Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

We went on an overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay, part of the Bay of Tonkin where the US provoked an attack by the VietcCong to justify our Americanization of the Vietnam war. This place is magical with 7000 mostly tiny islands the most prominent visual features. April is a foggy month in the Cat Ba Archipelago, which means less of the startling turquoise water and more shadowy islet photos.

UNESCO has recognized Ha Long Bay and the Cat Ba Archipelago of over 1,000 islands and islets as one of the world’s most important areas of fengcong (clusters of conical peaks) and fenglin (isolated tower features) karst. Additionally, the exceptionally beautiful landscape is also a vibrant source of food and income for the people who live there.

Is an overnight stay required? It depends—I could look at this ever changing scenery for days on end and see different things but would you get the sense of it from a 3 hour cruise? Yes, you would. Just a spectacularly gorgeous spot.