Ha Long Bay

It was misty and very early when we arrived in Ha Long City to take our boat trip around just a few of the 2000 limestone islands scattered around the huge bay. We saw floating fishing villages similar to the one featured in the Top Gear Vietnam episode and huge caves filled with stalagmites and stalactites. We kayaked through some of the smaller caves and visited parts of the bay which the bigger boats can't reach. It was a beautiful and peaceful place but a little on the cold side at this time of year. We'd imagine its quite different in the height of summer.

In the evening we went for an amazing meal at a local restaurant featuring clams with crispy shallots, oysters, slow cooked sardines, huge prawns, clam soup and free-flowing wine. Following the meal we went to a karaoke bar and sang the night away.