Where the Dragon Descends

Taking a flight from London, England and landing in Hanoi, Vietnam feels like you have left one world and entered another. Hanoi is alive with frantic motion; you narrowly miss being run down by a moped only to take a knock to the head from a Vietnamese banana seller. The capital of Vietnam is vibrant; life emanates from every corner and there is an inbuilt charm to the chaos.

The city is in stark contrast to the destination approximately 150km away, by the Vietnam coastline, which is an essential accompaniment to any trip to Hanoi. Having spent a few days absorbed in the capital, I felt in need of a change of pace and what better way than boarding a junk boat for a cruise around Ha Long Bay.

Ha Long Bay, which translates as ‘where the dragon descends into the sea’ is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, made up of circa 2000 islets. As the story goes, the Jade Emperor sent the dragon from heaven to descend into the sea. The dragon sprayed a thousand pearls from its mouth and from these scattered pearls rose the limestone islets that would act as a fortress to protect Vietnam from invaders.

With their dark wooden structure and crimson, dragon wing sails, a junk boat cruise provides the perfect base from which to explore. As soon as we set sail, I felt like we were stepping into another world entirely. Surrounded by tranquil seas, emerald islets towered over me as we passed by. Once anchored in our destined bay, we took a small boat to a local floating village for the opportunity to go kayaking. Kayaking allows you to become immersed in your surroundings; you can get up close to each peninsula and venture into otherwise unreachable places.

There is nothing like the feeling of being lost at sea surrounded by never ending islets. That is, I found, until you are lost at sea surrounded by never ending islets. Becoming absorbed in the moment resulted in the floating village I originated from no longer being in sight and Ha Long Bay turning into a hall of mirrors; every turn I took could have been the same as my last.

Alas, I resigned myself to living out my days on my own private islet, until a call from a fellow passenger woke me from my dreams and saved me from my future life as a hunter-gatherer.

Recently, Vietnam’s first tourism seaplane came into operation; offering the opportunity to soar over the vast bay. I would strongly suggest factoring this into your future travel plans; well that, and to take a note from Hansel and Gretel and always leave a trail.