Cruising Ha Long Bay

Photos can't capture the 1,969 islands of Ha Long Bay and words can’t quite describe the fantastical limestone karst towers, the mist that enshroud them, and the floating villages that call them home. Ha Long translates to the “Descending Dragon” and when you imagine these islands as spikes from the serpent’s spine peeking out from the water, the mystical nature of this place takes hold. To experience this place properly, you simply have to take an overnight cruise…

We took a V'spirit cruise, a ship rebuilt in the spirit of its century-old paddle boat predecessor. Adding to the fascination of Ha Long Bay is the people that live there. Several hundred people live in floating villages between the limestone karsts. Rarely touching land, they earn their living fishing, harvesting pearls, and selling souvenirs.

To get closer to the isles, we took out kayaks. We paddled around, peeking into caves and ducking under castle formations. We came back to the boat and the evening unfolded nicely with a spring roll cooking class, cocktails at sunset, a fabulous dinner, followed by late night squid fishing off the back of the boat.

Going some place as iconic and exquisite as Ha Long Bay inevitably comes with crowds but staying aboard V'Spirit made it feel like it was ours for the night. With only a handful of passengers on board, an incredible staff, and plenty of character, V'Spirit made a tourist mecca into a one-of-a-kind experience.