Vietnam and Cambodia
Ha Long Bay
The next morning, we said goodbye to Hanoi and headed east to visit Ha Long Bay. I was a bit sad to leave Hanoi—it is a city I truly enjoyed, one I would go back to without hesitation—but was excited to see the famously scenic Ha Long Bay.
Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is renowned for its nearly 2000 small islands, many of which have sheer cliffs that tower hundreds of feet above the Bay’s waters. These islands formed from a 1000-foot-thick layer of limestone seabed that was laid down about 300 million years ago. Ever so slowly, steady (and ongoing) tectonic forces raised the seabed above sea level. As the uplift progressed, the former seabed (now dry land) cracked and erosional forces (primarily rain that dissolved the lime) slowly widened the cracks into deep valleys. Then, about 10,000 years ago, the level of the sea rose, flooding those valleys and leaving the sharp limestone peaks exposed as the islands we see today.
We arrived in Ha Long City around midday and boarded our home for the next day, the Paradise Elegance, a small 60-70 passenger ship that specializes in Ha Long Bay cruises. After about an hour or so of sailing through the islands, she dropped anchor in a protected harbor, surrounded by Ha Long Bay’s signature islands—and also surrounded by dozens of other small cruise vessels! I didn’t expect that! Our first stop here was to visit an island that had an observatory at its very top, an island that was named after a Russian cosmonaut.
Here are some photos:
As we made our way into the islands of Ha Long Bay, we passed dozens of boats going the other way, and, as I found out as I explored more of our ship, we were one of several boats heading the same direction as we were. It made me think we were on some marine highway. At least this traffic was vastly better behaved than Vietnam’s chaotic on-land traffic! Besides, the sea was calm, the weather was nice (if hot and humid!), and the scenery was increasingly stunning.
This is Ti Top Island, our first destination in Ha Long Bay. “Ti Top” has no meaning in Vietnamese. Instead, it is a Vietnamization of “Titov”, specifically Gherman Titov, the Russian cosmonaut who was the second person ever to orbit the Earth. He accomplished that feat on August 6, 1961. Five months later, during a state visit to Vietnam, Titov visited the island. During that visit, Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh renamed the island after Titov to commemorate his visit.
Ti Top Island is a 9-acre conical limestone island that has an observation platform at its peak and a pleasant, if small, beach at its base. If we opted to go there (one could always stay aboard our ship), one could catch some rays on the beach or climb to the top of the island. Those who know me will know what I chose to do.
Yep, I chose to climb. All 450 steps. 361 feet up. 30 stories. Up. And then back down.
I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to make that climb and see the view from the top of the island. And apparently neither were many other of the island’s visitors. I was surprised by how crowded the climb was. Still, the crowd does keeps you moving. I was also surprised by the number of people making the climb in swimsuits and flip-flops. The steps were steep and uneven—at one point it was so steep that almost everyone was using their hands on the steps ahead of them to help do the climb—and would have been challenging in flip-flops. If any of the flip-floppers made it to the top, my hat’s off to them!
In this view from the top of Ti Top Island, you can get an idea of how many boats were anchored there. It was very crowded! I’m not sure which boat was our boat, the Paradise Elegance. I think it was the (relatively) larger boat just this side of the swoopy boat slightly left and up from center in this shot.
Despite the crowded conditions, though, you just can’t miss the beauty of the islands!
I hiked to the top of Ti Top and back down with my Sail with Seth compatriot Martha. That’s her stepping sideways down the steps, a very smart way to deal with the steepness. It’s always so much harder going downhill that it is uphill! Uphill requires bursts of strength and drive and determination to work against gravity, and if you stop that effort, you stop. Downhill, though, requires a steady, continuous application of strength and balance and brakes, and if you stop that effort, gravity takes over and down you go! We both safely made it to the bottom, feeling satisfied with our accomplishment and ready for whatever the next adventure may be!