Nooooo - you can't make me leave.....

Halong Bay, Day 63

Well as the old saying goes, "all good things must come to an end" and today we are leaving the comfort of our lovely cabin and leaving this stunning environment to return to the chaos of Hanoi city once again.

But before we leave, there is one further activity on the schedule. So after our buffet breakfast, we depart once again onto a transfer boat and head for Trung Trang cave on Cat Ba island. Once we arrive on the island, we board a bus which takes about a 15-minute drive up a mountain road to the entrance point.

Trung Trang Cave is dubbed a masterpiece of Mother Nature, dedicated exclusively to Cat Ba Island. Located in Trung Trang valley, about 15 km northwest of Cat Ba town, Trung Trang Cave is 300 meters long and passes through the mountain, having a capacity of hundreds of visitors at the same time. Trung Trang Cave takes visitors from one surprise to another when admiring thousands of unique and sparkling stalactites, like stepping into a wonderland.

After thousands of years of construction, Trung Trang Cave has now become a large cave with the magnificent beauty of nature. In addition to the beauty of natural stone stalactites, the cave has its own ecosystem in a mysterious darkness. The cave is home to many species of creatures such as reptiles, insects, and birds (most of them are bats). Therefore, to preserve the characteristics of the ecological environment in the cave, the space inside is very limited in electric lighting.

Now I should say at this point that we had decided not to bother going into the cave for the following reasons:

1. We had read that the cave itself was not that big and that it actually took longer to get to the cave entrance point than the time you were actually inside the cave for

   
   

2. We'd also read that there were sections where you needed to crouch down for a bit to get through them and R has had some issues with his back in the past, so we didn't want to risk him hurting or twisting his dodgy vertebrae (again, height matters when you are taller than the average Thai & foreigner)

   
   

3. Also, R had his full (& heavy) daypack with him at this point with all his electronics, including his laptop, camera gear, etc. (as we had checked out our rucksacks), and we had to carry our smaller bags.

So instead, we opted to go with the bus to the exit point and wait around there until the tour group had completed the cave visit. There was a small cafe in this location and not much else, but it was fine, and the group didn't take very long at all. When we asked some of the folks that we had gotten to know, how it was, they said it was ok, and good if you have never seen a cave before, but if you have, then you are not missing anything by not going on this.

After everyone was back on the bus, it returned us all down the mountain and onto the transfer boat back to the main boat one final time.

Back on the main boat, we were served a buffet brunch, and then we all went onto the transfer boat for the last time, to take us back to the terminal. I'm not sure if the boat was closer to the terminal by this point, or if the skipper was just moving at a faster pace, as the transfer to the terminal was much quicker going back than it had been on the way out. Though this may also be a deliberate practice, as the slower journey out builds the excitement, I guess.

After we got off the transfer boat, we were quicker informed by a crew member which transfer bus we were on and we began the 3hr trip back to Hanoi.

We had the most amazing time on this cruise and of course, that may also have been to do with the weather as I'm not sure if the experience would have been quite the same if the weather had been rubbish.

Slight rant warning: The only slightly annoying part was right at the very end when you are sort of pressurised to complete a review there and then, especially if you have enjoyed it. Whilst I have no issue with writing a review, we have found in ALL of the accommodations that we have stayed at in Vietnam, that they have asked for this and they have practically stood over us to do it there and then. That I do not like. I am even less keen to write a review there and then when I am given various small token gifts or stories about staff bonuses for reviews, etc. I understand that there is probably pressure to maintain good ratings etc. and it's not the fault of the staff, but it doesn't quite feel right and it makes you wonder how trustworthy some of the reviews actually are if this is the tactics that are used and certainly on one accommodation we stayed it, it's online rating was way above what it should have been. By all means, ask and encourage guests to review their stay/experience, but don't try to influence or badger people into doing this, as that is wrong.

Also Top Tip for Vietnam shop staff: unless I look or act like a potential thief, please don't follow me around your store - be nearby and on hand if I need you, but the minute you start hovering right beside me, is the minute I walk out your shop.

Costs

In terms of the costs for this trip. Yes it was a bit of a splurge for us and our budget, but it included various activities, all our food and it was a bucket list item. Overall, we absolutely loved it and hopefully the memories will stay with us, so it was worth every penny.

Cruise Accommodation (3 days/2 nights)	£566	$703
Round-trip limousine transfers from & to Hanoi	£64	$80
Fee	£20	$24
Extras not included (drinks, tips, etc.)	£20	$24
TOTAL for two people	£670	$832
Cost Per Person or Cost Per Night for 2 people	£335	$416

Meritel Hotel, Hanoi

We were dropped off at our next accommodation, the Meritel Hotel in Hanoi about 3pm by the Halong Bay Limousine driver and this hotel was much more like a 4 star hotel. It was just a pity that we were only staying for 1 night as we would liked to have enjoyed the hotel a little bit more. That said we've pretty much covered all that we wanted to cover in Hanoi, so we were ready to move on and tomorrow we are doing just that.

The last few days have been pretty full on, even though we haven't done nearly as many steps as we usually do each day, but we're a little knackered and knowing that we are off to the airport tomorrow means that we can't quite fully relax. We also need to do the online check-in, buy extra cabin baggage (as we are both well over the 7kg total limit with Air Asia) and we need to sort out our bags a little more for security etc.

Once we've sorted out the check-in and had a quick look at the hotel's pool and rooftop bar (very nice!), we head out to get something to eat. We are close by to a place that we ate in previously, so we decide to go back there as it was very good and reasonably priced (also we are almost out of Vietnamese Dong, so our cash is a little limited now and we are trying to keep a little bit in case we need it at the airport).

I get a prawn and vegetable noodle dish, and R gets a chicken and vegetable stir-fry, and the total cost with a beer and a soft drink was about £5.50.

Then it's back to the hotel and bed as it's been a hectic past few days and I am very much looking forward to having an apartment base again, and for a longer period of time, so we can have a bit more space, access to a washing machine and a kitchen area and we can properly unpack, relax and not have to rush about for a bit.

Famous last words, I hear you say.....

Halong Bay & Hanoi, Vietnam

21 January 2025