Cristina Diamond Cruise - Halong Bay - Vietnam

June 17th - 19th, 2016

Halong Bay really is beyond description, to say that it is beautiful or stunning just doesn't do it justice, it is hard to think of anywhere we've been in the world that is quite as incredibly breathtaking!! Around 2 thousand limestone karsts rise out of the emerald waters around Halong and Bai Tu Long Bays, creating a maze of waterways and lagoons that just beg to be explored.

Our cruise, 3 days and 2 nights on the Cristina Diamond, has been the highlight of this trip and despite the huge dent in our meagre budget, we wouldn't have missed it for the world. We started by being collected from our hotel in Hanoi in the morning and spent 4 hours on an air conditioned bus to Halong Bay with a brief rest stop along the way at a craft centre where most items are made by people still suffering from the effects of Agent Orange and so the profits going to benefit them and their families. Unfortunately it was all very expensive compared to what we have seen in the markets so we had to satisfy ourselves with just looking. Once we arrived at Halong Bay we were transferred onto a boat that took us out to the Cristina and after checking in to our splendid room (huge bed, great aircon, private balcony, awesome shower) we were treated to a delicious buffet lunch mid deck. I have to say that all the food on this trip was delightful with plenty of choice and catering to every passengers needs be that vegetarian, allergies etc, the only downside was that there was far too much and I hope that some use was made of the enormous amount of leftovers!

Whilst we were enjoying our lunch we began our journey out into the bay and amongst the incredible rocky outcrops that make this place so beautiful, to a floating village, literally 30 or so wooden houses built on platforms that float on dozens of plastic barrels. The houses are split up into little groups and we were soon taken to a platform where we boarded a bamboo boat and were propelled around by one of the local residents. Getting down to the surface of the water gives you a whole other perspective and once again we could only stare in wonder and marvel at the people who get to live their lives in such magnificent surroundings. Once our village tour came to an end we hopped onto a platform of a pearl farm and were shown how the oysters were inserted with a nucleus for which a pearl was to form around, it's understandable why these treasures of the sea are so expensive, the time and care it takes, not to mention that only 30% of all oysters end up producing a pearl! They can tell which ones contain pearls by using a type of x-ray machine and once determined they are cut open and the pearl graded for quality, different oysters produce different pearls with the smallest taking 3 years to form, up to the largest which can take up to 7 years! Leaving the pearl farm we returned to our boat and were once again underway through the twisting maze of waters, this time to a beach where many other boats were also unloading their passengers. Here we were able to finally immerse ourselves in the water and spent an enjoyable hour swimming and relaxing, while other people went for a short kayak being only on a 2 day, 1 night cruise, we decided not to as we'd have the opportunity the next day instead. Looking along the rocks we saw many little crabs with green backs and purple claws that scuttled away fast as lightning when we approached. There were also a couple of gigantic jellyfish, about half a metre across, that we were careful to avoid, despite being told that they aren't harmful, we didn't want to risk it!

Our first day ended with a welcome drink on the deck of the boat as we watched the sun sink behind the clouds and rocks, followed by a scrumptious dinner where we were entertained by the other passengers on our table, an Australian couple and an American couple from Texas. The contrast between us all and their easy going manner made for a couple of hours of fun and laughs before we decided to check out the squid fishing that was taking place off the side of the boat, more accurately squid jigging as you literally jig the lure about in the water under a bright light in the hopes that the squid will firstly be attracted to the light and secondly take the lure as a fish....no luck what so ever after an hour or so of trying so we called it a night and went to bed.

At a ridiculously early hour we were up and on deck to try out a half hour session of Tai Chi with the captain, it was peaceful and amid the gorgeous scenery ended up not being a bad way to start the day before we headed inside for breakfast. Here was where our cruise split up, most people only staying the one night were soon whisked away for a brief look at a cave before returning to Halong bay and the end of their trip. We however, along with one other couple, were staying for 2 nights and so had a full day to look forward to! We joined up with 5 people from another boat run by the same company, actually the boat we tried to get on as it was cheaper but was already full, then were transferred to the 'day boat' where we were whisked away into the midst of Bai Tu Long Bay, the less frequented part of this vast region, on to one of the islands where we were able to explore a large cave that up until only 10 years ago contained a family who lived there. They, along with many others, some from the floating village, had been relocated by the government on to land at Halong Bay City so as to help preserve this UNESCO site from pollution and other detriments that people cause. All the boats and cruises are strictly regulated on where they can and cannot go amongst the islands and out of the 533 boats that ply the tourist market with their tours, only 12 of them are allowed into Bai Tu Long, ours being one of the 12 and hence the reason we chose it!

After our cave visit our day boat took us to the middle of a scenic waterway where we were completely alone initially, only being joined by one other boat later on in the day. As there was no one around and apparently the police do not patrol here, we were able to spend some time jumping off the boat into the clear, warm waters, swimming and chatting with our small friendly group whilst our guide, Phong, kept a look out for jellyfish and the rest of the crew prepared a bbq on board. Once again there was mountains of food, but the swim had given us all an appetite and we made a good dent on the delicious array before us before chilling out for a while. Once our lunch was more settled we were able to jump into the kayaks and spent over an hour exploring many different coves and inlets, rocks and beaches, feeling like we were the only people in the sea and enjoying the tranquility and beauty before making our way back and finding that everyone else had returned but were having fun in the water still. We tied up our kayak and joined them, putting on the life jackets a bit like a nappy we were all able to bob around in the water in the most comfortable fashion, being upright and using very little energy to move around, it was a very casual party and even our guide joined us for a while, clearly enjoying the small, friendly group we had become.

Eventually it was time to leave our serene, private location and go back to join the main boat, where a new load of passengers would have joined for their trip, whether that be 1 or 2 nights. We once again were able to enjoy the sunset on the upper deck with a glass of wine before dinner, the clouds producing a dazzling effect like rainbows which none of us had ever seen before and was absolutely spectacular! As there was just the 4 of us from the 2 night trip for dinner, we were seated together and given a different set of meals to everyone else so that we didn't have the same food 2 days in a row, equally delicious and equally too much, but a nice touch. We didn't bother with the squid fishing this time and instead got an earlyish night, spending some time on our little balcony underneath the full moon before going to bed.

Our last morning, we missed the Tai Chi and instead went straight to breakfast before joining the other passengers on the 1 night trip for the excursion to another cave. This one was so very different to the one we visited the day before, not only was it lit up with artificial lights, but there were many limestone formations to look at and more tourists that you could imagine being possible in such a small space! This was our least favourite part of the whole trip as it felt like being a herded sheep and we were so glad we had taken the 2 night option, feeling sorry for everyone else who must have spent their entire time rushing from one crowded spot to another and not being able to enjoy or fully appreciate this wondrous place! Back on the boat we enjoyed a final shower before packing and checking out of our room so as to give the crew time to get it ready for the next lot of guests. We whiled away the time sailing back to harbour up on the top deck where the views were incredible and the breezes pleasant enough to keep you from sweltering. A final light lunch was served on board once we were back at Halong Bay City then it was time to leave and get back on the bus for our return to Hanoi. Sad to leave, yet immensely happy to have had the opportunity to see this breathtaking place, we spent the bus ride contemplating all we had seen and committing it to memory before continuing with the rest of our travels.