Category Archives: Vietnam

Halong Bay Vietnam

Halong Bay is the classic picture postcard scene of Vietnam, its the one of the huge limestone karsts rising up from the sea. There are dozens and dozens of them formed many millions of years ago. I booked a boat trip out into the bay which included kayaking around and through the limestone rocks. The residential part of the bay is actually quite quiet compared to the commercial side where hundreds of boats gather.

We were taken around in the morning by our guide who took us through soms caves into wide open lagoons, it was similar to some of the rock formations i had seen in Thailand but far more of them. We had a great meal on the boat and then we were left to our own devices in the afternoon, i decided to do a bit more kayaking around the bay along with this american girl. At times we were the only people there, a strange feeling.

Sadly the next day i was struck down with the flu which wiped me out for the next 5 days, literally couldn’t do a thing and didn’t feel like doing anything so just had to put up with it. It was a shame i didn’t see anymore of Halong Bay and the surrounding area but it sure made an impression in just one day of kayaking.

Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam

Sunset at Halong Bay –

Halong Bay Vietnam

In the hills in Sapa Vietnam

I travelled from Hanoi up to Sapa in north Vietnam on the overnight train, a popular way of doing this trip and far safer than the overnight bus.

The scenary in Sapa is amazing, especially when you think it has been transformed by hand, farmers for hundreds of years have farmed and created the rice terraces cut into the hillside. The temperature is a lot lower than in Hanoi and quite often the mist comes rolling through at different times of the day.

In and around the hills of Sapa live what are know as the minority groups, different groups of people who originally came from different areas/countrys and settled in the hills. Some came from China, some from Laos, some from Burma. Each has their own costume and have their own design on clothes and jewellery.Apparantly they use to keep themselves to themselves but now as the children all go to school together they live happily together and work together.

The biggest activity to do in Sapa is trekking in the hillsides and as it was a busy holiday period i decided to book a 3 day trek to get out of town for a while. I booked a custom tour which meant there was just me and a guide, not a big tour group. I had already done a one day trek but it was the same as most people do if they haven’t got much time. As soon as the mini bus stopped the souvenir sellers swarmed the bus and then followed us around throughout the whole day.

Fortunately that didn’t happen again as we went off to places where there were very little tourists. The scenary in Sapa is fantastic and all the more impressive when you think that the whole landscape has been crafted by hand, the rice terraces have been cut high up hundreds of feet into the hillside.

 

 

Sapa Vietnam
Sapa Vietnam

The people that live up in Sapa are very poor, all the food they grow they keep to feed themselves and their cattle. On my trek me and my guide came across a group of children who simply playing in a muddy field. My guide gave them simple biscuits and washed their hands with her water, even she must have been worried for them even though she must see this all the time.

Sapa Vietnam
My trekking guide with the kids of Sapa
Sapa Vietnam
Kids of Sapa
Sapa Vietnam
Kids of Sapa
sapa vietnam
Kids of Sapa

Up in the clouds in Sapa.

The Tea Bag bath. The local Hmong people like nothing more than stewing up a load of leaves and twigs for an hour and then putting the water in the bath. You then sit in it for as hot as you can take for 15-30 minutes. After a days hiking in the hills this seemed like a very good idea. I didn’t fit very well into the barell but it kind of worked. I don’t know if it was just the hot water or not but it was very relaxing, so much so that i very nearly fell asleep. If i get offered the same again at the next homestay i will definately stew again for a while. Lets hope i don’t wake up tomorrow with some strange rashes all over my body.

Sapa Vietnam
Me in the bath of leaves and twigs