Visiting Halong Bay was meant to be a memorable one and it sure turned out to be that.
One I will remember all my life. Although the scenery is very beautiful I must warn all other travelers going there of what they may expect.
My particular experience was similar to many other travelers I spoke to about the place but worse.
It started out early morning with a shuttle van picking me up at the backpackers. I was one of the first on board and took a seat up behind the driver. We then had to go and pick up other travelers around the city before we left for Halong bay about 4 hours drive away. The driver seemed agitated from the start, rushing and nearly knocking a man off his bike as he went around a corner. He also caused a woman to jump back as she tried to cross the road causing her to yell abuse at him. This isn’t unusual of course for a place like Hanoi although something seemed to be irking this guy.
Along the way his reckless driving continued and when we finally stopped for a 15 minute break at one of the rest stops, everyone hurriedly got off. Unfortunately for me I was stuck as backpacks and bags had been stacked to my right hemming me in. A girl across from me climbed over the driver’s seat but as I went to do the same he slapped my leg and said “No you go that way pointing to the bags and wanting me to climb over. I said why and he went to slap my leg again but I caught his hand pushed it away and threatened him “Don’t touch me, you watch it Mate” He backed off and I reluctantly scrambled over the packs to get out. For the rest of the trip I watched him and he watched me from his rear view mirror, the tension mounting.
We eventually arrived at the port at Halong city, and the driver and guide started taking passports off people and putting us in groups. Felt a bit like sheep getting herded this way and that. This went on for about three quarters of an hour; a couple of others who had come on other shuttle buses were getting the same treatment and wondering what was going on.
They eventually sorted the groups out but some had not had their passports returned, taken by another driver who had not come back. Some Irish girls were complaining they arrived here an hour and half ago and were pretty pissed off. Next thing where told to follow the tour guide, pretty much ordered really, and walked to where the Junk boats were (good name for them really). All aboard and off we went. As we pulled away from shore, we finally felt some relief.
Things were getting better as we cruised about the bay enjoying the beauty of the limestone Karsts of different shapes and sizes and sunning ourselves on the top deck. This is what we came for some peace and quiet away from all the hassle that is Hanoi. We had lunch on board, small portions of rice and some meat but nothing special and certainly nothing for seconds. Not like the pictures of fresh seafood we had seen in the glossy brochure back at Hanoi.
The women who served it was in her 50s, a hard looking women who never smiled and gave a look as if she wanted to strangle us. The most she could manage was a terse grimace. Scary women and everyone commented how impolite and unsocial she was. Some people complained it was a small feed and they were still hungry but the women just ignored them. By the way she spoke and understood English as I was to find out later.
We then stopped in a sheltered bay and walked up a hill into a cave. Over the tanoi loud speakers strategically placed along the way there were rules being read out on what not to do. Don’t do this don’t do that. I had a chuckle thinking typical; they can take a beautiful place and turn it into a circus of rules and regulation. The cave was nothing special apart from the exit, high on the cliff overlooking the Junk boats below.
Back on the boat we went cruising again, some of us were asking when we could go swimming as it was pretty hot. Most of the tour agencies have pictures of people going swimming and jumping off the boat into the water. The crew kept saying soon, or later.
Later in the day we stopped off again to let off some people who had booked to go to Cái Bèo Island. The island has an ancient culture, which dates back 7,000-5,000 BC. There are a number of beautiful beaches here and some of the islands support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for fish and different kinds of mollusks. This island and many of the islands around it have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes. Cái Bèo is also home to the highly endangered Cat Ba Langur., hence ‘Cat’ . This golden-headed langur is rarely seen, as fewer than 100 specimens are thought to survive in the wild, it is the subject of a well-organized conservation program though.
Since we had stopped I decided to get a drink from one of the hawkers selling stuff from the shore. The drinks on board, beer, soft drink or water were all 3 times more expensive than the city, and the hawkers were offering a good price. So I bought a beer and the women who served us lunch came up abusing me for not buying off the boat. She also gave a mouthful of abuse to the hawker who sold it to me and an argument broke out between them. After she came back to me, she thrust a list of rules into my hand. Many, many rules it seems and one of them being you cannot buy anything that’s not on the boat- $10 US fine it seems. I didn’t pay and hastily gulped down my one cheap beer.
