Halong Bay, Vietnam

Monday, February 10

 In case you missed my professed love affair with Vietnam, 
you can see our pictures from Hoi An {here} and {here}
(as a side-note, last week's Bachelor episode with Juan Pablo was filmed in Hoi An!) 

Halong Bay was an absolute mystery and an absolute delight. 
It is one of the natural wonders of the world, and it's not hard to see why. 

Kevin and I booked at 3 day, 2 night cruise on a junk boat in Halong Bay. 
oh.my.gee. 
It was breathtaking, almost unbelievable that anywhere could be so utterly beautiful. 

The first day we arrived, we cruised out into the bay and went kayaking. 
It was so much fun to meet the other guests on the boat, as it is such an international mix! 
We made friends from Australia, France, South Africa, Ireland, Israel, England, Korea and Portugal. 
The food was fabulous, and they even catered to me being gluten/dairy free! I was impressed:) 
Everything is so fresh and delicious. 

The second day was one for the record books, as it was probably one of the best days of my life. 
A second boat came and picked up a few of us (the 3 day people!)
and headed another 2 hours into the bay where there were literally no boats in sight! 
The boat anchored, and we had hours to swim, kayak, lay out on the deck, 
read and eat more delicious and fresh food! 
Friends, it was heaven. 
We swam in the clear waters, kayaked to private beaches,
 and literally laughed and pinched ourselves at what we were experiencing. 
We did not take it for granted! 
We also had the most glorious sun, which can be a rare treat in Halong Bay. 

Do not go to Vietnam without going to Halong Bay! 

A few tips if you are going: 
- book your boat in Hanoi, as the prices are cheaper! 
- We'd completely recommend doing a 3-day cruise if you can! The 2nd (all day) part was our favorite! 
- We chose the Halong Dragon Cruise (which was a bit on the middle/lower end, at $175pp). If you are looking for a really great one, our friends recommended the Margueritte Junk Boat, which was a little pricier at around $240pp or so! 
- Bring a waterproof bag to put your camera in when you go kayaking, and for general weather on the boat! 
- Definitely bring your swimsuit!!! 

Enjoy the pictures…sorry there are so many, hehe!! 

Happy Monday,
love Katie 


 {our dear friends we met….from France, and Australia!} 
 {the floating village in Halong Bay}

 {the pearl farm below…fascinating!} 





27 comments :

  1. wow this is absolutely stunning. We're going to Indonesia this year and are thinking about flying back from Vietnam. Your pictures are absolutely beautiful.

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  2. beautiful! what a blessing that you are able to travel with your love! thank you for sharing with us! :)
    :) hugs!

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  3. oh man, this is the ONE place in asia that i really wanted to go but we never had the chance to. it's so beautiful!

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  4. STUNNING - simply stunning!
    i definitely want to visit this place one day!
    (and katie, seriously, you are one of the best photographers i follow!)

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  5. Gorgeous! I didn't get a chance to stay overnight, but I wish I did. How wonderful it must have been to see the sunrise!
    http://liveitinerantly.com/

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  6. Beautiful!! Glad you had such an awesome adventure!!

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  7. soo beautiful! glad you had such a great time!! :)

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  8. Vietnam has been on my "to visit" list for a while, but I think it just moved up a couple notches! These photos are gorgeous!

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  9. Wow, these photos are beautiful! I'm officially adding Vietnam to my list of places to travel. I'm bookmarking this post so I can remember to look back at your helpful hints. :)

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  10. BEAUTIFUL. I'm jealous of your traveling life style!

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  11. So beautiful!! Ha Long Bay is at the tippy top of my travel bucket list!

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  12. I can´t get enough of these photos!!! Amazing!

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  13. Oh my goodness Katie!! So breathtaking!!!! (And I'm not ignoring your email, I think we will be booking our flights to LA this week!)

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  14. So gorgeous. And your tanned skin and summery dress just makes me miss summer SO MUCH! haha!

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  15. This looks like such an amazing trip! Beautiful photos. Vietnam is definitely on my list of places I want to travel to- thanks for sharing your tips!

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  16. Beautiful pictures, beautiful place and beautiful couple! Really want to go to Vietnam.

    www.steffystravelblog.blogspot.com

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  17. Such a fun trip!

    PS - I love that you share a ton of pictures =) That is one of my favorite things about your blog.

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  18. I know you're pursuing portrait photography clients, but have you considered exploring the business of travel photography? I realize not every love or skill need be turned into employment, but you seem ripe with the talent, passion, and opportunity for it. Gorgeous photographs, Katie.

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I LOVE hearing from you friend:) Your comment will make my day!