We spent the last days of our trip aboard a ship cruising Halong Bay. I 'd figured that it would be a welcome respite from the busy-ness of the rest of the journey. A time, dare I say it, to relax -- at least for an hour or two. We also went sea kayaking through the caves & lagoons and amid the islands of Halong Bay. I have to say that I think we did it right -- 3 days, 2 nights, & kayaking. We really got a feel for the bay and were able to unwind.
The kayaking thing sounded interesting. Here's the trip we booked through Veloasia. We had done some canoeing in the past, but no kayaking. Yet it didn't matter -- the kayaks were the kind you sit on top of, so we didn't have a skill deficit. You need to get off the ship -- there's plenty to look at, but not all that much to do. In a kayak we saw caves, lagoons, and landscapes that one would never have seen without one.
The kayaking also let us get some time away from all the people. Although there were about 20 folks on ours, the bay was full of ships. And some coves were downright crowded. But there we were -- bobbing in the lagoon, trying to hear monkeys but just listening to the waves.
The food on the boat amazed us -- mostly fresh seafood and plenty of it. I counted 9 courses at lunch one day.
We go to the other side of the world, and we meet a couple who live not 5 miles from our house. George and Kathleen booked their trip through Veloasia too. Heather & I aren't much for the meeting new folks on vacation, but they proved most excellent traveling companions. We greatly missed them during kayaking and meals on the second half of the cruuise.
And Trung, our guide, was informative without being intrusive, considerate but willing to let us push ourselves. Very laid-back, I could easily picture him in Southern California.
