Ha Long Bay - descending dragon bay.

The reason I went to Hanoi was to visit Ha Long bay which is about 3 hours from the city, only 150 km to the border with China.   Ha Long Bay has been designated as one of the new seven natural wonders of the world.

I took a two day one night cruise, there are longer options but I think it was long enough for me.

Arriving at the harbour was a little overwhelming, lots of boats, people, construction and more people.    I am sure that it will become even busier in the future, it is quite a developing area.

The boats are all quite old, or maybe they should be referred to as 'authentic', but once on board it was lovely.  I had a nice cabin with an ensuite and a view that would be hard to top - best shower view ever.   Once away from the harbour, maybe 20 minutes, the legendary beauty of the area became apparent.  Pictures do not do it justice.  

The area consists of  over 1500 square km with over 1600 monolithic limestone islands which create the recognizable features we see on Instagram and travel shows.

We were taken to the 'surprising caves ' a series of 3 large caves.   Then to one of the islands where you can hit the beach or climb to the top of  the island, 425 steps, for a spectacular view.     After  a night in one of the bay's we went for an early morning kayak.   After a short cooking class and a good brunch we headed back to the harbour.

A wonderful experience to see this natural wonder up close and in person.