We sailed into Halong Bay, Vietnam, close to the capital city of Hanoi, on the 3rd day of our South China Sea cruise. The morning was fascinating as the boat sailed up the archipeligo of the Red River before anchoring in the bay where the ship's tenders took us to shore.
An excursion was organised on a Junk to see the spectacular caves inside one of the limestone mountains that rise up out of the mist and fog around the 3000 odd islands that dot the coastline. We then enjoyed some fine Vietnamise seafood on board the Junk and had a little time to explore the village along the seaside. The ship left for Hong Kong at 10.30pm that evening for our final day and a morning of Conference on board.
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| The tenders take us to and from the shore at Halong Bay |
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| We enjoyed the "Cango caves" as well as lunch on board a Junk |
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| Mountains of limestone rise up out of the sea |
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| The boats are adorned with Dragons - Halong means descending dragons - the locals believe the mountains were created by them |
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| Enjoying the scenery from our Junk |
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| Street scene in the village |
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| A large modern bridge connects two main parts of the city |
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| Everything works better with a beer |
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| A deal is being struck with one of the many street traders. Pearls are a major product of Vietnam |
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