ha-long-bay-gifHa Long Bay – also known as descending dragon bay.

I was only spending a few days in Hanoi solo before flying to Laos so I tried to squeeze in as many activities as possible. The one day trip to Ha Long Bay wasn’t the best experience due to the 8 A.M. 4 hour bus ride there and back (yes, 8 hours total with either spotty or no Wifi…the horror), however, it definitely was a sight worth experiencing. The massive limestone isles, caves and emerald waters are truly breathtaking – although I do wish it would have been sunny the day I went. Definitely check the weather before planning your trip here because if the weather isn’t up to their standards when you arrive you might not be able to go on the boats. If you’re going to see Ha Long Bay, look into the 3 day trip where you can stay at one of the hotels on the islands.

Here are some photos and tips from my trip.

Happy travels!

xx

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Fun fact: There are over 1500 of these ginormous limestone isles at Ha Long Bay.

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Made some friends from Belgium and Germany – the only other solo travelers. We definitely had a language barrier but great vibes and all adventurous smiles with wonder in our eyes. Also, how adorable is our tour guide lady? Cutest.

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The Amazing Cave. This felt like Disneyland with the artificial lights but hey, made for some cool photos.

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Dress by Sulu Collection. Full campaign here.Ha Long Bay81Ha Long Bay88Ha Long Bay94Ha Long Bay67hanoi-ha-long-bay-vietnam13

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An authentic Vietnamese lunch served on the boat.

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The bus ride from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay.

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The garden, shop and tourist trap that you stop at half way. Make sure to remember which bus you are on because I definitely thought I was going to get left behind here due to the fact that all the buses and tour guides look similar and not that many people speak English. It was early.

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Back to the city of Hanoi.

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Motorcycles everywhere.Definitely a place you need to look before crossing the street.

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The only Summer rolls I had that didn’t give me food poisoning was at the super Americanized, yet Vietnamese restaurant. Be careful with what you eat and never drink anything besides bottled water, alcohol or anything canned – preferably from America.

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I had to see the famous Thang Long Water Puppet Show in Hanoi. I couldn’t understand any of the Vietnamese, but it was beautiful.

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