April 1, 2026

Hạ Long Bay is one of the Seven Wonders of Nature and I can see why. Famous for thousands of limestone karsts and islands rising out of emerald waters it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hạ Long Bay is Southeast Asia’s most popular tourist destination, and it can only be described as something that looks almost unreal in person.

You don’t really “walk around” Hạ Long Bay-you can only experience it from the water. Chongae and I got our first glimpse of what was to come as we sailed early morning into the deepwater port of Cai Lan which was our gateway to the splendors of North Vietnam. We got a visual taste of the over 3,000 dramatic limestone islands, islets and rock formations that form Ha Long Bay.

Our plan was to take a traditional wooden “junk boat” and spend the entire day exploring these dramatic limestone rock formations.

Little did we know the adventure that was before us. Here is just a sampling of the beauty we encountered.

What we did not realize was the beauty that awaited us in the caves and hidden lagoons massive chambers with stalactites and stalagmites with colored lighting highlighting amazing formations. The French who once ruled Vietnam called Go Dao Cave the Grotte de Merveilles, the grotto of marvels. Here’s why:

A surprise visit was to a pearl farm where we got to witness “pearl farmers” harvesting pearls. Farmers raise pearl oysters in the bay. A small bead (called a nucleus) is placed inside the oyster which irritates the oyster. The oyster responds by coating it with nacre the shiny layer that forms pearls. The growing period can take several years before the oysters are opened and the pearls are removed, cleaned, graded, and polished. Vietnam is known for their high quality (and expensive) “golden pearls.”

Vietnam is also known for amazing sunsets. After leaving Ha Long Bay what a way to end an incredible day!

Thanks for traveling with us.