Ha Long Bay: The Finish Line

Of course, our Vietnam Adventure didn't end in Hanoi.

After all, Dominik and I were tracing the path of the Top Gear Vietnam Special, and their ultimate destination wasn't Vietnam's capital, but rather a smaller city on the northeastern coast: Ha Long City.

Dominik and I were up early for breakfast at the Hanoi Hilton, and after eating, we met the new driver that we had booked for the two-hour ride to the coast.

We arrived a bit early and sat down to wait with a complimentary coffee in the cruise company's comfortable waiting room.

It wasn't long before the rest of the guests had arrived, and we soon found ourselves loaded onto a speedboat which was to take us to our cruise ship.

I've been to Ha Long Bay a handful of times before. On my very first visit to Vietnam way back in 2014, I spent a day trip cruising the bay, and Pinky and I did the same in 2018.

I've even done an overnight cruise a few years back when my mom and I visited Hanoi together, but that time our original booking got cancelled and we were rebooked on a cheaper package that, while fun, I can only describe as a "booze cruise". She and I were by far the oldest people on the boat, and we were kept up all night long by loud and very bad karaoke (although we still had a nice time).

This time, however, Dominik was able to book a really nice suite for us on what was a much more family-friendly cruise. There were tons of families and older people, and the group was much calmer and more low-key.

And the cabin was incredible! We were located at the bow with a huge room, incredible views, a private balcony at the front of the boat, and a really nice bathroom. The room was so nice that I almost didn't even want to leave!

After our busy, super fun, but exhausting two-week adventure in Vietnam, Dominik and I were getting tired, and it was nice to have a few days at the end to just chill and enjoy the incredible Ha Long Bay.

 

After checking in on the boat and being shown our rooms, we sailed out into the bay itself. As we were shuttled over to the cruise ship, our captain passed around a flyer detailing the schedule for the next two days. The cruise was packed with tons of activities for anyone who wanted to join them, and Dominik and I decided to do our best to take part in as many as possible. The first activity was kayaking and bamboo boat rides. We were feeling lazy and opted for the latter.

Ha Long Bay, which translates to "The Bay of the Descending Dragon", is a large, tranquil bay made up of more than a thousand limestone karsts and islets and is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, and I'm impressed every time I visit.

The bamboo boats are little rafts ferried by strong-armed rowers who will take you all across the bay, through natural tunnels in the limestone, and into a secret, secluded cove hidden away from the rest of Ha Long. Yes, it's touristy, and it's not like a million other people don't also do the exact same route each month, but it still feels special and "secret" even though it's not.

After the bamboo boat ride, we ended up on a floating dock to wait for the speedboat to carry us back to our boat. The dock was made from plastic cans supporting a network of wooden planks and platforms and was the home to a small convenience store as well as a "floating bar", where the boat captains and tour guides congregated to meet over a beer while waiting for their tourists to return from their bamboo boat rides.

We didn't end up at the exact floating bar where Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond ended their Vietnamese adventure, but we figured this was close enough (and probably far more authentic).

We had done it... we had finally reached the "finish line" and completed our recreation of the Top Gear Vietnam Special!

Back on the boat, it was time for a cooking class.

While many of the guests opted instead to go swimming in the bay, Dominik and I (as well as a number of older guests and a few families with young kids) decided to join the cooking class.

They taught us how to make bánh xèo, a traditional Vietnamese crispy turmeric pancake served with minced pork and shrimp. After the initial demonstration, most of the guests were too shy to volunteer to be the first to try to make one themselves, but I stepped up. Here's my attempt. I think I did pretty well!

Soon, the sun was setting over northern Vietnam, and after freshening up, it was time to head back to the upper deck for dinner.

As the multi-course meal was served, we were treated to a wonderful performance of traditional Vietnamese songs, accompanied by the đàn tỳ bà, a distinctive Vietnamese pear-shaped lute.

After dinner, we headed back to our cabin to await the captain's announcement that it was time for squid fishing!

I had been squidding before, so I stayed up on our private deck and watched as Dominik and the rest of the more adventurous guests tried their hands at catching the elusive creatures, supposedly lured by the bright lights. Ultimately, however, they caught nothing.

We retired to our cabin for a very good night's sleep.

The next morning, it was time to head back to the mainland. After breakfast, we grabbed our luggage and loaded it onto the shuttle boat that was to take us back to Ha Long City.

Though it had only been one night, it had been a really nice, refreshing, and restorative trip, and when we arrived back in Hanoi a handful of hours later, we were both feeling reinvigorated for our last day in Vietnam.