We caught the sunrise from our Westerdam ship.

On our second day in Ha Long Bay we took a small boat cruise around the bay. The tour was on a converted fishing “junk boat”. We had to climb steep wooden steps to the scenic viewing area on top of the boat. I was a little nervous because the wooden floor of the upper deck felt very rickety and we could see in some places where the floor had fallen through. Junk boat was a perfect name! This is a sister junk boat that shows you what our boat looks like.

We spent about five hours cruising Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We were not allowed to take any plastic water bottles on the boat for environmental reasons. Limestone islands with huge cliffs and arches rising from the misty water amid peaceful coves dotted the landscape. It was a very peaceful cruise and we enjoyed spending time talking with other Holland America passengers.

Occasionally You See Individual Burial Sites

We did see what was left of an old movie set. Several movies have been filmed in Ha Long Bay including “Kong: Skull Island” in 2017 and the James Bond movie “Tomorrow Never Dies” in 1997.

This concluded our time in Vietnam. We certainly enjoyed our time here. 

Next up: One day in Hong Kong