HaLong Bay, Vietnam
2 days of kayaking with Handspan Adventure Travel.
Kayaking around Halong Bay was one of the many highlights of this year’s adventure. After a lengthy day of interviewing tour operators, we decided to go with one of the more reputable, albeit pricy, companies. You get what you pay for, and I think this was no exception. I’ve met other people who opted the $40 2 day, 1 night package, and ended up disapointed with the whole experience.
Handspan transported us (by private car) to the ferry terminal, where we boarded a speed bus to Cat Ba Island, followed by a shuttle boat that took us to our remote beach camp. From the beach, we couldn’t see any other boats. After a feast of seafood, and way too many other dishes, we were guided around the islands by our personal kayaking guide, in our decent sit-in kayaks (complete with spray skirts!). Throughout the excursion, it still felt like we were the only ones out there, until we ran into another Handspan group, apparently stuck in a cave that was filling too fast for comfort. The next day, we did another couple of hours of kayaking, in what I have to describe as the most ideal kayaking conditions: flat, glass-like water, surrounded by dozens of tall limestone kirsts. This time, we were led through a narrow opening in a rock face, into a majestic lagoon. We were completely surrounded by rock, with the opening no longer really even noticeable compared to the shear grandeur of the surrounding cliffs.
The scenery was awesome, and it felt so good to get out and work some muscles for a couple of days.
