The Emerald Green Water of Ha Long Bay

Hạ Long Bay, Viết Nam is one of the world's natural wonders!  It is a beautiful area!  Pictures can not do it justice - it is magnificent!

My sister Jackie (who came to visit), Felix and I went to Hà Nội in the north of Vietnam to enjoy the wonders of Hạ Long Bay.  We hopped a JetStar plane on Thursday morning, 17 May 2012...and off we went for a long weekend of rest and relaxation!

We booked a 2-Day/1-Night Cruise on the "Marguerite" junk boat.  Our rooms were on the second deck--only two rooms per side/per deck.

Below is our cabin interior - very beautiful in rich reds and wood.  It even had a 'normal' bathroom with a shower!

Jackie is standing by her room as we are cruising through the bay and around the different islands.  As you can see, there are many junk boats operating cruises on the bay.  There must have been over 50 junk boats around us!  Everyone had to enter the bay the same way but went different ways to drop anchor for the night.  In our little cove area, there were only two other junks.

This year the authorities decided to make all boat operators paint their boats white--the reason...for safety (guess they drive boats like they drive their motorbikes!).  How I wish we could have seen them when they were painted different colors! Go online and google halong bay vietnam if you want to see what they use to be like!

The scenery was gorgeous and spectacular.   The waters were calm.  Our stress levels plummeted to zero in the space of a few hours at sea!

Enjoying the "Marguerite" and the sea air.

We are enjoying the wind in our hair and just the relaxing movement of the boat.  

I can feel my hair getting frizzy!  

This picture was taken on the first day and we still look tired.




















Sunset on Hạ Long Bay - just spectacular!  You can see in the hazy background many more tall mountains - which are more islands!  There are over 2,000 islands around this bay.

 
       

Isn't this water just beautiful?!  Felix swam and floated serenely around the boat in the emerald green water. 

All of us spent long hours doing nothing...but lounging on the top deck!

The next morning was so calm the junks started putting up their sails!

This is a floating fishing village we got to visit...complete with a school that has solar collectors on the roof.  Proves everyone must have energy to run their computers--even out in the middle of the bay of the China Sea.

About 300 people live in this village. 

The village floats on styrofoam blocks!!  They are all the blue squares you see.  Good thing they live a protected cove.






The dining on the "Marguerite" was very formal.  The food was really tasty...but after eating morning glories, different types of seafoods and fish for two days, we were ready for something else!

Here's looking at you!  Got to love the crab!  We ate the prawns before we decided to take pictures of our food!

Presentation of food was wonderful!  The pineapple was hollowed out with candles glowing through little 'windows'.

Here is the menu for the first day....notice all the seafood items.  

Thankfully the next morning we were served bacon/sausage and scrambled eggs with toast and jam.  

Day 2 offered the opportunity to kayak through..I really mean through...the island!  We could have also walked up the 100 steps to see the Bat Cave...but we opted out!

We had a wonderful time and will go again!