Discover the wild beauty of Ha Long Bay aboard a luxurious yacht
The sky was bright blue and the sea as peaceful as our yacht, named the Indochina, cruised through a forest of rocks in Ha Long Bay. It was your first trip to this World Heritage Site and your questions, were delightfully naive, "Are there any dolphins here?" you asked.
I told you that yes, if we were lucky we might see dolphins trailing the ship like acrobats. You marveled at the islands and at the caves we visited "This one should be named astonishing Cave," you said. While there is no cave with that name, there is a cave in Ha Long Bay named Surprise Cave. Located on Bo Hon Island, it features beautiful stalactites.
Passing Cua Van fishing village, you asked how people could possibly live their entire lives on water. Our ship stopped at Virgin Cave and you bought a seashell for your mum, wondering why the little boy who sold it to you was not in school.
I smiled at your innocence. Clearly, you had been raised in a silk lined room. We spent two days aboard that luxurious yacht, where the staff catered to our every need. You brought your own teddy bear and food from home.
As dusk fell, you seemed to relax. We sat on a sofa on the Indochina's spacious deck. This boat is often rented out for meetings, conferences and weddings. Two musicians in traditional costumes were singing a Quan Ho folk song. Dinner was served.
You chose fresh shrimps and fish and asked the cook to prepare them. We sat at a table near the mast. The sail swayed gently in the wind. In the distance the sea twinkled with the lights of squid fishing boats.
The boat moored in a private cove. Watching you, I felt that you were as mysterious as the bay.
That morning we had accidentally been assigned to the same room, since the receptionist had mistaken my Korean name for that of a woman. You had burst out laughing.
All of the staff on board the boat is men. They wear dark brown uniforms and walk barefoot across the wooden floors. You also removed your shoes. Whether you were in the luxurious dining room or at the bar you were the center of attention.
Walking along corridors as beautiful as those in a five star hotel I wondered which of the 15 cabins was yours. I imagined you dreaming. It was very late at night and the stars were nearing the horizon. Ha Long Bay looked so peaceful. I knew that i would remember these two days on the bay for many years to come.
This article written by Lanh Nguyen from Vietnam Heritage Travel
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