Sitting here in my flat in Berlin (pretend I’m British for a moment, will you?), I can’t help but remember that just two months ago I was on a boat trip in Halong Bay, Vietnam. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be here even if a European summer isn’t quite as sunny or warm as I would’ve expected. Regardless, looking back on my three and a half months in Southeast Asia there are more than handful of things that I can’t help but miss. Notably: the sun. Especially seeing the sun set nearly every day, almost always dramatically.
I saw the sunset on any number of beaches (not just in Southeast Asia, but all over the world) and I’ve probably got hundreds if not thousands of sunset photos that look like just about everyone else’s. But I don’t care, the sunset I saw at Halong Bay on my overnight tour on a boat was truly beautiful. Maybe it was all the cheap beer, or the people I was with, but that was one hell of a good night. View more photos after the jump. (Also, don’t some of the colors in the photos below remind you of J.M.W. Turner paintings? The last one is my favorite.)
Lovely! :)
Wow. Stunning sunset! I’ve been wanting to go to Halong Bay for years and these photos just recall that longing. Since I recently moved to South Korea, I’m a little closer now and will hopefully be able to visit soon. Thanks for sharing and enjoy all there is in Europe!
You definitely should be able to get a short trip in to see Halong Bay! If you get the chance, I’d really recommend spending some time traveling through Vietnam – the north and the south (and the middle, too). It’s a really fascinating country!
Wow! Absolutely beautiful.
Beautiful photos, Adam! Hills and water can be a beautiful contrast.
I just booked my (ONE WAY!) ticket to Hanoi come October, and am planning a week for a trek/homestay around Sapa, as well as…
An excursion on Halong Bay of course. Question: I was thinking a 3 day 2 nt. tour (as I have plenty of time) – do you think it’s worth the extra night?
Also, who did you do your tour with? And what hotel/hostel did you stay at in Hanoi?
Thanks for any tips – I can’t WAIT to get there!
Awesome news!!! Hanoi was a lot of fun, though Saigon is a better city in my opinion. I only did a 2 day, 1 night tour. It was enough for me but I wasn’t into the water sports/activities like most people. Plus there were too many jellyfish in the water for me to even bother swimming. I’m not sure it was the best time of year to go, but still incredibly beautiful.
As for recommendations: definitely stay at Hanoi Backpackers. I stayed at the “old” one, but the newer one is also nice. I ended up hanging out at both just about every night I was in Hanoi. I did my tour with a company called AZ Tours, which turned out to be a lie. It wasn’t actually that company but instead a company called Happy Tours which has a terrible reputation and I would NOT recommend them. Happy Tours is the same company that has crashed and sunk 2 boats (and killed tourists) in the past year or two.
I would definitely recommend shelling out the extra cash to take the tour with Hanoi Backpackers. Check @AdventurousKate:twitter ‘s blog because she wrote about why that tour is worth it. I wish I’d taken it and I met lots of people in Hanoi before and after my tour who came away satisfied after the Backpackers tour. DO IT!
Hope that helps – sorry for the long story :)
Oh, wow, how beautiful… Just what I needed to stare at from my office on a Friday afternoon!
Beautiful pictures … enjoying your website … looking forward on hearing about your new job … bob
Amazing photos! There does seem to be a dramatic atmosphere around sunsets, especially in these photos.
Awesome snapshots! I’ve only been to Saigon and would love to discover northern Vietnam when we revisit.
those are some nice shots good post
Great pics. We had a great time here too and miss it. The only thing was we took so long on our kayak ride, our boat left us. When we got back, we were nervous for some time.
I heard there was a junk boat accident this year, actually several.
Whoa! That’s insane that you got left behind. Yes, there were some accidents in the past year. Tourists actually died, as well. Pretty scary.
Living Vietnam is like staying in the Philippines. To combine culture with a fantastic place to relax, he countryside is a picture perfect Asia, with many older traditions
still carried on. If you’d like to head to the beach, you’ll not only be able to go for a
swim but also go wakeboarding, banana boat riding, parasailing,
waterskiing, or ski kayaking. I miss Vietnam waterfowl hunting event.
Stunning pictures!
The photos are simply amazing it really captures a sense of beauty in Vietnam. Who knew a country could possess such remarkable scenery.
The second last photo is my favourite as it just looks so captivating and beautiful. I really want to go backpacking in Asia and your blog is so helpful to read, really motivating me to traveling at the end of the year for my uni break!!
Enjoyed the blog :)
Aw, thank you Nikki!
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