Tour of Vietnam 2023 | Day 4 | Cat Ba – Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba | 47 kms

I wake up at 6 am to prepare for an early boat ride, using the time to quickly wash a 4-day backlog of clothes. By 7:15 am, everything is cleaned, and I enjoy a breakfast of bread, jam, butter, and coffee. Three others from the hostel join me for the ride departing at 8 am. The short journey takes us to a remote corner of the island, where I gear up for the cold, cloudy weather. Upon arrival, the boat attendant greets us and hands over our tickets.

We are with a diverse group of ten people from Estonia, Germany, Ukraine, Italy, and Mexico on the same boat. The journey starts at 8:30 am and will last the whole day until we return at 5 pm, with lunch served onboard. Our boat guide outlines the day’s plans before we explore the breathtaking bay views freely.

Standing on the boat’s front deck, I admire the stunning limestone mountains passing by on the water. Covered in lush vegetation, these boulders resemble towering mountains in the sea. As the boat stops, we are invited to swim in the warm waters, around 22-23°C, much warmer than the air temperature. Watching my friends from Estonia and Italy leap into the water, I regret not knowing how to swim.

While some enjoy the waters, others on the boat engage in casual travel chatter. After a while, everyone boards as we set sail to our next destination. Passing by countless small mountains reaching for the sky, some too big for the camera frame, each with unique shapes and sizes. These mountains have been slowly eroded by the sea over countless years. Finally, we reach our kayaking spot and disembark using the man-made ramp.

Excited for my first time kayaking with a guide in a two-person boat in unfamiliar waters. Feeling awestruck by the vast ocean, realizing my smallness and vulnerability. The defined circuit we’re taking will last up to 2 hours.

I am thoroughly enjoying capturing moments on my GoPro as we explore caves with growing stalactites that are out of this world.

Carefully navigating our kayak to avoid hitting our heads, pedaling amidst a stunning landscape feels meditative. Encountering a narrow cave where only one kayak can pass at a time, requiring a 90° bend, we wait for 20 minutes before proceeding. Maneuvering through challenges, aligning the kayak and ducking to avoid scraping against limestone above tests our body’s flexibility. Emerging into another bay, we circle it before exiting.

I document our journey as we take a different route to reach our boat. Everyone is pleased but tired. Around 1 pm, we stop for lunch, enjoying a Vietnamese feast of Fish, Rice, Roasted Peanuts, Salads, Chicken, Eggs, and Fried Tofu at two tables. We bond over discussions about our countries and cuisines, making it my most memorable lunch with a diverse group from Estonia, Germany, Ukraine, and Mexico. Following lunch, we continue sightseeing on the boat before our second round of kayaking.

This time, I have a 40-minute solo kayak adventure. Maneuvering the large kayak initially proves challenging, but I soon master steering. I leisurely explore a bay, circling through a cave before returning, savoring the surroundings. Opting for Cat Ba Island over Ha Long Bay feels like the right choice.

I enjoyed the solitude of the uncluttered surroundings, feeling like it was a private experience with no distractions from other boats. That’s why I chose to leave Ha Long Bay. I was the last to depart and return. After we all boarded the boat, it started making its way back to the jetty, stopping at Monkey Island on the route. Since the boat couldn’t dock, those interested in feeding the monkeys had to swim to the beach, but no one was up for that. Meanwhile, another boat approached a couple drop out into the waters and swim over. we all see them feeding something to the monkeys.

The monkeys run out of the bush towards the coast on an island with limited food resources. As we enjoy tea with watermelon and guava slices, our boat cruises past unfamiliar bays where our guide points out floating settlements inhabited by a fishing community of 50-60 houses. Each house has a small fish farm and nearly all have at least one dog. These houses, resembling those on land, bob up and down as we approach our jetty, passing by them on both sides.

We arrive at around 4:30pm, just in time. After sharing tour stickers with my new friends and exchanging social media accounts, we say goodbye with plans to meet again soon. With some daylight left, I decide to drive back along the coastal road where I had disembarked from the jetty boat the previous night. After returning to the boat ride area, I refuel at a petrol station before heading back to the hostel. I freshen up, order dinner for 8pm, and then hear about bioluminescence activity at the nearby beach. I check it out but find nothing.

I bring back some sea shells as souvenirs, then go to bed early to prepare for an early start the next day. I turn off the lights at 9:30 pm and set my alarm for 5 am.