior tour and overcharged us for it as well!Lesson numbers 23, 24 and 25:Don't bargain for services, the people selling them to you are smarter than you are and you do not speak their native language; make a copy of your receipt as the tour company will take it from you when you get on the bus; and finally, go over your itinerary with your tour guide and travel agent before you leave, this is difficult to do, but if you don't you will probably get screwed at some point (ask almost anyone) and it is easy for them to pass blame on each other.So, we took the low budget meals and hotel in stride, that is what we had been doing anyway. We did however, (along with the help of the rest of the people on our trip) force the tour company to take us kayaking, which was great. We also got to stop at some devil monkey island that was nice, but the aggressive, tourist-trained monkeys were far from an appealing sight (the guide had gotten bitten the week before chasing a monkey off a stupid woman with cookies strapped to her back). We called our hotel back in Hanoi to let them know that we were upset that they had screwed us, only to have them hang up once they realized we were mad.The next day we split off from our tour and it was fantastic! We got the most beautiful room we have had over our entire trip, met some great local people (read Unlikely Teachers journal entry) and had some great food! We joined our group the next morning back to Hanoi on the "crappy bus" and with the "cheap food" and with a little forceful instance, they dropped us off grudgingly at our hotel.The throw down at the hotel also proved a mixed bag. We did get some money back our our tour "mistake" but, after 20 intense minutes of searching for my bag, I found it under the slats of a bed in the back room with two shirts missing. The hotel blamed the theft on other travellers, of course! We left them with heaps of bad karma and told everyone in the hotel not to book trips or store bags. They were pretty mad as well and we were happy to leave.We found a great hotel a few blocks away with a comedic employee who frantically yelled "Chicken Flu" everytime he sneezed. It was hilarious and a much needed break from our earlier stresses of the day.The next day we tooled around Hanoi trying to figure out trip planning. Everyone we talked to said southern Vietnam was pissin' rain and thus literally, no one had had a good time. We decided to bag the bad weather of Southern Vietnam and booked a cheap flight back to Bangkok for the next day! Sad to leave Vietnam after such a short time, but we couldn't justify heading into bad weather in hopes of a lucky break. We flew back to Bangkok on the 22nd of December with little idea on where to head from there.