Our last morning aboard the Hong Phong 18 began with an early start, as I stepped out onto the deck to catch the sunrise over Ha Long Bay. The sun slowly appeared above the distant limestone islands, casting a golden reflection across the calm waters. It was a peaceful start to the day, and a wonderful opportunity to capture a few more photographs of this remarkable place.

While I was enjoying the view, a Tai Chi lesson was taking place on the deck, with a group of fellow passengers going through their morning exercises. Plus, there was no shortage of other photographers busy capturing the scene. I was rather concerned about my new Manfrotto travel tripod, which was having its first outing. It seemed quite firm, and I was keen to see how it would cope with the gentle movement of the boat!

After breakfast, we prepared for the morning’s excursion. Our first stop was Ti Top Island, one of the best-known spots in Ha Long Bay. The island has a small beach at its foot, while a steep flight of steps leads up through the trees to a viewpoint at the summit. For those feeling energetic, there was a climb ahead, while others could enjoy the beach and the surrounding scenery.

The cruise boat’s tenders brought us round to the stern, where we embarked for the short trip to Ti Top Island and Soi Sim Beach. The climbers headed off up the many steps, while the kayakers sorted themselves out. The rest of us made for Soi Sim Beach, a compact beach area which was netted off as there were jellyfish about.

The water of the South China Sea was relatively warm, but the sand made visibility rather poor, perhaps only one to three metres. That said, I did manage to see a few small fish. I had a good swim about before it was time to get dry and make our way back to the Hong Phong 18’s tenders.

Back on board, we settled down for the return cruise towards the tourist jetty. There were still a few activities to enjoy before leaving the bay, including a demonstration of traditional Vietnamese tea making.

The demonstration was an interesting little insight into Vietnamese tea culture. After that, we continued our cruise back towards the jetty, with the crew preparing for our return to the mainland.

As we approached the tourist jetty, the bay was becoming busy with cruise boats returning from their morning excursions. It was time to say goodbye to the Hong Phong 18 and its crew, who had looked after us so well during our overnight stay.

The bus journey back to Hanoi was fairly uneventful, passing through sleepy villages and rural farming areas. Along the way, we stopped at another R&R centre, similar to the one we had visited on the outward journey.

This stop offered a glimpse of some traditional Vietnamese craftsmanship, with small workshops where local people were busy hand-painting pictures and producing jewellery and ornaments incorporating semi-precious stones.

On arriving back at the Maison D’Hanoi, we were met by our Rubicon Tours representative, who confirmed arrangements for our final evening. We had dinner booked for 7 pm at a nearby restaurant, giving us just enough time to freshen up and have a short rest.

We were joined by two other Rubicon guests for dinner. They were a fairly quiet pair, but the meal was very enjoyable, with some excellent examples of traditional Northern Vietnamese cooking.

After dinner, we took a stroll along Ma May Street and stopped at a small bar for a couple of beers. It was pleasant to sit back, watch the passing crowds and soak up a little more of Hanoi’s evening atmosphere.

Then it was back to our room for a good night’s rest, bringing the evening in Vietnam to an end.