A load of old junk in Halong Bay

Halong bay - one of the big hitters for any Vietnam travel itinerary but could it really live up to the hype? Or would the thousands and thousands of tourists have taken their toll on the magical bay? We had heard the good, the bad and the downright ugly – from a majestic paradise to a litter-ridden congested highway for worn out karaoke boats filled to the brim with screaming tourists!

Would Halong Bay live up to our expectations?

John and I definitely wanted to check it out for ourselves but we wanted to make sure that our experience didn’t involve bad karaoke – just to be clear though, we love karaoke but there is a time and a place. We wanted to find a company that had a different route to most and would therefore let us explore the gorgeous karsts and caves without too many others. After some research online we decided – 3 days 2 nights on the Dragon’s Pearl, a gorgeous old Chinese junk boat, which promised to deliver a ‘road less travelled’ route. A little out of our backpacking budget but this was our last splurge in SE Asia and we reckon you get what you pay for…or we hoped so anyway!

To avoid any confusion our boat wasn’t a piece of junk – it’s just the old name for the traditional boat from this area. But when you see some of the wrecks sailing around Halong Bay it can definitely be used both ways!

Dragon's Pearl 

After a 4 hour journey from Hanoi we arrived at the jetty to be ferried out to our junk – we were instantly disappointed to see most of the boats anchored in the bay had been painted white. We were expecting a mysterious and ancient pirate ship not a plastic fantastic wannabe eyesore! Okay that is probably a tad harsh but you get the point - we don’t like the white paint! We later learnt this was a decision taken by the Halong Bay tourism department. Who thinks the Director of Tourism probably has shares in a paint factory??? We do!

Stressful at sea

Once on board our junk was amazing, gorgeous interiors, relaxing sundecks and the cabins were perfect. It definitely exceeded our expectations and we couldn’t wait to get underway. We set off whilst munching on our first of many lovely meals and as our lovely tour guide Ha explained the activities over the next few days – lots of kayaking, relaxing and swimming.

The first few hours were spectacular, the scenery really is breathtaking and the mist made it even more magical and mysterious. We anchored up in a gorgeous quiet spot as Ha told us to get ready for kayaking, it was pretty cold so after getting on our coats we jumped in to our two man kayak and set off to explore some of the caves and fishing villages. It was great fun and there was a brilliant bunch of people – a hilarious Iranian/ American couple and a Kiwi couple – and amazingly we still hadn’t seen another boat. Who said Halong Bay was congested?!

Guess who did most of the paddling?

After around 2 hours kayaking it was back to the boat to chill out before dinner. Dinner was another spectacular feast of seafood, some of which we have no idea what it was but it tasted good! All washed down with yummy wine – happy days!

Next on the cards was squid fishing…bamboo stick, a length of string and a light bulb is all you need! Inevitably this turned out to be a battle between nations – the Kiwi’s vs the Scots vs the Yanks. Things got pretty intense and after a hard fought battle it was

Yanks - 2 (Also known as Indian squid whisperers)
Scots - 1 (It was a giant squid though – we tried to argue victory)
Kiwis - 0 (no pity, they have rugby!)

It was a great end to a perfect day.

Day two was an early start with breakfast at 8:30am, a feast of Pho Ga, eggs and toast whilst we cruised to visit one of the few permanent floating fishing villages in Halong Bay. Once we arrived we were greeted by lots of lovely ladies in rowing boats waiting to take us on a tour of the village. These places are incredible – a group of around 20 houses all floating on pontoons where generation after generation of families live for their entire lives raising children, going to school and making a living from the sea without setting a foot on dry land except to get supplies of water, vegetables and clothing. We were welcomed so warmly by the village elder who served us green tea as he explained to us what life was like here and their efforts to keep Halong Bay clean in their very own water world. The little children were adorable too and it was a privilege to visit such an amazing place.

One of the amazing floating houses

They put our rowing to shame!

