Dragon Islands

4-5th December

So, we made it to Vietnam and shortly found ourselves on a fancy boat cruising around Halong Bay (translated as 'Bay of descending dragons' from Vietnamese). A life I could definitely get used to.

Local legend says that way back when the Vietnamese were fighting off Chinese invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend the land. This family of dragons descended upon the area (hence the name) and began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form barriers against the invaders.

Whether you listen to the legend or not, Halong bay is a very spectacular sight and one worth visiting. The bay consists of a dense cluster of hundreds of limestone monolithic islands, some with caves and each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise from the ocean. Both Ed and I commented on how it looked a little like Yangshuo, but on water, making it far more impressive.


We booked our excellent tour at Kangaroo Cafe in Hanoi