Exploring one of the newest natural wonders of the world- Ha Long Bay.

The boys and I decided to leave the hustle and bustle of Hanoi behind and signed up for a two day excursion to visit Ha Long Bay. 

Ha Long Bay, which means Descending Dragon Bay, is one of the new seven natural wonders of the world. The bay features a dense collection of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands covered with jungle vegetation. Many of the islands have caves, grottos, lakes and secluded beaches on them. 
After a three and a half hour ride northwest from Hanoi, we arrived to the Ha Long marina where we boarded our junk boat and home for the next two days.

After a quick lunch, our group headed out to explore Sung Sot, or Surprise Cave, before kayaking on the Bay. Despite the cloudy and overcast weather, the views of the islands flanking us were just breathtaking. It was so easy to feel disconnected from everything our there on the bay.

Our group returned to the boat and took in a quick cooking class before enjoying a traditional Vietnamese dinner. After dinner our crew talked us into trying squid fishing, which consists of raising and lowering a bamboo stick with bait into the water for a really long time. With no squid taking the bait, our group decided to try our luck at Karaoke instead. And here's where the real fun began.With the boat anchored for the night, the crew was free to join our group in the festivities. So there we were, thirty of us, taking turns signing Vietnamese and Western songs until the early hours of the morning. Oh what a night!


We woke up the next morning among the tranquility of the bay and enjoyed the solace of being so far removed from the civilized world for the next few hours. I am always amazed at how comforting the vastness of nature can really be when you allow yourself to feel a part of everything around you rather than consumed by it all. 


With our brief respite over, our boat docked and we boarded a bus to make our way back to Hanoi. Jimmy was leaving the next day to return stateside and Jon and I were boarding a flight to Da Nang. 

At Ha Long Bay, one of the new natural seven wonders of the world.

Inside Song Sut, Surprise Cave.

A silhouette of Jon inside Surprise Cave.

The boys out on Ha Long Bay.

A panoramic view of Ha Long Bay approaching sunset.

Jon learning to make the perfect spring roll. 

Our tour group and crew partying the night away with the lyrical styling of Western and Vietnamese Karaoke.