After lunch it was kayaking time again – this time it was to one of the gorgeous beaches where the junk would come to meet us. This was also where we would have our evening meal…it a candlelit cave! After around 1 hour kayaking we got to the beach as the sun was beginning to set – a gorgeous little patch of white sand. After chilling for a short time we decided we would brave the cold water and swim back to the boat around 30m out. Jesus it was cold – we had to run straight in before we chickened out but we quickly got used to it. It was then a race to the hot shower, but not before jumping in from the top of the boat!

Sunset on our final kayak

Our romantic cave dinner

At around 7pm in the pitch black we all jumped in the little tender boat for our cave dinner. John and I were excited but weren’t expecting much, just a BBQ in a cave with a few candles. We were wrong, it was magical. As we squeezed through the tight entrance we were greeted with a walk way of tea light candles all the way in to the cave which opened up in to a gorgeous space of golden stalactites covered in candles and was quite possibly one of the most stunning settings for dinner I had ever seen! The evening was brilliant - good food, music and chat in such a romantic setting!

Our last day had arrived we were served a delicious breakfast once again as we cruised back through the stunning scenery. We packed up and relaxed on deck taking the last photos of gorgeous Halong Bay.

We would definitely recommend anyone heading to Vietnam to check out Halong Bay, but choose your boat and itinerary wisely. Research online, read reviews and make sure the company is reliable. There is a cruise for everyone, if you want a relaxed few days then book the Dragon’s Pearl or if you want more of a party boat then head to the Hanoi Backpackers on Ma May Street to book.

We found the articles at Travelfish really useful during our research - click here

Everest Base Camp or bust

It’s John here again. We are a little out of sync with some more India posts still to come but I thought I would write a bit about our Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal.

For years I have wanted to do the EBC trek and when we decided to head to Nepal I got all excited thinking that we may be able to complete one of my many dreams. However looking online it seemed that we had missed the trekking season which runs from Sept - end of Nov. On arrival in Kathmandu we soon realized that many companies were still offering the trek and although it was going to be very cold, the end of December would provide us with very clear skies and great views.

Speaking to a few people who had completed the trek, I was keen to do it without a guide, but after chatting it over with Lindsay and reading a few bits of info on doing the trek at that time of year we decided to take a guide from the excellent company Earthbound Expeditions in Kathmandu. After a day of rushed preparations we were armed with rented down jackets, sleeping bags, thermals, water proofs and wind breakers, we were ready. The next day we flew out to Lukla on the scariest flight in the world to begin our 11 day trek. Check the landing out...

Namche Bazaar (3440m)

The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla was delayed by two hours due to fog. Fortunately for us we were on the second flight of the day which meant the visibility was good for the landing at Lukla. Many people call the first flight of the day, 'fondly' named, the test flight, which did not fill us with confidence but everything went without a hitch. After our exciting landing at the Tenzing Hillary Airport we started our trek heading for our first nights stop of Phakding 3 hours away. Constantly meeting and speaking with people who were just completing the trek was not such a good thing. Stories of altitude sickness, -20 temperatures and helicopter rescues made us wonder what we had signed up for. 

Our first glimpse of Everest!

Our next day walking was great but very tough ending the day with a steep climb of 700m in height. We had very nice weather and just before Namche (3440m) we got our first glimpse of Mount Everest. It seemed so far away and actually not very impressive considering the spectacular mountains surrounding it, particular Ama Dablam (6812m). Our acclimatisation day in Namche was cancelled as our guide was not feeling well so we had to continue on to a small village called Khumjung (3790m) where we met our new guide Ajay. Khumjung is a very small village a little way off the normal EBC route, Lindsay and I both liked it for its charm and lack of tourists. Hilary set up a small school here and in the morning kids could be seen walking for miles to make it to class on time. 

