Let's move out of Hanoi to my next stop - Ha Long Bay.

It was in my Bucket List for quite a few years before while planning Vietnam adventures, I realised how close I will get to it. It was a no brainer, really - only 2 hours from Hanoi! So, I found cruise company with good reviews and booked my 3 day cruise in Ha Long Bay.

The bay is a part of the South China Sea (basically, Pacific Ocean's waters), literally "littered" with all shapes and sizes of the limestone karsts and tiny islets. The views are out of this world...

Cruises in Ha Long Bay are very popular, and, therefore, the main bay is generally very crowded. However, there are two other bays by each side of Ha Long and they are less known and less touristy.

So, the boat I picked up - a proper Indochina Junk - took me to one of those less travelled places - Bai Tu Long bay.

The scenery is still the same magical, but the serene tranquillity of the place in the absence of the tourists made it even more special...we were only three boats in that bay (while the main Ha Long Bay counts boats in hundreds!)

Three day's cruise was packed with activities too. We have visited a limestone caves, a floating fishing village, we did some kayaking and a night squid fishing...we had Tai Chi on the upper deck at the sunrise and a bbq on a remote beach where we could swim in the bay too...

There would be no words to describe the incredible views and the sensational feeling of reverence before the nature's wonders... I can only say: it was so much more then I ever thought it would be...