The days seem to be going by a lot faster. We got up early in the morning to grab breakfast at the executive lounge and then quickly down to the lobby where we got picked up. Our ride over to Halong Bay was going to take a total of 5 hours. We picked up another group on the way. It was a family of five; a dad his wife, and their three daughters.
We made a pit stop to a similar place from the previous tour in HCMC where a company hires handicaps to create artwork. This time, the
I ended up talking to the dad of the family and it turns out he’s a pastor that lived in Singapore and then moved to Bangkok, starting his own church there. He didn’t want to take a salary so he got into real estate and business. It seems he’s done quite well for himself. His two older daughters, one is living in London and the other in Australia. They both seemed well traveled and educated which usually indicates some level of wealth. He seemed like a great person. I added him on Facebook. I think he would be an interesting person to interview for The Wisdom Project podcast.
After the quick break, we headed over to our tour location. It was a large room with both people just getting back from their cruise and people ready to board. We ordered some iced Americanos and had some crackers with it. I don’t know what kind of crackers but they were delicious. After about an hour, we finally boarded the smaller boat that would take us to the small cruise line. Out of all the small cruise lines, ours was the biggest and most well kept.
We went onboard the Dragon Legend 02 boat and had a quick briefing before we went to the rooms. The rooms were surprisingly roomy and comfortable. It was sizable enough to have a full bath in there with a shower. We didn’t expect that much but it definitely surpassed our expectations.
We unpacked and headed up for lunch on the upper deck. The views from here were unreal. It literally felt like everything we were looking at was from the clearest 4K TV. It’s nothing I’ve ever experienced before and the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. The Ha Long Bay/Bai Tu Long area is a UNESCO’s world heritage site and for good reason. Visiting Bai Tu Long was the highlight of my trip and absolutely worth it for anyone visiting Vietnam.
After lunch, we had a bit of free time until our kayak portion of the tour. We got into a kayak and rowed around one of the small “islands” and then took a swim in the cold waters. We didn’t stay in the water long since it was so cold but it was a nice swim after 45 minutes of rowing.
We came back in time to shower and check out the sunset from the top deck. If I had thought the afternoon views were incredible, the sunset here was unbelievable. We were fortunate on the timing of our cruise because it was just raining two days before. We were able to see everything clearly and it’s the most majestic scenery imaginable. Pictures don’t do them justice at all.
Everyone was hanging out on the top deck taking in the sunset. You could hear a pin drop with how quiet it was. I think people instinctively knew that this view deserved silence or it just took their breath away. The water also seemed to quiet down out of respect for that moment. I’d absolutely come back for another visit but it’ll have to be a place I bring the future wife.
We grabbed some drinks while taking it all in. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to end the trip. I have so much to reflect on and so much to be appreciative for. It’s been such a blessing to have this time out in South East Asia. As the trip is winding down, I’m feeling a sense of joy, relief, gratitude, and even a bit of fear going back. I know that I’ve learned a lot, grown as a person, and pushed my professional journey forward. I don’t know what lies ahead but I’m confident about the future. I’ve learned to appreciate the days that we do have and to soak it all in.
After sunset, we had dinner and then, unexpectantly, did some night fishing for squid. I was the only one that caught something. I ended up with two