No school bus here

The next day, with our brilliant new guide, we continued onwards and upwards, however on a few occasions we had hours of decent only to climb for even longer. At the village of Thengboche (3867m) we were lucky enough to watch Buddhist monks at the monastery taking part in their hours of daily chanting, only stopping to sip their local tea. It was a privilege and great experience, but very cold. The temperatures where already below freezing and we were only at 3900m/12795ft.

Monk at Thengboche

Another day trekking and 500m higher we had our first acclimatization day at Dingboche (4400m/14435ft), this should have been our second but with our guide changeover we missed the first. Basically this is a rest day with a short trek to a higher altitude and returning to a lower altitude to sleep. For our short trek we climbed to a Buddhist stupa at an altitude of 4800m and read our books in the sunshine. Out of the wind and wearing thick jackets it was very nice and warm and so peaceful. It was from Dingboche that I started to suffer with the altitude. Bad headaches, loss of appetite and occasional dizziness were a bit worrying especially since we still had another 1000m to climb. Lindsay however felt fine and seemed to be coping very well with the altitude. Sat round the only log heater in a tea room we were introduced to a Sherpa who had climbed Everest 4 times. We were both star stricken. I had loads of questions I wanted to ask him, but I just sat back and listened to what he had to say. 

Two days of trekking later via Lobuche (4928m/16164ft) we were at our final leg. Both excited we seemed to be walking with a spring in our step. It actually turned out to be a very long and hard day. We passed a helicopter which had crashed days before in the thin air trying to rescue someone which brought to light just how high we were. Dropping our bags off in the afternoon at Gorakshep (5150m/16929ft) we set of for the base camp. At approximately 4pm on Christmas day we had made it to Everest Base Camp at an altitude of 5464m/17926ft, 4 times the height of Ben Nevis. Staying for around 15 minutes was long enough due to the cold and wind. Just enough time to take some great pictures of the Khumbu Ice fall and of us at the camp with our Merry Christmas signs.

We made it - Merry Christmas everyone!

Snug as a bug...kind of!

That night we returned and slept at a tea house in Gorakshep. Here we experienced our lowest temperature at night which was -20’C in our bedroom. We woke at 6 am to find ice on the outside of our sleeping bags and our water bottles frozen solid. That morning a quick (2hr) climb up to the summit of Kala Patar (5550m/18208ft) was on the cards. Starting the trek in the cold and dark was not one of my highlights wearing every bit of clothing I had. After a grueling 1hour 45minutes we were on the summit and a great view of Mt Everest welcomed us. Lucky to not have any wind we stayed on the summit for half an hour taking pictures and soaking up the view.

Sunrise over Everest - she is the dark one on the left...honestly it is the highest mountain in the world!

The next three days descending where some of the hardest and longest days we had faced yet, covering the same distance as we had on the 8 days up. Having to make our scheduled flight meant we had to put in the hours with early starts and late finishes. We had met some amazing people throughout the trek, in particular a group of lads from Canada and Ireland and a Scottish girl, Clare. We all seemed to be walking at the same pace back down to Lukla and so stayed at the same tea houses in Pheriche and Namche. This was a great laugh, even more so in Namche where we decided to visit the local pub. The night ended messily with Nepalese dancing, getting trapped in someone's garden and being locked out of our tea house and waking up our land lord in the early hours. Needless to say the last days trek to Lukla was tough with a pounding headache, but we were welcomed with a cafe latte at the world’s highest Starbucks.

Would we recommend the EBC trek? Definitely. It was one of the best things we have ever done. A lot tougher than I ever imagined but well worth the sickness, pain, freezing temperatures and long days. We have been left with wonderful lifetime memories of the stunning scenery, the friendly and resourcefulness of the local people and the unbelievable strength of the porters & sherpa people.

Amazing local people

Everything has to be transported by porters - they can carry up to 110kg. Incredible.

A little slice of heaven in South India

Gorgeous Varkala

Varkala is a stunning little village perched on a cliff side above a beautiful white beach in the South of India.


