KAYAKING IN HALONG BAY

Kayaking is one of the most interesting activities in Halong Bay. Hereunder a sharing experience about it:

'Kayaking Halong Bay in Vietnam wasn’t what I bargained for. When I think of kayaking I think of sunshine and warm temperatures. Our group had just the opposite – for the full three days. Do you remember the major snow storm that hit China a few years ago? That same mass of cold air blew over Vietnam so any thoughts of shorts and T-shirts were quickly put aside. Instead we stocked up on scarves and coats on the way to our put in and prayed for sunshine.

Halong Bay, home to roughly 1600 islands, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. It’s known for its spectacular and otherworldly limestone peaks and karst topography – which means lots of caves. Caves have been used in the past by revolutionaries, pirates and bandits. We had the chance to explore some of them on foot and by kayak. Imagine paddling through the total darkness of some of the big caves with not a speck of light to guide you. Disorienting but calm and peaceful.

You know you're in Vietnam - view from the deck of our boat

Our boat at anchor in Halong Bay

The kayaking experience itself wasn’t quite what I expected. Basically we’d go out for an hour or two in the morning, come back for lunch – delicious by the way, and paddle again in the afternoon somewhere new. It was never difficult. We’d explore caves, glide silently by huge limestone peaks, discover lagoons accessible only by kayak, pay our respects at shrines and best of all check out large floating villages. Kids would be running up and down floating boardwalks with nary a life preserver in sight. I wonder how often they fall in!! Dogs barked at us and the women would give us a smile. Men seemed to be away – probably fishing.

Getting in and out of the kayaks was the trickiest part

Easy kayaking in Halong Bay

Kayaking through caves in the limestone formations

Kayak by a floating village

Under normal circumstances – with warmer temperatures – one could expect to lie on one of the loungers on top of the boat, relax and take in the view, when you weren’t kayaking. It was bloody cold up there on this trip, so other than a quick look around, people spent the rest of the time in our little rooms – which were adequate but cramped – under the covers with the heater going. Fortunately most were still working on getting on the time zone so the extra sleep was appreciated. Otherwise, I probably would have gone a little crazy in the confined space.

Dining - excellent but a chilly experience

The busy harbour - where parking a boat is an art

If you make it as far as Vietnam, do make the effort to go to Halong Bay. A trip out for a few days will give you a much better sense of the spot than a short boat tour of only a few hours. Before you go, I highly recommend renting and watching the movie Indochine – just as an appetizer for the beautiful sights you’ll see'

That was an experience of Leigh McAdam, who joined Halong bay in the winter with a standard boat.  There are hundred of boats in Halong bay and offer difference quality and services. At this moment, we can classify to 4 types: Luxury, Deluxe, Superior and Private. If you wish to visit Halong bay and try kayaking, just choose one of the most suitable one. You can have some information for your reference at: http://www.halongluxuryjunk.com/