Sung Sot Cave, Thien Cung & Dau Go Cave, Thang Long Water Puppet Show and Buffet Sen Tay Ho
Day 2 of 2 onboard Paradise Elegance Cruise (AM) and return to Hanoi (PM)
I got up early today and made my way to the sundeck of the ship. I saw many middle-aged women doing Tai Chi. After enjoying the sea breeze for a while, I went down to the dining area to have some freshly baked pastries & coffee. Then quickly back up again to watch the sunrise.
Our main activity today was to visit Sung Sot Cave, one of the largest and most beautiful caves in Halong Bay. Of the 1900 caves in Halong Bay, this one is the biggest. Exploring this cave is easy because stairs have been cut out to allow an easy path through the cave. A lot of visitors will be gathered at the entrance. Here is where I can share a travel tip. There are going to be many guided tours happening at the same time. If you find one where the guide speaks a language you understand, stealthily join the group. This way you do not have to pay extra but still get to hear a knowledgeable guide explain to you the history behind the attraction. The larger the group, the harder for the guide to keep track. In the worst case, you are just standing beside the group visiting the same cave. Nothing wrong with that right? :)
caption: Sung Sot cave’s ancient stalactites and stalagmites are impressive.
As I exited the cave, I was rewarded with a stunning panoramic view of the bay.
After this short excursion, I was back on the ship having my buffet breakfast. I was not feeling hungry, so just took a little bit of everything. Overall, the food on this cruise was pretty good.
As my parents went to settle the bills, the ship passed by Thien Cung and Dau Go Cave and the Fighting Cock Islet. Many ships were docked nearby too. Halong Bay has so many different caves to explore, that its worth returning multiple trips. When we reached Tuan Chau Marina, our driver was already standing by to bring us back to the Hanoi Rex Hotel. With that, our 2D1N Paradise Elegance cruise comes to an end.
In the evening, our travel guide trainee, Mr Quan brought us to the world-famous Thang Long Water Puppet Show. I did not understand the story being narrated as it was all in Vietnamese. However, the music, lights, and puppets were enough to give me an idea. It was only after the show was over did my family realised that there were translation devices (for a small fee) if you want to hear the content translated into our native language.
Immediately after this water puppet show, our guide and driver brought us to an unforgettable meal at Buffet Sen Tay Ho. This restaurant looks like a hotel but is a huge restaurant offering 3 different types of buffet themes! Amazing spread of seafood all for just SGD25 per head. A buffet of similar quality would be well over SGD100 in Singapore. Check out https://nhahangsen.vn/buffet-qt/
After dinner, since it was the final night in Hanoi, my parents agreed it was ok to stay up late and explore the numerous shops that line up Hoan Kiem Lake. Since this was a Friday, it meant that the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake were cordoned off for their weekly night market. This transformed the whole area into one giant activity zone. We saw groups of people dancing, some basking, others offering caricature drawings, Vendors selling ice cream, people walking their dogs (& cat on a leash, I kid you not!), dogs riding on front baskets of bicycles, locals skipping rope, dancing, an art exhibition and much more!
With the street blockade, there were no cars allowed on these normal busy roads, it felt safe and spacious to be walking around checking out all these activities. I even got to try the popular Kem Trang Tien ice cream. Everyone was so cheerful walking around making it a fantastic atmosphere.
After completing one full circle around Hoan Kiem Lake, we were back at the traffic junction. From there it's only 10 minutes walk back to Rex Hotel. How convenient it is to stay near here to experience the weekend market! Highly recommended. Of course, on the way back, we stopped by a cafe to end the night with a final late-night coffee at one of the nearby cafes. I have grown to like Vietnamese coffee, which is in no way inferior to any Starbucks coffee.
Chia Howie
15 December 2023
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