Today, Ha Long Bay is made up of about 1600 islands of various sizes sprinkled over an area of 1500 sq km. This densely concentrated zone of rocky islands, world famous for its spectacular scenery of grottoes and caves, now form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a geographic work of art where visitors feel lost in a legendary and, at times, eerie world of limestone islands.

Boarding a traditional junk boat from the mainland initially felt like an excursion about to descend on a tourist hotspot.  But once we set sail, the intimacy of a small group of people with the similar goal of kayaking the more remote grottoes and caves took over and the atmosphere changed. My expectation of sunny days on the boat deck drinking cocktails faded as a late winter fog set in. But my disappointment was short-lived as the islands kept appearing and disappearing through the mist to create a dramatic scene that sent me back in time.

After a couple of hours sailing and indulging in a lazy seafood feast, our first stop was Hang Sung Sot Cave on Bo Hon Island. Whilst heavily developed for tourism with granite pavements and coloured lighting throughout, it was still definitely worth a visit. The natural elements are now well-preserved – despite the actions of petty thieves who left their mark – and the immense size and grandeur of the cave is spectacularly on display. The cave’s neighbouring floating fishermen attempted to distract us as they furiously rowed their boats out to our junk to capture opportunities to sell their wares, ranging from shells to chips and beer. The experience of bartering with a tiny rowboat over the edge, or out of our bedroom windows, of the ‘mother ship’ was surreal. A customer service experience not to be missed!

The next day was spent kayaking around the remote Van Chai Floating Village and into Dark Cave, a 200 m long dark tunnel penetrating a limestone mountain jutting out of an emerald sea. It was amazing to see how these floating villagers live, with more than 300 years of history remaining intact. Because the majority of Ha Long Bay islands are sheer to the water’s edge, without beaches, these people live most of their lives without touching land. Whilst the Van Chai Floating Village has a small nearby beach, the sands have been devoted to a shrine and its use is permitted only as a place of worship. The challenge of life on the water, wobbling over makeshift ramps between boats and pontoons, obtaining food and fresh water, raising children, and the challenge of healthcare, is a testament to how tough these people really are. But most are in it together and families generally stick together, and own boats and fishing gear to form their own floating community. Then there are others, somewhat outcasts, who live solo without a sense of community to assist with gathering life’s necessities. Whilst the hustle and bustle of the mainland is geographically within their reach, for most of these people, the financial and emotional comfort of mooring their boat and setting foot on land is limited.

Beyond the floating village was what appeared to be a sheer cliff hundreds of metres high. As we kayaked closer, a 1–2 m horizontal slice out of the mountain revealed a tunnel. Floating through complete darkness with the sound of water lapping over rocks, and the reality that, in less than a couple of hours, the high tide would fill this small opening was a contrast between peace and an adrenaline rush. The tunnelis the only entry to a hidden paradise – a secluded lagoon. To my delight, another shorter tunnel led to a mystical inland lake. Sitting aboard my kayak, floating quietly in the middle of this mountain’s crystal clear lagoon, I felt an intense sense of being at peace and in tune with nature. Then, out in the middle of nowhere, in a mountain accessible only by kayaking through a pitch black cave where all I could hear was the trickling of water falling off the paddle or the chatter of a distant monkey … I hear Michael Jackson singing ‘You Are Not Alone’. In total contrast to all that surrounds me, the kayaking guide has decided that this song, being played on his phone at this moment, is a perfect fit to this location. Only in Vietnam!