Cat ba. A travellers destination since the 60,s is on the cusp of becoming yet another package tourist destination. The pattern follows as such:
The lone traveller finds something amazing and tells other travellers that then turn up in droves to gain the same experience. Money floods in to the remote little town. Infrastructure is built and the first phase of development is complete. Now an infrastructure is in place less traveller and more adventurist tourist turn up. Willing to pay more than things are worth more money comes in and more infrastructure is built, day tours and excursions start and western type restaurants appear. ATM,s and money exchangers join the throng and tourist souvenir shops spring up. Phase two complete. Phase three is the mass tourism and package tour. This is the death knell of a once amazing and remote community and the end of what the first traveller found so amazing.
Cat ba is somewhere between phase two and three and I am so glad we have had the opportunity to see this incredible place before it becomes another Goa or Thailand. If your thinking of travelling do it now guys because the world is shrinking fast and soon there will be no lonely planet to explore.
We took a cruise through Ha Long bay. Listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site. It is an amazing sea scape of peculiar rock formations rising from the sea forming hundreds of small uninhabited islands. It was cloudy and cold today at a mere 20 degrees. We are now used to warmer climbs and this was a shock. All through our trip so far it has been sunny blue sky’s and 27 degrees. Today saw a change in the weather. This is not surprising as it is winter in Vietnam. The south barely notices the change from summer to winter but in the north it can get cloudy and colder.
The boat tours the many islands and lagoons stopping on monkey island as it’s first port of call. The native Vietnamese monkey population was decimated by over hunting. Very few remain and those only in remote central locations. In an effort to reintroduce them they have started a colony of imported monkeys on one of the small islands. Those that know me will remember that I can’t abide monkeys. They are nasty little shites. I always compare them to super intelligent feral dogs. I have never liked them since being chased by a troop of Langur monkeys in Nepal. Here they patrol the beach looking for vulnerable tourists. They are not friendly or cuddly in the least and will happily rip your face off at a minutes notice. We avoided them as best we could but the little furry feckers were waiting for me. One spotted me and instinctively knew that I didn’t like him. When my back was turned he crept up on me and pulled a plastic bag from my backpack. There was nothing in it and I think he was just making a point. I wasn’t sorry to leave the island and get back on the boat. Crispy and LynNZ were like hardened jungle explorers and didn’t mind the monkeys at all and made me look a bit of a softy.
The boat continued its tour of the islands and eventually moored up for lunch. For the price it was amazing. A veritable feast. All washed down with a beer. From there we sailed to another island and spent a couple of hours kayaking through some small caves and lagoons. On the boat were a group of Israelis. They were a bit of a pain and as soon as we got in the kayaks they started messing around.
Splashing, bumping into other boats and generally being stupid. LynNZ and me shared a kayak whilst Crispy hopped aboard with the boat guide. On a couple of occasions they bumped into LynNZ and me and we told them to “f&*k off” which is a universally accepted form of “ please stop that you are annoying us. They got the message. Karma kicked in and.they got their cumuppance in the lagoon when they capsized and sunk their kayak. The guides were not happy and made them help to retrieve it. The shallow water is full of razor sharp shells and both of the plonkers ended up cutting their feet. Crispy sat in the guides boat tutting and showering them with harsh words. LynNZ and myself observed from a distance. Smiling.
After the kayaking, which both girls did incredibly well, we got back onto the boat and continued the cruise along the bays and islands. It was beautiful.
Off the boat, showered and dinner. There is a bar here called “ the big man” and it serves good cheap beer and food. We ate here most nights. The live music open Mike evenings are very good but we’re taken over by Eric Vitoff, a semi professional musician from New York State who was very good but oh my how he loved himself.
There are no pics of the kayaking as we couldn’t take the eye pod lest it get wet.
The boat continued its tour of the islands and eventually moored up for lunch. For the price it was amazing. A veritable feast. All washed down with a beer. From there we sailed to another island and spent a couple of hours kayaking through some small caves and lagoons. On the boat were a group of Israelis. They were a bit of a pain and as soon as we got in the kayaks they started messing around.
Splashing, bumping into other boats and generally being stupid. LynNZ and me shared a kayak whilst Crispy hopped aboard with the boat guide. On a couple of occasions they bumped into LynNZ and me and we told them to “f&*k off” which is a universally accepted form of “ please stop that you are annoying us. They got the message. Karma kicked in and.they got their cumuppance in the lagoon when they capsized and sunk their kayak. The guides were not happy and made them help to retrieve it. The shallow water is full of razor sharp shells and both of the plonkers ended up cutting their feet. Crispy sat in the guides boat tutting and showering them with harsh words. LynNZ and myself observed from a distance. Smiling.
After the kayaking, which both girls did incredibly well, we got back onto the boat and continued the cruise along the bays and islands. It was beautiful.
Off the boat, showered and dinner. There is a bar here called “ the big man” and it serves good cheap beer and food. We ate here most nights. The live music open Mike evenings are very good but we’re taken over by Eric Vitoff, a semi professional musician from New York State who was very good but oh my how he loved himself.
There are no pics of the kayaking as we couldn’t take the eye pod lest it get wet.
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