If you talk to the local tour guides, they will tell you there are actually 2 Halong Bays in Vietnam. The real Halong Bay is the one we always see on postcards; wooden junks with a background of karst stones jotting out from the sea.
Now, there’s the other Halong Bay. They call it Halong Bay, on land.
Hoa Lu is in Ninh Binh province. It is the first ancient capital of Vietnam which dates back to 1010. That makes Vietnam 1000 years old next year!
Since Hoa Lu is abou t 100 kilometres away from Hanoi, a 1 day trip there makes perfect sense.
The best way to enjoy the karst stone scenery is not by foot, nor by car. It’s too far to walk and also, you could see nothing from the car really. The best way is to either rent a bicycle or motorcycle and ride along the roads and through the villages.
Hoa Lu - The 'Halong Bay' On Land
Rice Paddies In A Karst Landscape
Landscapes of Hoa Lu
Sunset over West Lake
It has been pretty hard to catch a sunset here in Hanoi since my first day here 6 weeks ago. The sun would have set by 6pm when I was just about to leave office. And most of the days, the sky would be overcast which leads to no sunset.
Last Monday was an exception. It was a local public holiday and the sun was out for the whole afternoon. So I thought this would be the chance (probably the only) chance to catch a sunset in Hanoi.
And where else could it be if it’s not at West Lake. West Lake is the biggest lake among the 18 lakes in Hanoi. It’s about 3km from one end to another end of the lake, and on certain parts it looks like a sea, not a lake.
It’s probably the place to go on a good evening. You can find locals fishing there, young couples dating while watching the sunset, kids running around, people exercising and foreigners sipping the local Vietnamese coffee enjoying the sunset.
So, I got my sunset, finally.
Sunset over West Lake
