Wrapping Up Vietnam: Halong Bay and Sapa

Halong City As Seen From Our Boat

We used Hanoi as a base for two different trips - one to Halong Bay and one to the town of Sapa and its surrounding villages. The landscape of Halong Bay wavered from beautiful to majestic, depending on how much sun was shining at any given moment. We opted for a 3-day/2-night tour with one night spent on our boat and the other in a hotel on Cat Ba Island. We spent our time sailing across the bay, kayaking, visiting beaches, caves, and floating villages, bike riding through the Cat Ba nature preserve, hanging out with the rest of our tour group, and eating entirely waaaaay too much fried food. Apparently, our chef equated vegetarian food with french fries, fried coconut and tarro cakes, and the occasional stir-fried vegetable. The haute cuisine notwithstanding, we had a great time swimming, kayaking, and sailing our way through the clear green waters and limestone islands.

We'll split the photologue of Halong Bay into two pieces. The first is the majestic scenery:

Your Basic Halong Bay View

A Nice Shot of the Teal-Green Waters Below Cloudy Skies

Fishing and Other Non-Tourist Boats On the Bay

Night On the Bay

A Floating Village

Cat Ba Island

And here's a series of our "Action Shots" from the tour:

Enjoying the View

Kayaking On the Bay

Hiking in Cat Ba Island

The day of our return from Halong Bay we took the night train East-Northeast to Sapa - a highland town surrounded by many ethnic villages. We spent three days hiking through and around the villages and got to witness some authentic and some less-than-authentic rural living. Our tour guide, Bee, is a member of the Hmong people and is the best English-speaking guide we've had yet. She told us about life in her village, Lao Chai, discussing religious beliefs - the village is split between those who believe in Animism and good ole fashioned Catholics; the economics of the mostly sustenance farming practiced by the villagers; and how the village got electricity only three years ago. The less-than-authentic aspect of the tour comprised of the traditionally garbed women that followed us along the way only to hound us with offerings of textiles at every break (yes we caved... quite a few times), and our "homestay" in the village of Tavan, which turned out to be another guesthouse, but was saved by the friendly couples that stayed there with us and by the charming village in which it was located.

The Town of Sapa Seen From the Hike Down Into the Valley

Overlooking the Terraced Rice Paddies In the Village

Our Guide's Home In Lao Chai Village

Some More Shots of the Beautiful Countryside

Hmong Women In Traditional Indigo Clothing

The Indigo Used to Dye the Hmong Clothing

What Happens When You Agree to Buy Something

A Red Dzay Tribeswoman

Not Your Everyday Door-Front Pets

Clockwise From Top to Bottom: Avi and Rach Overlooking the Valley; Avi Walking Through the Rice Terraces; Avi and Rach Posing Near the Waterfall in Cat Cat Village; Rach Walking Through the Rice Terraces; Resting Atop a Waterfall; Avi Walking Through Cat Cat Village