Ha Long Bay

Entering ha long bay

I knew that photographing the bay (without a drone) was going to be a challenge and felt I needed a way to show more than just a couple outcroppings that a single photo could capture. The syrp timelapse genie was the perfect answer: a rotating timelapse showing our boat weaving through the bay, past all of the limestone rock islands. 

our boat: the treasure Junk

We booked this through a tour company our hotel recommended (a company named Handspan, if you’re curious) and given the wide price range of options, we expected very little. The the boat, the tour guides, and the food all exceeded our expectations. They even had a strange, masked welcome party beating drums for us when we stepped on board. The boat also had kayaks which we took out to explore the bay and find a quiet beach to relax. 

Cruising through ha long bay

Ha long fishing village tour

This side trip was included in our Ha Long boat cruise and although it was a bit touristy, it was still an interesting peek into the life of people who call Ha Long Bay home. 

visiting a pearl farm

After rowing past the village, we continued out to a limestone archway leading to more open ocean. We only went under it for a moment before getting a feel of the larger waves, and then heading back to the shelter of the village’s bay. Our boat tour concluded with a stop at a small pearl farm where locals seeded oysters with fake pearls to expedite the process of growing larger jewelry-worthy pearls. 

Early morning in the bay

This was the idyllic view we enjoyed with our morning’s coffee. 

cruising

The best part of Ha Long Bay is just cruising around amongst the limestone outcroppings. 

The cruise home

Two days wasn’t long in Ha Long, but it was just enough for us. This was the final timelapse I took as we cruised back to harbor. 

The storm awaits

A storm met us at the harbor and put us 30 minutes behind schedule, but the cool rains were a welcome reprieve from the heat.