Impression,Indochina,Sails,Hal travel,insurance Impression of Indochina Sails on Halong bay, Vietnam
Torres del Paine is among the biggest of Chiles national parks, occupying almost 600,000 acres (242,000 ha) of land in the south on the border with Argentina. It is also among the most important, receiving a significant proportion of domes Like any American, traveling occasionally is just what I love doing and I bet you share the same stuff with me. But traveling does not mean that you would be safe. Escaping from our job and other stressful activities is just something that w
Indochina Sails III A BAT let out a startled screech as we paddled our kayak into a moonlitlimestone cave in Halong Bay. I'm not sure who was more surprised meor him but it served to remind me that humans are the minority here. Batsare just one of countless wildlife species that inhabit the islands andcaves of this ancient, World Heritage-listed site, which resembles theset of the TV series The Lost World. As my kayakingpartner and I paddled back out into the open, more squeals and callsfrom neighbouring islands were heard as the nocturnal wildlife tookover the nightshift. Eventually, we saw the distant lights of the Indochina Sails, and paddled towards the 38m junk, our home during a two-day cruise. Oddly,the boat also has a library although why anyone would want to sit andread when there's the option of sunning yourself on deck, swimming inthe bay or drinking cocktails after a day kayaking, is anyone's guess. Soonafter boarding the junk at Halong City, its home base, we'd headed tothe deck to do our best impressions of cashed-up celebrities with toomuch time on their hands. As we sat back and watched theglorious colours of the bay, the chef created the first of thefive-course meals and banquets we were to be offered. Theboarding lunch alone featured crab soup with lemongrass, sauteed crab,grilled prawns, steamed fish, beef and broccoli and loads of fruit. Dinners,we found, were just as appealing. They included Vietnamese specialtieslike banana flowers served with lime juice and peanuts and cuttlefish. Thatfirst night I'd left the shutter of my windows open in the hope ofbeing awoken by a sunrise. Instead, I was awoken around midnight by aloud clap of thunder. The weather around Halong Bay can be variable. Showersare common during the summer months, but tend to last no longer than anhour or two. Given the humidity during our August visit, a short burstof rain was almost welcome. Kayaking with Indochina Sails As the brilliant light show continued, I became aware the Indochina Sails wasbarely rocking. The captain had anchored in a protected cove, but I'mguessing the bay rarely has a swell good news if you're prone toseasickness. Halong Bay has nearly 2000 islands, half ofwhich remain unnamed. Most are covered by thick jungle inhabited onlyby monkeys and birds. Others are stone pillars topped withvegetation that clings tenaciously to every crevice. Those that arevirtually hollow inside are riddled with giant caves and tunnels. Amongthe most spectacular is the aptly named Sung Sot Cave, or SurpriseGrotto. The entrance to the cave, on Bo Hon Island, can barely be seenthrough the dense foliage. An over-water walking platform hasbeen built around the island to help visitors access the entrance, andstepping inside makes you feel you are walking into the inside of amountain it's huge. Thousands of stalactites and stalagmitesline its chambers with dark reflective ponds, adding to themysteriousness of the cave. After a day exploring caves, wecruised to another island, passing rows of fishing cottages built onstilts and surrounded by water. Fishing is the lifeblood of most Vietnamese, and features prominently in all their dishes. Evenin towns away from the coast, you'll see locals chopping squid on thestreets before they start cooking it up on a portable stove. Although it's possible to fish from the Indochina Sails,we decide to leave that kind of thing to the locals. The almostdeserted island and beach ahead was far too inviting to pass up. For more information, please visit website: http://www.indochinasails.com
Impression,Indochina,Sails,Hal