All we really can say is go there! An amazing little town with a gorgeous beach, delicious seafood, lethal cocktails & candlelit yoga on a rooftop overlooking the surf – paradise! No wonder a few days turned in to weeks!

Poser

Kerala backwaters

We arrived in Cochin exhausted after two days of travelling and very little sleep. Our journey took us from just outside Hampi by sleeper bus to Bangalore, then sleeper train the following evening on to Cochin in the state of Kerala. Bangalore was just another large bustling Indian city to us, which we are quickly learning doesn't really do it for John & I. Aside from a quick grope from a passing local, a crazy white guy wearing a union jack helmet assaulting a local & a trip to the cinema there isn’t much more to report from Bangalore!

Majestic Chinese fishing nets in Fort Cochin

We chose to stay in the Ernakulam area of Cochin, a bit of a mistake we later figured out as a quick ferry ride across the bay was Fort Cochin, a gorgeous spot with beautiful buildings, cool cafes & the famous Chinese fishing nets. John saw this as a bonus – we would have to get the boat here every day to hang out, damn! A few days quickly passed just hanging out by the fishing nets, exploring the Jewish quarter, catching a Kathakali show & drinking lots of masala chai in a gorgeous café called Teapot.

Our next stop was Alleppey to the south of Cochin where we planned to explore the Keralan backwaters, an endless series of canals & waterways created to help flood all the paddy fields & to allow the rice to be transported out more easily.

Our beautiful rice boat

After a nail biting three hours on the bus from Cochin we arrived. Alleppey was a bit of a dump but we planned to spend most of our time on a houseboat or canoe so we didn’t really care. The biggest challenge was going to be choosing a houseboat from the thousands available – this turned out to take ALL day! The choice was overwhelming and by the end of it our heads were spinning & we couldn’t even remember which boats we liked & which had the best price! We had always planned for this to be a treat so in the end after sleeping on it we headed back to the boat jetty & chose a gorgeous two bed converted rice barge boat for R6500– around £85 – for two days & one night. The grotty, cheaper ones were still around 4500 rupees so we thought the extra was money well spent! We agreed to head off the next morning at 11am.

With the rest of the day free we thought we would explore the smaller canals, after a lot of haggling we set off with a hilarious local guy for a three hour cruise for R600/ £7.50. The trip was awesome and so relaxing, we saw loads of wildlife - water snakes, humming birds, kingfishers & water buffalo but the best part was all the village life. People bathing, women washing clothes & hundreds of school children spilling out of tiny boats waving, shouting & blowing kisses!

Gorgeous boat on the backwaters

That night we packed up ready for the houseboat & headed out to buy a few supplies from the booze shop which turned out to be quite an experience. In Scotland you might pop out to your local Tesco’s for your booze – other supermarkets are available – but in India you need to head to the Government liquor shop which sounds pretty normal but in true Indian style it was chaos. We arrived at this hole in the wall with huge metal bars to find a crazed crowd of men jostling to get to the front. From the shocked stares it was pretty obvious women never come here. Queues don’t exist in India so we knew that to have a hope of getting served we were going to have to get amongst the scrum! After a while struggling in the crowd we saw the rusty side door open up and a man gestured for us to come in, relieved we pushed our way through to the calm of the bottle store & quickly got our hands on a crate a beer!

Doing the dishes Indian style

The next morning we were greeted at the boat with a gorgeous fresh coconut to drink & told to just relax upstairs for the morning taking in the scenery before we would be served lunch…we could get used to this! The next two days were pretty much more of the same, relaxing, eating gorgeous food, drinking cold beer & watching the world go by from the boat. Pure indulgence & worth every penny!

Once we returned to Alleppey we headed to the bus station to figure out where next, with no plan it would probably be wherever the next bus was going – turns out it was Varkalar, a cliff side village with a stunning beach four hours south. It’s a hard life but someone has to do it!

Herding ducks -  hilarious to watch!