We were having our morning coffee onboard Viking Orion when we sailed past the first of Ha Long Bay’s rugged islands. We then spent the next three hours in luxury whilst enjoying one of the most spectacular sailings in the world.
Stretching for some 160 kilometres along Vietnam’s north-eastern coast, this grand UNESCO World Heritage Site is made up of over 1,600 islands of towering limestone. The islands are topped with forest and several of them hide enormous caves.
Legend says they were created by dragons who breathed out jewels into the bay to prevent enemy ships from coming ashore. ‘Ha Long’ translates to English as ‘descending dragon’.
To celebrate the breathtaking landscape, Viking’s executive chef Edward Phillips and restaurant manager Dejan Gami treated guests to a delicious brunch by the pool. They put on such an amazing show that people were photographing the spread of food just as much as the scenery – me included! The seafood station included king crab claws, cray fish and prawns all sitting on large blocks of ice. The Norwegian smoked salmon was sliced fresh to order, as was the cold cut meats and cheeses. The sweets went on forever and the champagne continued to flow!
Viking’s free excursion was a scenic cruise on an authentic Vietnamese junk. We absolutely loved relaxing on the top deck as we wound our way among a labyrinth of vertical cliffs draped with lush forest.
Our junk boat moored at Dau Go Island so we could explore the beautiful Thien Cung cave (Heavenly Palace). The wooden walkway lead us to steep stairs going up to the narrow entrance of the cave. Once inside, we were surprised to find ourselves in a massive cavernous space surrounded by elaborate stalactite and stalagmites.
I’ll admit cave exploration was never on my to-do list. I thought I would feel claustrophobic but each room of the cave was well lit and the ceilings so high. It was such a magical and I loved every minute.
Our overnight stay in the bay gave everyone on board time to go on kayak adventures, seaplane rides and to go ashore to the city.
Viking Orion raised the anchor at lunch time the following day. We spent the afternoon lazily watching movies in our cabin as the islands floated past our balcony.
