Early morning tour
Both of us got up early this morning as we had a boat tour of Ha Long Bay which we were both excited for. We met up with Qian at the bus pickup point and then we rode the bus to the harbour. The hotel we bought our tour from was on the beach front and called the Full Moon Party Hotel. It’s the same place we booked our bus to Sapa with. They do loads of different tours, transport, and bike hire. For more info on the tour I did (which was wicked and cheap) click here.
It turned out that our tour guide was called Paul, and he was from London. He was proper cockney, reminded me of Vinny Jones. But he was a sound guy and put effort into his work. The boat set sail for Ha Long Bay, stopping off at Monkey Island along the way. On the way, Paul told us about the various fishing farms and floating villages which were scattered around. They were quite ingenious to be honest, although overfishing may be a problem soon.
Monkey Island
Our first stop on the tour was Monkey Island. It’s quite self-explanatory as it plays host to a lot of monkeys. Our destination was the top of the hill/small mountain on the island. Most islands in this area are made from very sharp limestone (karst). This made the climb slightly more challenging because where ever you put your hand or foot, you were at risk of being impaled. We weren’t told of this climbing adventure in the shop, so Mat and I only had our sliders with us, which were less than ideal!
The climb was fairly short, but quite tricky due to slippy surfaces and sharp rocks. Eventually we all made it to the top, and thanks to Paul’s organisation, we were the first ones here. Everyone took turns taking photos of the surrounding area as we were at the peak of the island. The views were wicked, and good photos were to be had. As I was taking a photo of Mat, my slider came off and fell down a very dark and deep hole. There was no light, so I can only imagine it was a long way down. I must say, it was a far trickier trek back down to the beach with only one slider and the other foot with a sock. Somehow I didn’t injure my foot, but everyone in the group had plenty of laughs. I swear it’s always me!
We saw plenty of monkeys, but you have to be fairly cautious as they have been known to lash out and attack people. So keep your distance if you can and don’t look them in the eyes.
Swimming in the bay
Once we were back on board our boat, we sailed for a time, admiring the islands and rock formations that we passed in Ha Long Bay. When we had stopped, we were able to take a swim in the water. We tried to persuade Qian, but she wasn’t a strong swimmer, nor did she have swimming gear with her. Mat and I had jumped off several times, as well as doing front flips. I got my camera out to take videos of us doing it.
Everyone (except those who didn’t swim) swam to the shore of a small cove and then crawled through several small tunnels. The water was a lot warmer than being out of it, so we dipped in where ever we could. Just before we swam back to the boat, I found a small pair of sliders. I decided to adopt them for the time being. Everyone swam back to the boat, and then we had some lunch.
Local lunch
When we got back to the boat, we were greeted with a large lunch. It was all cooked by Paul and the boat staff, and there was everything. There were vegetables, shellfish, fish, rice, and lots more. It was so damn filling, but so delicious at the same time. I thought it was a shame for any of it to go to waste, but I hope some of the boat staff had some too.
After the lunch, we moved on with the tour. We went past the famous ‘pen island’, named because it was a small island that stood vertically. However, when the true meaning of the name was discovered, it was promptly renamed. Our next activity was to be kayaking, so we set sail for Lan Ha Bay.
Kayaking in the bay
We donned our life jackets and hopped in a kayak. They were two man kayaks, so Mat and I went together. Paul got stuck with Qian, I didn’t think she’d be much help. Turns out I was right haha. It was very peaceful and relaxing. The drone of the boat’s motor was no longer audible, so it was only the noise of the kayaking we could hear. We arrived at a secluded lagoon which was fairly large, and we were allowed to get out and swim.
Paul challenged us to see if we could swim to the bottom, grab some sand/mud, and bring it back up to the surface. The water was around 3.5 metres deep, but I managed to ace it. I came back to the surface victorious. After some really good videos and photos, we began to head back to the boat. Mat and I challenged everyone to a race back to the boat…not that anyone else knew they were participating. That aside, we won the competition and got back to base first.
Enjoying the ride
Once we were back on board the boat, we were able to just enjoy the sunshine and the gorgeous scenery of Ha Long Bay. You can’t put a price on this (but around £20 did the job). Paul had a dodgy Bluetooth speaker that he was able to get working, so I hooked up my phone and played my ‘Classics’ playlist. These songs range from the 1960s up to the 1980s. I thought I’d cater for all ages of the crowd. We managed to get more great photos, and it was great because everyone in the group got on really well.
Once we’d reached the harbour and were back in town, Qian had decided that she’d come with us to Sapa. The more the merrier! Mat and I went to freshen up with a shower whilst Qian waited at a nearby café. Her hostel was all the way on the other side of town. When we were finished and we returned to her, we all went to grab some food on the sea front. Whilst we were there, we also devised a plan for tomorrow.
After we’d finished here, we all headed back to our own hostels to get some we earned rest. I video called my parents for a time, it was very nice to see them. Afterwards, I also called Elva which was fun as always.