So off we went again, maybe we could go swimming now, someone asked, “Later, later, when we drop anchor” was the reply. Shit how late can it get as the sun was starting to go down. Sure enough later became darkness and people were pretty pissed off. The crew kept saying once we drop anchor then we can go, so everyone thought finally even if it is dark.
We arrived in another bay and were surrounded by other junk boats all settled in for the night. Someone asked if we could now go swimming but was told later again. People started complaining to the crew saying they had promised all day and this is what we had paid for. This was too much for some, and as we were safe in sheltered waters some jumped in.
This caused the crew to go wild, screaming and shouting to get out. They then got beer cans, water bottles and anything they could find and threw them at the "Clients" in the water, hitting some of them. So most swam back to the boat and were then manhandled, grabbed, and hauled back on deck. Some of the girls protested as it was their boyfriends in the water but were pushed aside.
The last guy to come to the side of the boat was also grabbed but he resisted and pushed one of the crew away, and told him to F**K Off and swam back into the water. This enraged the Vietnamese guy who ran off and came back hysterically screaming he was going to kill him. He was holding a steel meat cleaver and a large steel spoon, waving them in the air.
As you can imagine everyone was shocked and scared but calmed this guy down enough to let the other guy on board. It was like a faceoff between us and the crew. Each group was arguing as to why it had come to this. The crew said it was because they could get in trouble with the police and said someone had drowned a few weeks earlier. I don’t know if this was true but a little explanation before the trip started might have prevented the situation. Either way coming at your clients with a meat cleaver is totally out of order. Eventually the hysterical crewman went and put his weapons away, so we all demanded to be taken back to port at Halong city now, but was flatly denied. There was a terrible feeling on board with the crew up one end of the boat and us at the other end, and then we moved to the top deck. As I contemplated what had just happened I noticed large rats scurrying around the deck. Nice, just like the rats below me I thought. Later after a few drinks to calm the nerves we went to our rooms to sleep, with some telling me later they couldn’t because they felt so nervous.
About 5.30am in the morning the engines roared to life and with the rooms below deck, the rumbling would have caused even the dead to sit up in shock. Next the crew started banging on the doors “Get up you go Kayaking” They then cut the power to the rooms the fan stopped and so we emerged bleary eyed and wondering what the hell was going on. Some went Kayaking but it seemed surreal after what had happened the night before. When they got back we had breakfast, a cold scrambled egg, bread and a small cup of tea. One bloke asked for a top up of tea and was told by ‘The Woman’ “No! You pay more”. Another argument broke out but we were all too tired and let it go.
After breakfast all of a sudden another boat pulled alongside and we were told to get off this boat and onto the other one as it would take us back to Halong city port , our boat was apparently now broken. “How convenient” I thought. We all got onto the other boat and were thankful to be rid of it. As we watched our old boat and its dreadful crew in the distance we saw it pull up anchor and drive off.
What I have told you here is only part of this horrendous trip as we and others were also abused on shore while we waited for our bus back to Hanoi. We sat there stunned while some guy laughed and jeered us calling us F**King Backpackers, this and that, loads of verbal abuse and for no reason whatsoever. Later the little prick had the gall to get on our same shuttle bus back.
I glared at him and gave him a few words of my own and he just got on with this sheepish grin on his face. He was now quiet not a word to be said. As I had the only empty seat left next to me he sat himself down, put his feet up and went to sleep. What a cheek. I felt like smashing him there next to me. The Irish girls next to me commented that I was so patient but inside I was seething. What a Fucking trip! When we stopped at a truck stop along the way we went and did our business and on return he had gone. Got another bus apparently,.
So if you are thinking this sort of thing doesn’t happen every day, well then it better not, but that doesn’t change the fact that these people have no idea what tourism is about or how to treat a guest in their country. You can make all the excuses in the world, about what they went through in the US Vietnam war, etc etc , but it doesn’t make a world of difference to me. I found the North Vietnamese to be some of the rudest individuals I have ever met. There certainly not all like this but in general I found it to be so. The dollar seems to be the only thing that cracks a smile and then it’s gone.
Many other travelers I have spoken to who have also done this trip said they also felt ripped off and disappointed. I wish I could recommend a decent carrier for this trip but I can’t, I can only think that maybe if you pay a small fortune you might get some outfit decent enough to at least treat you with respect.
I’m never going back and I hope every other traveler stays away from Halong bay so that maybe they will one day wake up to themselves and realize what could have been.
