Ha Long Bay Part I: Surprise Cave and Ti-Top Island

The morning started, as all mornings in Vietnam should, with a cup of coffee.

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A bus would be arriving any minute to pick us up, but on the advice from the hotel's front desk staff, I was scampering through the winding alleyways of Hanoi behind the hotel's bellhop.

a local coffee shop

He was leading me to the hotel staff's favorite local coffee shop, a hole-in-the-wall place where I ordered two caphe sua da (iced Vietnamese coffee served with sweetened condensed milk) for Mom and me.

Cà Phê Sữa đá (Vietnamese Iced Coffee)

I ran back to the hotel, coffee in hand, just in time to see the bus pulling up out front. Moments later, our bags were stowed on the bus, and Mom and I were sipping our iced coffee as the chaotic streets of Hanoi gave way to the rice fields of the northern Vietnamese countryside.

We were on our way to the legendary Ha Long Bay!

arrival at the coast

A few hours later, we arrived at the coast. The bus deposited us at a sort of rest area that had restrooms, a coffee shop, and a pearl farm.

at the pearl farm

There were also lots and lots of tourists.

I can't remember the last time that I was around so many white people! Before departing, Mom and I had acknowledged that we were going to be joining a very touristy experience. Still, I don't think either one of us knew just how touristy it was going to be.

a demonstration of pearl harvesting

Presently, we were back on the bus (after having to wait for about half an hour for an Australian guy who had gotten lost), and before we knew it, we had arrived at Ha Long Harbor.

aboard the small boat

Most tourists visit Ha Long Bay on a one-day package tour, but it was Mom's birthday, and we wanted to do something special! We had booked a 2-day 1-night cruise on the bay.

A few years ago, I met Mom in Arizona on her birthday for a few days exploring the Grand Canyon National Park (South Rim) and the other incredible National Monuments around Flagstaff. COVID prevented any adventures in the following years, but we were excited to have another birthday adventure together in 2022.

This was the reason that we were here in Ha Long Bay, and indeed, the reason that Mom and I had planned her Thailand and Vietnam adventure for this November. It was going to be a very special and unforgettable birthday!

our ship

We were welcomed aboard the boat by our friendly staff: Tom and Jerry (our captain and tour guide respectively... yes, those were really their nicknames!) and the rest of the hospitality staff abord the old but comfortable cruise ship that would be our home for the next two days.

the crew welcomes us aboard

After checking in and dropping off our luggage in our small but comfortable twin cabin, Mom and I headed up to the galley for an early happy hour.

our cabin on the ship

As we were touring Ha Long Bay, we thought it was only proper to toast to the start of our next adventure with a bottle of Ha Long Beer.

To be honest, pretty much all of the Vietnamese beers taste about the same to me... but it's fun to enjoy the local beer brand wherever we find ourselves.

an early happy hour!

Made famous in the west by British television show Top Gear, Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and increasingly popular tourist destination off the northern coast of Vietnam. Thousands of limestone karsts dot the blue-green seas of the 1,553 km2 (600 sq mi) bay.

Ha Long Bay

After lunch, we went to sit out on the bow to watch the scenery as our boat chugged along the smooth green waters of the bay. It was a bit cloudy, but we didn't let that stop us from enjoying the incredible views.

We had finally made it!

"I just can't believe I'm finally here!" Mom told me as we cruised through the otherworldly Ha Long Bay.

famous karst cliffs

Ha Long Bay is a near-mythical region steeped in myth and legend.

Ha Long means "Descending Dragon" in Vietnamese. Throughout the bay, thousands of stunning limestone karsts jut up from the blue-green water like the teeth of a great dragon. The legend goes that Ha Long Bay was formed when a great dragon crashed into a mountain upon descending from heaven. The impact formed nearly three thousand limestone karst islands in the bay.

*In fact, the name "Thang Long" (as in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel) is a historic name for Hanoi meaning "Rising Dragon". The legend tells that the dragon ascended from the area that is now Hanoi City.

islands in the bay

After lunch, we were loaded up onto the small boat that our cruise ship dragged in its wake and ferried off through the narrow passageways between karst cliffs to Surprise Island. Along the way, Jerry pointed out an almost impossible local shrine built into the very face of the rocky limestone cliff of one of the passing karsts.

a shrine built into the side of a cliff

Our boat docked upon the sandy shores of Bo Hon Island. Jerry promised that the boat would pick us up again on the other side of the island, then led us off to explore Surprise Cave.

