Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave on Halong Bay, Vietnam

On January 27, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn VietnamLeave a comment

Of the many fascinating places that we visited during our Halong Bay tour, seeing Sung Sot or Surprise Cave was certainly unique. There are many caves throughout the region, although most of the other ones that we visited were on the water. Surprise Cave is completely different as it is more of what we would consider to be a cavern with large ceilings, stalagmites, and stalactites. It is another very popular location, so the earlier in the day that you can arrive, the better off you will be.

From our cruise ship, we took a small boat to the docks at Bo Hon Island where Sung Sot Cave is located. In order to get to the entrance of the cave, you must climb the approximately 50 stairs that rise high above the bay. The walls of the mountain is covered in plants and trees, but even so the entrance of the cave is visible from the docks below. Before you enter the mouth of the cave, you are rewarded with wonderful views of the bay below and all of the other ships that are there to visit the island.

Interesting Formations Around Every Turn

As you start to explore Surprise Cave, the first chamber that you enter is known as the “Waiting Room” with multicolored lights and a variety of stalagmites and stalactites. It is probably known as the waiting room because that is exactly what it is as different tour groups wait for their turn to enter the narrow passageway that takes you to the second chamber. The ceiling of the cave has unique, swirling patterns from the water that created the large caverns hundreds of years earlier. It is an opportunity for your tour guide to give a brief history of the cave and to get an appreciation of the beautiful rock formations.

The second chamber, called the “Serene Castle”, is even larger and more impressive. There is a path that leads you around the various different formations, many of which that have been given different names because of things that they resemble. The most popular is one that looks like a turtle, which is a revered symbol, so people leave offerings as a blessing in order to receive long life. As you finally make your way out of Sung Sot Cave’s exit, you are once again greeted with wonderful views of Halong Bay.

We visited Bo Hon Island on the final day of our Halong Bay tour and it only took us about two hours to walk through the interior of Surprise Cave. With the amazing geological features, it is certainly worth having to deal with the crowds in order to see the cave.

Walking Along the Mekong River in Vientiane, Laos

On January 22, 2020January 22, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Laos, Uncategorized4 Comments

When visiting Vientiane in Laos, one thing that should be on your itinerary is spending time along the Mekong River. There are many restaurants on the road that sits along the river as well as Chao Anouvong Park, the main park in Vientiane. There are also a few rooftop restaurants that are only a block or two away from the river that offer great views of the city as well as the river. We had been told before visiting that we should be sure to see a sunset over the Mekong River and we were definitely glad that we did. At night, the area around Chao Anouvong Park that is near the inner city turns into a night market with street food, family activities, and vendors selling locally produced items.

We decided to walk along the river to get a couple of cold drinks at a pub to escape the heat and watch the sun set. As we walked the street to get to the pub, we were distracted trying to find where it was located and we walked into a section of the sidewalk that had fresh concrete. The workers hadn’t blocked of the sidewalk and were gone for the day, so we didn’t realize that it was fresh cement. We quickly hustled off of it, but our footprints were already there, so we joke with ourselves that we have left our mark on Vientiane.

From the restaurant, we walked along the river as the sun set over the Mekong River, which was truly gorgeous. On the other side of the river is Thailand, so many people from Laos and Thailand cross back and forth every day. Afterwards, we continued to the night market as the crowds began to form as people came out to enjoy the cooler temperatures. One of the things that we noticed during our time in Vientiane was that there were a fair amount of expats in the city, which didn’t actually expect. We also enjoyed a sunset from one of the rooftop restaurants, which also provided cooler breezes as the sun slowly went down over the horizon.

Watching the Sun Head Toward the Horizon

There are many interesting things to do in Vientiane, such as visiting Buddha Park, going to the Golden Stupa, seeing Victory Gate, as well as just seeing all of the temples. In addition to those places, it is certainly worth taking some time to unwind along the Mekong River and enjoy a beautiful sunset.

Ninh Binh Province Tour in Vietnam

On January 21, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Vietnam2 Comments

Known as the “Inland Halong Bay”, visiting Ninh Binh Province makes for a perfect day trip from Hanoi, Vietnam. There are several potential locations to visit when doing a tour of Ninh Binh Province and, unless you are planning to spend more than one day, you are going to have to choose which sights you want to see. One of the tours included the Bai Dinh Pagoda, which is the largest pagoda in Vietnam, as well as the caves of Trang An where the movie Kong: Skull Island was filmed. We chose to do what seemed to be the more popular tour that included the ancient capital of Vietnam, the caves of Tam Coc, and the incredible views from the mountains above Mua Cave. It was a full day tour that include lunch with a meal that is representative of the Ninh Binh Province.

Hoa Lu – Our tour started with a visit to the temples of Hoa Lu, which is the ancient capital of Vietnam. The temple of Đinh Tiên Hoàn is dedicated to the first emperor of Vietnam, Ninh Bo Linh. Sitting next to it is the temple of Lê Đại Hành is dedicated to Lê Hoàn who is the second emperor of Vietnam.
Boats Going One After Another Through the Caves
Tam Coc Caves – A highlight of the tour is taking a row boat along Ngo Dong River and going through the three caves that make up Tam Coc. Seeing the oarsman rowing the boat with their feet is certainly very interesting. The scenery is absolutely beautiful and is definitely clear why Ninh Binh Province is compared to Halong Bay.
Amazing Views of the Ninh Binh Province
Mua Cave – The main reason for going to Mua Cave is to climb the over 540 steps to the summit of the mountain to see the incredible views of Ninh Binh Province. The observation deck provides 360 degree views of the region and also overlooks Ngo Dong River where you can see the boats touring the Tam Coc caves. It is a very steep climb, but well worth the effort as you see the mountains in one direction and the rice paddies and fields in the other.
Goat Stew
Traditional Lunch – In addition to the restaurants, you could see women on the side of the roads selling cooked goat meat as we drove throughout Ninh Binh Province. We stopped for lunch at a local restaurant after visiting Hoa Lu and before doing our tour of the Tam Coc caves. We enjoyed a goat stew as well as some typical fried spring rolls.
Beautiful Scenery

When visiting Hanoi, going to Halong Bay is certainly a must, but if you have the time, we’d highly recommend doing a day tour of Ninh Binh Province. Most of the tours include a traditional hat to help protect you from the sun, which is helpful when on the river. Our Ninh Binh Province tour was one of our favorite memories of our time in Vietnam. The tour is typically 11 to 12 hours long and the tour company will pick you up and drop you off from your hotel in Hanoi’s old quarter.