By Noemi Gamel

We have not had great experiences when it comes to boats on our RTW. Between awful sea sickness on the Drake passage on the way to Antarctica, cold winds in Milford Sound, and larger than expected waves on the ferry between Tahiti and Moorea, I was a bit skeptical about doing a cruise on Halong Bay during the Vietnamese winter. I am glad that Chris insisted and I gave in.

After witnessing the power of Iguazu Falls, the striking beauty of Antarctic glaciers, and the raw vastness of Salar Uyuni, I thought there was not much in the world that could impress me. Halong Bay proved me wrong, and it deserves its place among the natural wonders of Asia.

The bay is studded with massive limestone formations rising above the waters. I have never seen anything like it, but as we sailed in our “junk” boat among the limestone giants surrounded by the mist, I felt the same reverence I did for the landscape in Antarctica. We spent the weekend walking or kayaking through caves, visiting a floating village inhabited by the boat people, and enjoying stunning vistas from the deck of our junk.

One of our most memorable moments was kayaking through the “Night Cave”, which was completely dark. We had to paddle upstream through a river within the bowels of the cave. There were times I wanted to turn back, but pushed on for fear of mockery by Kara and Tristan. Our arms felt like noodles at the end. We were rewarded when we spilled out the other end of the cave onto an isolated lake with beautiful views. Talk about an adventure!

I highly recommend a trip to Halong Bay if you are in Vietnam. The waters are calm (no sea sickness!) and even in the winter, the weather is nice.