We snapped a requisite photo, then began our hike up the 100 steps to the entrance to the cave.

The steps were steep, but we soon arrived at the cavernous entrance to Surprise Cave. The air was cooler within the cave, but more humid.

hiking up to the cave

Sung Sot Cave, or "Surprise Cave" as it's called in English, was discovered in 1901 by French colonial geographers.

So overwhelmed were they by the unexpected beauty of the cave, that it was officially recorded in the colonial maps as “Grotte Des Surprises”. However, it wasn't until 1993 that the cave was officially opened to tourists and visitors.

At 12,000 meters square and with its roof soaring an impressive 25 meters above sea level, Surprise Cave is the largest cave in Ha Long Bay. The cave is known for its stunning geography and incredible biodiversity.

We followed Jerry as he led us deeper into the cave, following the paved path which wound its way amongst the limestone formations.

Jerry's green laser pointer lingered upon one particular formation.

"It's a turtle" he declared. "It's one of the four sacred animals of Vietnam!".

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Indeed, with enough imagination, the formation looked like a turtle!

Turtles are the symbol of blessings of good luck and longevity in Vietnamese culture, and spotting one formed as if by magic within this Surprise Cave was surely an auspicious sign.

Turtle Rock

Soon, the path wound its way around the intricate formations, and began spiraling upwards. Before we knew it, natural sunlight was streaming into the dark cave, and we had reached the exit.

We were high above Bo Hon Island, with another upteen steps to climb until we reached the docks on the opposite side of the island from where the boats had originally dropped us off.

We kept walking until we got to the beach.

The stairs were steep, and we had to push ourselves past the large extended Indian family who kept stopping to take a group photo after seemingly every tenth step or so...

Finally, we came to where to boats were docked.

Mom and I opted to purchase a bottle of coconut water each from the local merchant, then took a seat upon a local bench. 

Not so long afterwards, our guide and the rest of our tour group arrived at the docks. Carefully, so as not to fall upon the slippery steps of the pier, we all boarded our little boat towards our next destination.

The boat chugged across the harbor heading for Ti-Top Island...

Ti-Top Island

Ti-Top Island was named after Soviet Cosmonaut Gherman Stepanovich Titov. In 1962, President Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam and Colonel Titov were swimming together in the waters off of Ha Long Bay. 

Mr. Titov asked the president the name of the island that they were swimming at. Ho Chi Minh responded, " It's named after you." In Vietnamese, the name is spelled "Ti-Top", hence what the island is called today.

Gherman Titov

Ti-Top Island has got a beach shaped like a crescent moon and is an immensely popular tourist attraction in Ha Long Bay. The island is most famous for its views across the bay.

the beach

When we disembarked, we were met with a tempting choice: spend the evening swimming and enjoying the local bar or undertake the challenging task of hiking up to the very top of the island.

The beach bar was attractive, but Mom and I were ready for an adventure.

We set about to climb the hundreds of steps to the summit of the island.

I admit, it was not an easy climb!

We had to stop several times along the way to rest and catch our breath. However, at each rest stop, we decided to keep going and to press forward,

Finally, just as the sun was beginning to set, we arrived at the very top of the karst cliff where a pagoda had been built.

finally arriving at the top

The views were unparalleled...

As the sun began to slip further down into the horizon, and the sky began to glow gold, we decided it was time to make our way down the steep steps back towards the beach.

sunset over the bay

Eventually, we arrived.

 

It was much easier going down than it was going up. 

Finally, it was time to hit the beach bar!

an evening on the island

We ordered mango smoothies and watched the sun go down over the beautiful tropical bay.

mango smoothies

After a while, it was time to head back to the boat.

The cruise had prepared a sunset party of drinks and light snacks.

a quiet evening on Ha Long Bay

Afterwards, we freshened up for dinner.

It was a really fun evening!

We shortly found out, however that we had booked a bit of a party cruise....

As the sky grew dark, Mom and I prepared to turn in to bed. Suddenly, however, the karaoke evening began. Loud music and terrible singing blared across the boat, but we were eventually able to fall asleep.

What an experience!

It wasn't exactly what we expected, but it was an unforgettable day nonetheless,

Happy birthday, Mom!!!

I can't express how lucky I am to have such a supportive and adventurous mother. Thanks for teaching me to be brave, adventurous, and open-minded. Here's to all of our next adventures (I can't say too much yet, but we've got something big coming in 2023!).