The morning serenity on Vietnam’s Tonkin Gulf is shattered by dozens of noisy diesel engines starting almost simultaneously. Choking black fumes fill the air and the harbour water is churned into a filthy grey soup by many propellers. And then the screaming starts. Deckhands aboard 50 traditional Chinese junks are competing to be the first to escape Halong harbour. With much chaotic gesturing and yelling of the crew, each junk battles through its bumper-to-bumper neighbours – roughly jolting, grinding and pushing for the best position. If you’re in the right mood, this rush hour madness can be an entertaining comedy of bullying, but it mostly just seems downright dangerous. Either way, its certainly not the scene you would expect to witness before visiting one of the world’s most stunning natural destinations.

Sparkling Halong Bay, with its awe-inspiring collection of 2000 islands rising vertically out of the sea, is undoubtedly northern Vietnam’s main tourist attraction. However, the aforementioned departure scene was so frenzied that it was difficult to fight the urge to turn tail and run. But, after gritting our teeth and enduring this pandemonium for an hour, we gratefully floated into the blue, and the stress of departure just melted away. Because, unfolding before us was a true natural wonder. What at first appeared to be a few large islands began to fragment as we approached into hundreds of sculpted peaks of various shapes and sizes. A UNESCO world heritage area since 1994, Halong Bay’s tightly-packed limestone and schist islands have been eroded over millennia into beautiful undercut pillars, grottos and massive cave systems.

Nothing but traditional Chinese-style ‘junk’ boats ply these waters. Their dark-stained wooden hulls are topped with olive, gold or crimson sails which sway gently in the breeze, and perfectly complement Halong Bay’s fantastic seascape. Whether the entire tourist fleet looks the same by legislation, or just by tradition, one thing is certain; their uniform appearance transports travelers into a romantic world of old-time oriental mariners. These live-aboard junks are not only the most graceful and authentic way to cruise the calm waters of Halong Bay, they are also incredible value. For as little as US$15 per day you can share a large cabin with on-suit bathroom, plus three huge meals. We shared our entire 80-foot long floating hotel with only ten other guests. A bargain.

During one of several short island stops we explored a spectacular cave system called the Dau Go Grotto. The sheer scale of these caves is quite breath-taking – the largest could swallow a jumbo-jet and have space leftover for a building or two. Colourful lighting helps emphasise the fairytale-like shapes of huge limestone stalactites, stalagmites and other honeycomb textured formations.

Cat Ba is the largest island in Halong Bay and has become a regular overnight stop for tourist boats. Unfortunately, soulless Cat Ba Town on the island is best avoided, unless you enjoy hideous concrete tower tourist hotels and seedy massage parlors packed into a ugly strip on a beachless waterfront. Thankfully, the rest of mountainous Cat Ba island has some worthwhile attractions, including the tiny offshore Monkey Island, whose vicious namesake simian inhabitants take delight in scaring the hell out of unsuspecting tourists. However, Cat Ba Island’s most intriguing features are its floating villages, built on rickety wooden planks with barrels for buoyancy. We observed three or four generations of the same family - complete with cats and dogs that may never have walked on solid ground - eeking out a humble living from the fish farms beside their waterborne homes. We explored these floating communities with the aid of tandem kayaks hired nearby. However it didn’t take long before we felt we’d invaded the privacy of these quiet people by peering at them from our fluorescent plastic alien vessels. So it was time to move on. Happily, within a two kilometer paddle we discovered an empty crescent-shaped strip of golden sand sheltered beneath limestone peaks. It was an easy decision to spend the rest of the afternoon here basking in the sun.

Unfortunately, our isolated beach in Halong Bay is the exception rather than the rule. Vietnam is hardly the untouched backpacker destination it was after travel was freed up in the mid 90s. These days the socialist republic is major destination in the well-trodden South-East Asian tourist trail. Consequently the most popular spots in the north, such as Halong Bay and the mountain village of Sapa, aren’t the pristine, cynicism-free travel locations they used to be. But the cultural and natural attractions haven’t suffered badly from extensive contact with the outside world… Yet.

