On a boat in the bay, surrounded by 1,969 monolithic limestone islands, it's hard to imagine being in a hurry to do anything but chill out and enjoy the unusual seascape. Halong Bay, hich stretches along 155 miles of Vietnam's northwest coast, is the country's shining gem, a place to escape crowded streets and lazily chug along in your boat to whatever looks appealing. And there's plenty of that. Many of the craggy islands, with hardy trees clinging precariously to cracks in the sheer rock faces, are virtually inaccessible. It's not hard to believe that some have never been climbed.
Caves riddle a few.
Chinese lighting experts illuminated some on one island to show off towering columns that reach nearly 150 feet to the cathedral-like ceiling. But it's beautiful. And you eat the best fish and shrimp every day. About 100 people live on the ramshackle floating archipelago, and they seem to want for little. The centerpiece is a green wood-planked houseboat with seven other boats lashed alongside and smaller clusters off to the side.