We transferred to a smaller tender with one other guest from our cruise to spend the day kayaking and exploring the Lan Ha Bay. First, we arrived at the Dark and Bright Cave (Hang Tối & Sáng). The cave is literal; the first part is dark and the second part is day-lit. Before Hạ Long Bay became a booming tourist mecca, the locals utilized the cave for weddings. The entrance area was cool and flat with high ceilings, ideal of setting up a small wedding banquet with family. The bride and groom would then retire further into the cave for their honeymoon. I was not expecting much from the "honeymoon" area because we first crawled through a small passage, but then we entered a chamber filled with sparkling stalactites and stalagmites. We went to yet another chamber of the cave, and there was an opening to look out into Hạ Long Bay and lush vegetation. It would have been a lovely shelter to spend the night.
SB found some stalactites of just the right size and depth to entertain us with a percussive concert.
Bat Cave (Hang Dơi) seems to be named as such because of the stalactites hanging from the entrance, which resemble bats. We paddled to the cave and then climbed up into the chambers. It's a deep and large cave that continues to the other side of the karst. On the other side, we could hear monkeys rustling in the bushes. We sat a while, enjoying the breeze and rusting of creatures around us.
Niece and youngest nephew climbed like monkeys.
A floating dog house and its two occupants watching us
It's a hard life
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