Back to Hanoi

We had one last excursion before leaving Halong Bay. We were rowed through the “Dark and Bright Cave” by a local woman. The geologic feature is not uncommon, where the ocean has worn away at the limestone karsts. Like the caves that we floated through in Ninh Binh, this one had cut through a karst, so you basically row through the bottom of the formation. Google describes it best: “it features a low passageway that opens into a serene, hidden volcanic lagoon enclosed by vertical limestone cliffs.” The lagoon on the other side was quiet, only interrupted by bird calls and insects. We kept an eye out for Cat Ba langurs. Apparently, the ship’s staff saw some recently. These critically endangered primates are super rare, with less than 100 still existing. Sadly, we didn’t get to see the animals but hope they make a comeback. They are very cute; born with orange fur that later turns very dark, with light colored Mohawks on the top of their head.

We finished out the day with a trek back to Hanoi. We checked into our hotel and headed off for dinner. We’ll have some time here in the morning before our flight to Cambodia.Read more