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Halong Bay, Vietnam

October 30, 2009 | 8:00 pm Share

If I must pick the most memorable place I’ve visited in Vietnam, it must be Halong Bay.

Being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Halong Bay is definitely one of the most serene and peaceful places I’ve ever been to.

Well, pictures can tell a thousand words. See for yourself.

While I detest visiting historical sites, natural heritages like Halong Bay are definitely a must-go for me. Halong Bay’s history dates back to 10,000BC since its first habitants, and it has actually reached the finals for the New 7 Wonders Of The World nomination.

If I am to die here I die happy.

The cool breeze and the fresh air at Halong Bay is not something that you can ever get in the cities. I have never felt so refreshed before in my life. Watching the limestone isles and formations as you sit on top of a private boat is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I don’t know how much the tour-guide had allocated our travel budget for this, but we got our own private boat with private lunch and a private tour for 4 hours.

The seafood is wonderfully fresh, especially the prawns. You can tell they are fresh from the bay from the first bite… Or perhaps somewhere else, as long as they’re fresh! No fancy cooking required, just steam them and dip them with soy sauce, they tasted like heaven!

Then there are the occasional vendors that sit on a boat and paddle over asking if you want to buy their bananas or papayas. Boat vendors seem to be a norm around these watery tourist destinations. Sadly, we don’t work in a gold mine so you know the answer.

Of course, it’s not a holiday if there’s no chilling and cam-whoring involved.

Oh yeah, this is life. If you ever visit Vietnam, Halong Bay is a must go. While we took the 4 hours tour, you can actually stay overnight on a boat and enjoy the cruise for 2 days or more. Plenty of villages around to keep you busy, not to mention the fresh prawns and bananas!

Given the chance, I’ll definitely come back again! Now I start to miss the place already!