Highlight from my Indonesian trip, the Semeru-Bromo-Batok volcanoes, the most unearthly place that I’ve ever been. Had to wake up early in the morning and catch a jeep ride to a mountain-top viewpoint at Mt Penanjakan for the sunrise and breathtaking scenery of the volcanoes and caldera…
Sung Sot Cave (Cave of Surprises) is the largest and arguably the most beautiful cave in Halong Bay, Vietnam. The cave is located at the Bo Hon Island and got its name (grotte des surprises) from a French admiral who was surprised at how huge and majestic the cave was when he discovered it.
The limestone cave is now heavily developed for tourism, with granite pavements and coloured-lighting beautifying the cave. The nature elements of the cave seems pretty well preserved though, hopefully the in-flock of tourists won’t cause too much harm.
Photos from my July 2008 visit, including an aerial view of the iconic Bo Hon Bay which often featured on travel magazines and postcards…
Random photos of Halong Bay, Vietnam; taken during my trip in July 2008…
The floating village is a cultural heritage and tourist attraction in Halong Bay, Vietnam. People have been living in these houses for hundred of years with fishing as the main income activity. Some photos below, taken during my trip in July 2008…
Halong Bay (Vịnh Hạ Long, lit. Bay of the Descending Dragons) is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Quang Ninh province of northern Vietnam, famous for its scenic landscape with thousands of limestone isles in various sizes and shapes.
Halong Bay has become an international travel hotspot in recent years; there must be more than 200-300 junks and cruises that depart daily from the port, with thousands of travellers visiting the destination each day.
The weather was perfect during my July 2008 visit. My guide told me that the clear blue sky are normally seen only for two-three weeks in one whole year. Sounds exaggerated, but my Hanoi friends later reaffirmed the statement… one of them had been to Halong for five times and had never seen such a clear weather. Lucky me :)
Some photos from the seaport and first glimpse of Halong Bay…
Hoan Kiem Lake (Hồ Hoàn Kiếm), or Lake of Returned/Restored Sword, is located at the historical centre of Hanoi and is a popular hangout place for locals. The lake is not so much of a tourist spot itself, but there’s plenty of other sites around the area, thus making it an important landmark of the city.
Arrived at Kuala Lumpur at around 2pm on Wednesday (July 23) after a six-day vacation in Vietnam. Took the below picture last Friday, my first day of the trip when the plane was approaching Hanoi…
The cloudy-mountainous view mesmerised me… I think I might have fallen in love with Vietnam before setting foot on the Vietnamese soil. The ‘honeymoon’ didn’t last long though, when serenity turned into chaos as I started exploring the ground.
Plenty of stories and photos to share; check out the summary here.
