SEA: Cat Ba Island, Hanoi

hanoi,vietnam
day01 of 07

18November 2012
just landed at Hanoi at 12mn. It's already four in the morning here. The supposed pick-up service didn't came. So we decided to an overnight at Cat Ba Island and just do a day tour in Hanoi since we've been hearing (and experiencing), so far, that Hanoi is not at all tourist friendly. Maybe Cat Ba is. Met a very persistent airport taxi driver who insists on driving us to our guesthouse for $30!. Sorry..it's $30!.. What the.. Good thing we met a Pinoy!.. who came to our rescue.. So the plan is, we'll wait for the exchange rate counter to open and after exchanging our dollars to dong, we head to Cat Ba and just spend the night there..Maybe, hopefully, we'll make a good decision.. It's effin cold..By the way..23 degrees for the record..wasn't prepared at all.. should have brought thicker clothes..let's see. hope things would turn around..eventually..I hope.. Looking forward to that dreadful 30 hours bus trip..?


Arriving in Northern Vietnam, there's a feel of stricter atmosphere. I've been to Saigon and I can tell the difference. Hanoi's immigrations officers, they mean business.Saigon immigration officers are more relaxed, less rigid, if you ask me. The locals are not even friendly to the tourists. They sort of tolerate their existence.

The plan of having a day tour of Halong Bay didn't pushed through because of travel delays, of pick-up services that didn't showed up, and a lot of unforeseen incidents. But something good came out of our misfortunes.. we get to see Halong Bay at sunset..cheaper!

He never knew any English and yet we understood him

Accomodations built along the bay

Spring rolls, fried!

View from one of the ports

Yeah that's our ride

Cat Ba Island at night

Cat Ba Island is cooold as well. It do reminds me of Coron. But you know, Coron is waayy better.hehe. Cat Ba Island has a certain charm to it.. Houses built along side the bay.waking up to a view. Watching locals getting ready for the day. Have a walk along their baywalk and experience the local life. I mean, I think, what I love Cat Ba Island is the locals let the tourists be. No one is pushing you to buy their wares, take their tours.. makes you blend in.. that authentic feeling of being a traveler..

But just like any booming tourist destinations, give the place two or five years, and it would be just like any tourist place.

But for now.. Ha Long Bay should be experienced through Cat Ba Island.. gives justice to its title UNESCO world heritage site.. nowhere else.