On my third and last day in Vietnam I sought out the mythical Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay - 'Where the dragon descends into the sea' - is a cluster of thousands of limestone islands rising from the jade waters of Vietnam, praised by poets as 'the rock wonder in the sky'. Legend has it that a young Vietnam were sent a family of dragons as protectors from the gods to defend this new country from invaders. The dragons spat out jewels and jade, which turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, and linked to form a great wall. These rock mountains abruptly appeared on the sea, ahead of the enemy, striking and sinking their ships. After the Vietnamese emerged triumphant, their defenders remained in the bay - the place where the mother dragon descended was christened Hạ Long, the place where the dragon's children attended upon their mother was named Bai Tu Long island, and the place where the dragon's children wriggled their tails violently was called Bach Long Vy.
Today, Ha Long Bay is a Unesco Heritage site and one of the Seven Wonders Of Nature. In summer, Ha Long Bay sees hordes of visitors arrive in ships and boats to marvel at these spectacular limestone grottoes, climb the caves within, and admire the sparkling turquoise water. In February, Ha Long Bay is shrouded in ethereal mist lending it an otherworldly air, and it was this mysterious face that I admired from the deck of a cruise ship. If you are planning a trip to Ha Long Bay in summer, skip the karaoke bars and highrise hotels of Halong City. Stay the night on a cruise ship instead and spend your day slowly taking in the two thousand islets of the bay, explore the vast grottoes of Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes cave - Grotte des Merveilles), see the floating villages, shop from the women (often with children in tow) who row up to your ship in their little boats; and organise a sailing trip to off-the-beaten-track Lan Ha Bay for stretches of pristine white sandy beaches and rock climbing.