Hạ Long Bay includes about 1,900–2,000 islets, most of which are limestone. The limestone in this bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments! We stayed in a private island cottage on Cat Ong Island, which you can see below! The beach was filled with rocks, but the hiking trails were awesome! We hiked up to two different viewpoints. It boggles your mind how beautiful our world is when you sit at the top of one of the limestone mountains and peer out into never ending sight of emerald waters speckled with islands uniquely crafted over millions of years.
During the day we ventured through the islets on a small boat. We also made a stop during the cruise to go kayaking through some caves and around the islets up close, which was my favorite part by far! At night we had a bonfire to keep warm and were served TONS of food for dinner! I even tried oysters for the first time with a few Canadian girls I met that day on the boat. (They were surprisingly really good.)
The first day it was only 55 degrees, so we were shivering through the sightseeing cruise. At one point we stopped in a small cove in the bay and the tour guides dared us to jump in! -of course I decided I wouldn't back down from a dare so my new Canadian friend and I jumped off the roof of the boat into the water! The second we hit the water, I thought my entire body was going to go turn into one giant ice cube! It was absolutely freezing, but luckily we had dry clothes to change into on the lower deck!
I will always remember my trip to Halong Bay. Every inch of this place reminded me how beautiful and wonderful this world is. The news and media continue to focus on the negative events and portray the world as a scary place, but it's not at all. The world is an extraordinary place full of fascinating people and enchanting places!
