The bay is calm and majestic in its sprawl, and best of all, it is not swarming with tourists and boats. At first, the skips are a welcome sight for its novelty and supplies - they brought us fresh catches of fish and crustaceans that we bought for our meal. A small basket of large prawns could be had for a dollar, and bargaining is naturally acceptable. What annoyed us were the ones that came later with pathetic looking kids in tow trying to sell us live coral, the consequences of which obviously threaten the bay's ecosystem. The area around Halong Bay is already anticipating the huge potential for tourism.
New hotels are under construction, and the shoreline is being developed as parks and rest areas.
It would seem like only a matter of time before the tidal flats, now home to shrimp baskets, are filled in with artificial white sand and the constant hum of speed boats drown out the silence. A government official later told me that preservation of Halong Bay, which is listed by the World Heritage Foundation, is a priority, but failed to answer my question about how to handle coral poachers. As a tourist, you can't escape the annoying streetkids pushing their cheap copies of so-called souvenirs. Kicking them in the butt is probably not a good idea. If you look even vaguely interested for a fraction of a second, they will remain persistent.