Crossing over to 2012 in Hanoi – Day 3 (Halong Bay)
Date: Sat 31 Dec 2011
Stay: Room 504, Onboard White Dolphin junk boat
Excited about our overnight stay onboard White Dolphin in Halong Bay on New Year’s Eve!
We were promptly picked up by the mini bus and unlike the previous day’s experience, there were just 11 of us comfortably. It was a long 4.5 hrs journey to Haiphong harbour for our transfer to the boat. Traffic was chaotic on the highway as vehicles were going at all directions at one junction. The bus made a 25-min stop at a crafts centre which had a F&B area. I had my first few slices of fruits (an orange sliced at VND30,000) since arriving in Vietnam. Fruits are quite expensive in the minimart too.
We arrived at Hon Gai habour at about 12.50pm. Our cruise will be travelling to Bai Tu Long area which I had researched was the less crowded area than Halong Bay, although the route would take us to part of Halong Bay area as well. There are apparently only some cruises who operate on this route such as Indochina, Bai Tu Long, White Dolphin and Paloma etc. It was quite quiet at the harbour.
Cold front at Hon Gai harbour
Halong Bay had been recently recognized as one of the new 7 Wonders of Nature in the new 7 Wonders of the World programme. It was also listed as a UNESCO Heritage World Site. There are about 3,000 islands found in Vietnam, of which about 1,960 islands are located around the bay.
We boarded a small boat that transferred us to White Dolphin which was anchored just 10-min away. The boat looked well-maintained. We clambered onboard excitedly and proceeded to the dining room first for our welcome drink. The dining room was elegant and cosy! There were less than 20 of us onboard – 2 Japanese couples, 1 UK couple and other international travellers. While waiting for some others to arrive, we explored the deck and started taking pictures. Finally, the guide gathered everyone and started allocating rooms. Ours was on the lower deck.
Boarding White Dolphin
The room was pleasantly clean, spacious and classy! Better than we expected and came with a window too! We were glad that the boat turned out to be a good value as we had paid USD159 per pax (all inclusive). My only grouse was the strong smell of diesel which was made worse because of my sensitive nose. I later discovered that the engine room was right below us and the wooden flooring couldn’t keep the offending fumes out. T & S’s room which was opposite ours didn’t seem to smell as bad though… If you can afford it, take the suites which are on the upper deck.
Oh! Beware of ladies paddling near your window and start hawking their drinks and souvenirs from their boats. Best to keep your curtains closed for privacy.
Onboard White Dolphin
We were told to keep our luggage in our rooms and come back up to dining room for our lunch. The tables were set in fours and twos. As the boat cruised on, lunch was served. We had a set menu with about 6 dishes and had a healthy balance of vegetables, meat, seafood and fruits. Food was of good standard. There was just one waitress onboard and she was kept busy serving all of us. Nevertheless, she kept her smile and was fast with her service.
Our guide, Tuyen, gave us a quick overview of programme for the two days. Kayaking was next in order. The weather was chilly and we expected the water to be cold. Regardless, we were determined to get on the kayaks as it would be a great way to experience the bay. We gathered at the lower deck, wore our life jackets and took turns to get on the kayaks which were tied to the back of the boat. I was concerned about protecting my new camera which I carried with me on the kayak as I didn’t want to miss any photo opportunity while exploring the bay.
Kayaking around the bay
We were given the option to explore either the floating village or a secret cave – all of us chose the latter. It took a while to get coordinated but soon we found our rhythm. The water was surprisingly warm. We rowed through a low cave and emerged to a beautiful view of a lake surrounded by limestone peaks. We paddled around the quiet lake. Suddenly our guide signalled us to row towards him – there were monkeys jumping around the face of a cliff. Soon a small crowd gathered around.
Exploring the bay
It was getting dark and we started to paddle back to the boat. The bay was now dotted with more boats anchored. It was like a big parking lot. Took a shower and headed to dining room for dinner. We looked through the drinks menu and found the drinks rather reasonable. However the wine list was understandably limited. As there were four of us, we decided to share a bottle of white (USD29) to celebrate the occasion. It was the last and only white wine left. The rest of them had to settle for reds.
Dinner was another set menu of about 8 dishes. It was simple but delightful. Just when dinner was served, someone requested for music and we found out that there was no sound system onboard. So a few of them went to find their mini speakers and ipods and we soon had some nice music to set the mood for dinner. We had another round of cocktails (from USD6 onwards) post-dinner and went up to the sundeck to enjoy the night view. We could see and hear the merriment in the nearby boats. Spirits were high as everyone waited for the new year to arrive. I spotted the Japanese couple trying their luck at squid fishing at the front of the deck. I think it was probably too noisy nearby that the squids did not take the bait.
New Year's Eve!
It was getting chilly on the upper deck and we were still an hour away from countdown. The four of us headed back down and decided to have our 3rd round of drinks in one of our rooms. Before we know it, it was five minutes to midnight and we hurried back up to join our fellow travellers for the countdown.
- 3rd round before countdown!
Admiring the night view in Halong Bay
It was a quiet end to a special evening. Though the bed was comfortable, I had trouble sleeping because of the diesel fumes.
