Vietnam's less touristy alternative to Ha Long Bay

The sun was beginning to set over the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam, painting the skies in a soft palette of pinks and purples. The afternoon had been grey and cloudy, but even that could not take away from the charm of what Unesco describes in its world heritage listing as “a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars”.

I was on a cruise on Bai Tu Long Bay, a calmer neighbour of the very popular Ha Long Bay. And this was everything I had imagined from an evening in one of the country’s top tourist destinations, but without the dozens of cruise ships marring the serene vista that stretched on endlessly.

A three-hour drive away from the capital city of Hanoi, Ha Long Bay is made up of more than 1,600 islands and inlets, and magnificent limestone karsts that emerge from the water. With several exploration options available – including overnight and multi-day cruises, and day trips from Hanoi – it is no surprise the area is now teetering on the cusp of an environmental crisis, particularly with plastic pollution that has become a threat to local marine life.

The Dragon Legend cruise ship from the Indochina Junk company is one of the few authorised to ply in Bai Tu Long Bay. Photo: Charukesi Ramadurai for The National

Realising that the Ha Long Bay travel experience has become suboptimal – but also loathe to miss it – I had decided on an overnight Bai Tu Long Bay cruise instead. This natural extension of Ha Long Bay is still under the tourist radar, and is every bit as spectacular, while managing to stay pristine. And the cruising is quiet and peaceful, because only a handful of socially responsible cruise companies have permits to operate here.

On my cruise with Indochina Junk on the luxurious Dragon Legend, I saw no other ship on those waters. It was a far cry from overexposed Ha Long Bay, where the boats seem to compete with the rocks for space. I had chosen this company specifically for their stated commitment to sustainable tourism in what they envision as a “greener Ha Long Bay”.

After a quick transfer on a small boat from the cruise port terminal at Ha Long town, I settled into the armchair by the window of my cabin to watch the crowded pier recede from view.

Soon we were heading north-east into calmer terrain, and an awed silence descended on the restaurant lounge at the upper level where lunch was being served. Over a multi-course meal, the captain briefed our small group about the afternoon activities, which involved a trip to a hidden cave and a secluded beach along the way. But I listened to him with only half an ear, mesmerised by the dramatic, shape-shifting monoliths surrounding us on all sides.

Vung Vieng is one of the few remaining floating fishing villages in this region. Photo: Charukesi Ramadurai for The National

As tempting as it was to plonk myself on the sun deck to watch the endless parade of limestone islands, the caves and kayaks beckoned. And so, we again clambered up the small boat towards Hon Co island to explore Thien Canh Son cave. After a short hike from the shore, we found ourselves in a multi-chambered world of stalactites and stalagmites, with our guide pointing out flower and animal shapes to the slightly breathless group. Descending from the cave, we walked towards the other side of the island, for a spot of kayaking on the placid waters.

There was a nip in the air by the time we got back to the Dragon Legend for an elaborate dinner, followed by games the staff conducted with great enthusiasm. I fell asleep to the soothing hum of the ship’s engines cutting through the inky darkness outside, and woke up to clear sunshine that made the landscape seem even more captivating.

Fortified with strong Vietnamese coffee, I ventured out once again, this time to see how locals live at Vung Vieng fishing village. From our ship, we took a small boat to a pier where we got on bamboo boats rowed by women whose petite size belied their tremendous strength. And off we drifted, past craggy islets, under stone arches and along the floating homes of this community.

Local women row us on small bamboo boats around Vung Vieng village. Photo: Charukesi Ramadurai for The National

In this small village with less than 300 inhabitants, it was delightful to see dozens of cheerful flowerpots on the front porches of the mobile dwellings. Some homes were silent, with dogs lazing under the mild morning sun, while others were wholly awake with the raucous sounds of children playing in the water. The community depends on fishing and pearl cultivation for a living, as was evident from the large nets spread carefully outside every home.

The setting was stunning, with the homes nestled in the midst of towering limestone hills, but this village at the heart of Bai Tu Long Bay represents a fast-disappearing way of life. There are only four such villages left in the Ha Long Bay region, with many forced to move inland in the past decade for economic reasons. But from my vantage point in the bamboo boat, life seemed idyllic.

Vietnamese legend has it that the mother dragon and her children descended down to earth to protect this land against invaders, and their fiery breath of jewels and gemstones turned into these gleaming, green rock formations. And while floating in the midst of these magnificent karsts formed over millions of years of geological activity, it is easy to start believing in mythical creatures and magic.

Zakat definitions

Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.

Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.

Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.

Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.

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If you go

The flights

The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings

The stay

Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.

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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.