Sunday 17 November – Hanoi to Ha Long City

Left Hanoi for a look at Ha Long Bay this morning. The 4-hour bus ride was possible one of the most uncomfortable I’ve ever endured. A combination of no leg room and rough roads was the problem. No Accommodation was pre organised so it was by luck that we found some economical hotel away from the tourist areas. A stroll along the esplanade at sundown was pretty impressive. Ha Long Bay is famous for it’s many limestone island projections and from Ha Long city on the mainland you can see them through the haze. Tourists flock here and there are all sorts of tours but strangely it is difficult to find a tourist information centre anywhere. People seem to organise things from Hanoi or I suspect certain hotels have travel agencies associated with them. Ours doesn’t but that’s ok.