The tourism boom arrived in the late 1990s and the Vietnamese people welcomed it with open arms, helped by a new openness in both the economy and government regulations.  Although still a socialist country surrounded by the cultural reminders of Ho Chi Minh’s utopian dreams of equality, Vietnam's economy moves more and more towards capitalism every year. Vietnam in the 21st century is an unusual pairing of communist frugality and capitalist zeal. For example, most Vietnamese outside of the cities still spend their working lives bent over in the rice paddy fields tending their staple food source. But this traditionally insular economy has changed at an incredible pace in the last decade, with the ruling communist party taking the very unsocialist step of allowing foreign investment - even from American companies. Consequently, during the late 1990s Vietnam was one of the fastest growing economies in the world with an average of 8% annual growth. However, because the value of Vietnam's currency, the Dong, is so low (around 7,000 to the US dollar), traveling here is still extremely inexpensive.

Only 38km from the Chinese border, the mountain town of Sapa is the most essential cultural attraction in Northern Vietnam. First established as a hill station by the French in 1922, Sapa is a located at the center of the overlapping territories of several of the most colourful ethnic groups in Vietnam. Diverse tribal peoples such as the Black H’mong, Red Dzao and Xa Pho live in these high mountain valleys. Once or twice a week they trek many kilometers on foot through high-altitude terrain to sell their vibrant handicrafts at Sapa’s world famous markets. These Montagnards (meaning “highlanders” in French) arrive in their hundreds, dressed in the most exquisitely detailed and colourful attire. Each distinct tribal group is easily identified by their unique clothing style and ornate jewelry. For example the Black H’mong wear black or indigo jackets and trousers with colorful striped borders and heavy silver jewelry. While the Red Dzao sport unwieldy pillow-like red headdresses covered in beads.

Sapa is well set-up for travelers, with dozens of inexpensive, yet high-quality hotels. Most accommodation hugs the edge of precipitous cliffs, offering unrivalled views south over the river valley far below, and west towards Vietnam’s highest peak – mount Fansipan. At 3143m Fansipan towers over Sapa so intently that it blocks out the sun hours before nightfall, helping to contribute to Sapa’s chilly highland climate.

Sapa’s location makes it easy to arrange an eco-friendly trek to visit local tribal groups in their own villages, high in the cold and misty peaks. On our way to reach these hill tribe villages we passed through numerous terraced rice fields perched on steep hillsides, where huge buffalo graze and watch white-skinned tourists suspiciously. We descended past billowing waterfalls into fertile river valleys and crossed freezing torrents of water on rickety suspension bridges. And, occasionally, we saw a crop growing that most westerners have never encountered: Hemp. Hill tribe people use the incredibly strong fibers of this member of the Cannabis family to make thread for ropes and clothing. Of course, the locals think nothing of cultivating Hemp, but for visitors who know the effects of Marijuana, walking through a plantation of 15 foot tall Cannabis Sativa is a curious experience. Another freely-growing plant that the Montagnards make use of is Indigo. As it’s name suggests, this small, unremarkable shrub produces a deep purple dye that is used to colour clothing. In fact, Indigo is such an important part of tribal culture around Sapa that most ethnic people wear something dyed with indigo leaves.

Vietnam’s capital of Hanoi is an enchanting city of lakes, tree lined boulevards and narrow streets. It is home to more than three million people and at least as many motorcycles chaotically rushing here and there, seemingly with no appreciation for safety. The city’s distinctively French architecture is a beautiful relic of French colonial control and has seen it described as the Paris Of The Orient. Consequently, most tourists tend to base themselves in Hanoi’s particularly French-looking Old Quarter, surrounding the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake.

At any time of day the streets of the Old Quarter are alive with the hum of humanity and enterprise. Even before sunrise, hundreds of street vendors are loudly hawking some of the best bread you will taste outside of France – crusty Baguettes, buttery croissants and the delectable chocolate pastries known as Pain Au Chocolat. Street stalls sell fresh seafood and vegetables. Women in classic Vietnamese triangular hats carry baskets of Pineapple, Starfruit and Dorian balanced on either side of a pole carried on their shoulder. And caffeine addicts can relax too – Hanoi’s coffee culture is the best in Asia.

