After a month in Hoi An, we ventured north for a few days to cruise Ha Long Bay with the WAACAwayAwhile crew. Ha Long Bay is designated by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site and is one of the top tourism draws in Vietnam. There are seemingly hundreds of tour operators offering thousands of tour packages, and I would probably have wasted away in analysis paralysis without Christiana, who cleverly gave me exactly one option, Vega Travel.
In a nutshell, the cruise was three days of eating:
swimming:
kayaking:
eating:
cave exploring:
hiking:
biking:
did I mention eating?
squid fishing:
and general hilarity.
We even got to make our own spring rolls.
Along the way, we learned about floating fishing villages, the karst topography, and the legend of the family of dragons that gave Ha Long Bay its name.
Our guide, Dui, was friendly, funny, and constantly reminding us to bring along our “money, phone, gold, and diamonds” whenever we left the boat.
The kids made fast friends with the Millennials on board, who taught them to play the card game BS, and they reciprocated by teaching everyone to floss.
We slept on board the first night, and in a hotel on Cat Ba Island for the second night. Parents and children alike took notice of the name and pointedly did not mention it to each other.
When the tour was over, we spent a few hours in Hanoi learning how to cross the street (it is a science and an art).
Then we headed to the airport for a late night flight to the Philippines to meet up with Katy and Raf. That fun adventure will get its own post, shortly.
That tour sounds perfect for your family! It looks like you all had a great time!
Love your photos and your comments and your style. I never knew anyone who could create so many smiles with so few words. A picture is worth a thousand words, after all. At the very least they illustrate in vivid colorful details your understated sense of humor. Droll. Entertaining. Much appreciated. Thanks for sharing!