Off to Ha Long Bay! This is a truly stunning area with mini-mountains jutting out all over the bay. You can spot some floating villages where the locals live and work – check out the photos.

If you’re going to Ha Long Bay and have a few days, it’s best to stay in Cat Ba. You can easily catch buses from Hanoi to get here for very cheap. You will get a better quality tour of the bay for a better price.

We got on a tour boat with about 30 people. It was an animated group and we met a bunch of fun drinking friends! On the trip we went out kayaking around the little islands and secluded enclaves. So cool! My buddy Jon was kayaking with the captain of our boat (and tour owner), and it turns out he paid for his boats by growing weed in England! Apparently he got a legit working visa for London, and found out that he could make more money growing/selling weed than a regular day job. He eventually got caught, went to jail for a few months, and was deported back to Vietnam. He hid his money quite well, so he kept it all and started his own tour company in Ha Long Bay. Sometimes crime does pay… not that I’m encouraging it though.

All kinds of good adventures, but our time in Vietnam is coming to an end. Now we’re off to northern Thailand, Chiang Mai.

Cheers, Shawn

Asia Trip – Early 2016