First: travel story about Halong Bay, Vietnam, for Time Out Singapore
http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/travel/feature/karst-a-spell
Karst a spell
It's hard to venture off the beaten path in mainland Vietnam. Depressed by the havoc of Hanoi, Laura Dannen made a city escape by sea to Halong Bay
An American soldier stands with his gun cocked and grin cocky, leering at the dead Vietnamese bodies below him, while his comrade-in-arms sets fire to a thatched-roof hut. Though the images are black, white and yellowing, the message is still clear.
'Well, that's depressing,' I mumble to myself, involuntarily shuddering at the photographs lining the wall of the Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution in Hanoi (25 Tong Dan St and 216 Tran Quang Khai St, +84 04 825 4151). Like many young Americans with only a limited knowledge of the Vietnam War, I had come to the country's capital city to gain a better sense of the history between the two nations. But after a day of exploration, it had already become too much: too much information on the 'American puppet administration', too many taxi drivers ripping us off, too many fake agencies masquerading as offi cial tour operator Sinh Café (see 'Original Sinh', below) and offering bogus deals. Ultimately, just too depressing.
There, though, in the window of one of two genuine Sinh Cafés (52 Luong Ngoc Quyen St; +84 04 926 1568, www.sinhcafevn.com), was an oversized photo of limestone karsts rising out of the water like guardians of the Gulf of Tonkin. Many travellers who grow weary of Hanoi escape to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Vietnam's north-eastern coast that's a four-hour car ride away. Though its natural history is incredible – the karsts have evolved over a period of 20 million years – a tour here boasts enough stimuli to satisfy your cultural curiosity and adventurous side as well.
Packed into a 16-passenger van, our tour group sets out for Halong City, passing through lush farmland where the verdant monotony of rice paddies is broken by rural villages. Halong City itself doesn't serve as much more than a place to load and unload buses of tourists. Meanwhile, traffic in the water matches that on land – dozens of Chinese junks bump each other at the docks, angling for your business. The original junk (a large wooden sailing vessel) dates back to the 3rd century, but the 21st-century model boasts a top deck with reclining chairs, cosy bedrooms with full-size beds and fans, flushing toilets and catered dinners.
After securing a spot at the bow of our boat, I take a deep breath as petrol fumes give way to a sea breeze. The horizon opens up as the captain navigates the channels between some of the 1,969 islets – monoliths rising 100m above the water. The panorama is so impressive, one might expect Zeus to sit atop a karst, nestled in the tropical vegetation, and demand a toll as you pass. 'They all look the same after a while,' comments one passenger, closing her eyes so she can sunbathe properly. Guess it's not heaven on Earth for everyone.
Luckily, the trip includes more than casual gazing and eye-glazing. Around midday, the boat 'parks' and we're herded into a grotto of one of the karsts, where stalactites and stalagmites close around you like the jaws of the cave. Though the guides delight in pointing out anything phallic – and one rock formation resembling a dragon face has been Disney-fied with red lights for eyes – this is as good a chance as any to become better acquainted with a natural phenomenon. Later, there's time to kayak into less visited hollows where karsts meet the sea. While pottering around in the shadows, you see locals appear seemingly out of nowhere – some on floating fishing villages, some in longboats bearing boxes of Oreos and bottles of water for sale.
Many argue that 'an authentic Vietnamese experience' is difficult to come by, since guided tours dominate exploration of this country. But it's in the stolen moments of silence away from the group that you can start to understand Halong Bay – its people, its landscape. Only two of the bigger islands are habitable, with fi shing and tourism the two main industries. History may also limit the work done among the karsts. During the Vietnam War, the US Navy mined many of the bay's channels – a chilling thought that prompts quicker paddling back to the anchored junk as the sun starts to set. *
Essential information
How to get there: Fly Singapore to Hanoi on Tiger Airways, with flights from S$138 at press time. Then book either a day trip (S$39) or overnight trip (S$64) through Sinh Café, though we recommend the overnight stay on a Chinese junk.
What to eat/drink: Food is included on the tour – lots of squid, sweet and sour chicken or pork, rice and vegetables. You have to pay separately for water, soda and beer.
Trip includes: Round-trip van ride between Hanoi and Halong Bay; boat ride; guide; swimming; lunch/dinner/ breakfast; entrance fees; general pirating if so desired (jumping off boat, climbing up ropes, but no pillaging). Kayaking costs S$6 extra.
Original Sinh
While in Vietnam's capital, don't be duped by any of the bogus Sinh Cafés around the city – these are the two real ones:
* 52 Luong Ngoc Quyen St, Old Quarter; +84 04 926 1568
* 64 Tran Nhat Duat St; +84 04 929 0304
www.sinhcafevn.com (this site is hard to navigate; best to visit the agency in person)
It's also fun to play 'Spot the fakes'. Note that the logo for the real Café has a bird with four feathers – one long, three short – and a tail split in two. Happy hunting!
And a little something for the parents (not part of the article): Greg and Laura, taking a break in Halong Bay
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