I love waking up to a beautiful scenic view (who doesn't). We took our time to get ready for breakfast because we were mainly immersing ourselves in the view outside, and missed the 6:30am Taichi Session that took place at the sundeck. But it is all worth it for the view, plus at least we didn't miss our breakfast.
The first stop for the day was the Thien Canh Son Cave, which sits at a small island. We arrived by a Tender and were welcomed by the semi-white beach with a row of kayaking boats lay baking in the sun. There were a few groups of people, but mostly leaving the island when we just set foot on the island.
We made our way up the pathway which leads to the entrance of the cave that is set on the stone cliff. And boy, I must say that the entrance is well hidden behind and under some rocks, trees and vines. If we had come alone without any prior research done or with someone who knows about this place, I am pretty sure we would just think that it was a hole in the ground and missed it.
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| The man is standing at the entrance of the cave. |
Jacky told us all about the history of the cave. Apparently, the columns we see inside the cave takes thousands of years to join and form. And in the effort to protect and conserve these caves, the government now own this cave and island (I think?) and banned all cave dining. I was actually looking forward to experiencing cave dining because it is so romantic! But that is okay because I still get to be in this cave in person.
Didn't manage to take any nice shots while we were in the cave (as you can see above) due to the low light and the fact that I did not bring my tripod down with me. Sad. But we did manage to take a few photos before the crowd came at the other cave opening where we get to see Bai Tu Long Bay in a different perspective.
We left the cave for the beach right before the crowd started flowing in. Although the Thien Canh Son Cave is said to be a less visited cave in the area, but it still seems fairly crowded to me and the crowd gets larger into the day. So I am glad we were there pretty early because we avoid the "peak" time. Also, if this cave is considered to be less visited, my guess is that the other cave (called "Sung Sot Cave") is/would be a lot more crowded.
Manage to snap some photos of the landscape from the beach before boarding our Tender to head back to our cruise. Everyone was washing their feet and shoes with clear water from the sea to get rid of the sand that was collected while strolling on the beach.
GOODBYE, CAVE!
This is pretty much the last place to visit for our Halong Bay trip and it has been great. Really thankful for the good weather as well. I guess it was a wise choice that the government has decided to protect and preserve this entire area.
We managed to wash up a little before packing and checking-out from our rooms. I surely do miss the huge window and the view outside our room. Roamed around the entire cruise for photo spots and snapped as many photos as we can before having an early lunch while cruising back to the shore.
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| Mom & Dad. ♥ |
We were told by Jacky that the government may ban overnight stays on cruises in their effort to further protect and preserve the entire area. So, if we (or anyone) intend to come to experience Halong Bay as it is, we should do so within this year because they expect the ban to start either by the end of this year or early next year. Sigh, there goes the joy of waking up to fresh air and a beautiful view in the middle of a magical place.
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| At the front of the cruise with boyfriend. ♥ |
Very much still in awe of the beauty of Bai Tu Long Bay. It is ever so mystical and mesmerizing.
This marks the end of our Halong Bay trip and I must really say - this is by far the best part of the entire trip in Hanoi. I was so captivated by the beauty of nature and the freshness of the air. It feels like I was in another world when I was there. Yes, the reception there was terrible, but it feels really great to be disconnected with the "world" and be "connect" to Earth.
We were transported back to our hotel through the same route. But this time, we were dropped off at another hotel because I booked a different hotel because I couldn't decide between both hotels so TADAA. But both hotels are located in the Old Quarter and within walking distance. So it's not that bad since we already explored the surrounding area beforehand.
Checked-in to Oriental Central Hotel at around 5pm and boy, their service is really extraordinary. The staffs do go above and beyond to help their guests. While waiting for them to check us into our rooms, we were served a glass of mocktail each and the staff started by asking about our trip here in Hanoi and went on to recommending us (since it is our day) places to go for sightseeing, places to get the best deals for the things we want to buy, best food places, etc.
Because it was my birthday, they even decorated my room, prepared a cake and left a complimentary bottle of wine and some snacks in the room for us to enjoy.
Sad Story: In the end, the cake became just a photo prop and we all didn't get to eat it.Reason?Because after the photo was taken, my parents went to their room to put their bags down before coming back for the cake-cutting. Hence, I decided to take an Instagram Story of our room (which doesn't have a lot of space). While I was starting from outside the main door, boyfriend wanted to scare me with a fake cake smash, which failed and caused the cake to slide off the plate and dropped onto the carpeted floor, staining the side of our bed instead.HAHAHAH. So fail. We cleaned it up by ourselves because we were to felt bad to ask for house keeping after "destroying" what they prepared for us even though it was an accident.
After having our dinner at the Orchid Cooking Class & Restaurant which was just next door (the food was SUPERB), we spent our night at the Hanoi's Night Market that stretched across the streets of Hang Dao, Hang Ngang, Cha Ca and Hang Luoc. In short, we started at the roundabout and ended at Dong Xuan Market. It was so bustling, but as it got later, my parents got tired so they went back to the hotel to rest first, which I continue to roam around with boyfriend and got some street food to try. It was so YUM!
Spent the next day doing some last minute shopping and pedicure/massage after having our lunch at the Orchid Cooking Class & Restaurant, because it is that good. Before we left for the airport, the staff from Oriental Central Hotel gave us 2 gift packs which consist of a set of drip coffee ware and its coffee, which we didn't get to buy. Super thankful to them for getting these for us as souvenirs.
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