Dozens of attractions are within a 15 minute motorbike or taxi ride of Hanoi’s Old Quarter – from sites of great historical importance such as the Temple of Literature (built in 1070 to pay homage to Confucius), to those of dubious reputation, like the prison complex known by American fly-boys as the Hanoi Hilton (now a cynical propaganda machine showing how “humanely” prisoners were treated). But one attraction that shouldn’t be missed is a 30-year-dead corpse. To be more specific; the preserved body of Vietnam’s much-loved communist leader Ho Chi Minh. However, between Uncle Ho's yearly visits to Russia for "maintenance" on his embalmed remains and the erratic opening hours of his mausoleum, you’ll be fortunate to see him. But, if you are lucky enough to visit the mausoleum, just be very careful to make no sudden movements as you are shuffled past his glass-encased body. The extremely serious soldiers guarding Uncle Ho have notoriously itchy trigger fingers and any attempt to touch the casket could result in your untimely demise.

It's remarkable that Hanoi, which suffered so terribly under the ruthless American “Rolling Thunder” bombing campaign only thirty-odd years ago, now shows not so much as a scar from the war. But this is certainly not a city that has forgotten the American aggression. Everywhere throughout Hanoi are proud reminders of Vietnamese military strength and trophies of their victory over Uncle Sam's vastly superior war machine. One such place is known as the B-52 Museum, but it's more of a graveyard. Here the shattered carcasses of several gigantic B-52 bombers shot down over Hanoi, can be seen alongside the Vietnamese missile and anti-aircraft batteries responsible for clipping their wings. Even more stirring are the utopian communist murals showing righteous Vietnamese workers and families fearlessly standing up to the invader.

But today there is little sign of bitterness towards the western world which attempted to control Vietnam. On the contrary; thousands of young Vietnamese are clambering to learn English, the language they see as synonymous with tourism and the financial windfall it brings. Linger anywhere around Hanoi for more than a few minutes and you’ll more than likely be approached by a group of nervous teenagers who gently corner you and proceed to practice their English skills. Their enthusiasm for learning is admirable, and another example of the rapidly changing face of Vietnam and her people.

An easy daytrip from Hanoi is the mystical and tranquil Chua Huong complex, known as the Perfume Pagoda to tourists. It was difficult not to feel guilty as we were rowed 5km upriver by a woman old enough to be our grandmother. Especially when there were four tourists in the small metal boat, and we knew she probably made US$4 for her efforts. But these tiny, sinewy old ladies have been transporting overweight westerners up the Perfume River for years and seem to enjoy it – even sharing sly, cackling jokes in Vietnamese with their equally mature friends in neighbouring rowboats.

It is an enchanting, if cramped, 1.5 hour trip upriver, passing enormous clumps of water lilies and small Buddhist shrines half concealed in thick reeds on the river bank. Then, looming eerily out of the fog, huge limestone mountains appeared magically either side of the river. After disembarking at a makeshift wharf, we began a two hour climb up an ancient pathway of stones worn smooth by the feet of a million Vietnamese pilgrims. The payoff for our uphill slog in the tropical heat was a Buddhist shrine set deep in the bowels of a jungle cave. According to Vietnamese stories, this site was first discovered some 2000 years ago by a monk searching for a suitably beautiful place in which to meditate and achieve enlightenment. But it wasn’t until the 16th century that the first shrine was built here. Today it is a major pilgrimage site, particularly in the second lunar month of the Vietnamese calendar (March-April) when thousands journey down the Perfume River carrying brightly coloured parasols.

We felt slightly less guilty being taken home by our septuagenarian rower. Not only was the return journey downstream, but we had also realised that her $US4 fee isn’t a bad wage when you consider that the average annual income for most Vietnamese is a mere US$200. But, it was easy to put our minds at rest in such a peaceful setting, with just the rhythmic dipping and swooshing of oars cutting though the calm water of the Perfume River. One thing was for sure: we couldn’t have been further away from the deafening din and lunacy of departure from Halong Bay a few weeks earlier…

 

 

All words and images copyright Jorin Sievers
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