Dive Into An Abyss Of The Unique Beauty Of Ha Long Bay

All I have known since I could walk was swimming. It has been my life, my passion, and my career. But since last year, after I met with an accident while returning from a party, things have taken a drastic change for me. Doctors had declared swimming was not an option for me. I had major hip surgery. I knew my body was not fit, but my heart and mind could not give up. I tried my best, gone for physiotherapy, exercise, yoga. I also took sessions with the counselor, basically tried everything that I knew. Both my parents were heartbroken seeing me in that terrible condition. I didn't lose hope, somehow gathered my courage, and stood back on my feet. I am not as good as I was before yet, though I am still working on it; I am glad that I took this tour to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam.

My parents, seeing my desperation, took me to Vietnam for a break from the hectic schedule between college to gym, therapy, and physiotherapy. Also, a friend of dad's had told him that Buddhist physiotherapy in Vietnam was really effective. So they planned it as a surprise for me and made all the arrangements.

It was a very long and tiring journey from Melbourne. It took us about 12-13 hours in total to reach our destination Ha Long Bay. A flight journey of roughly about 9 hours to Hanoi city than a car drive of about 3-3.5 hours. Though it was a long journey, the travel was worth the destination. Three of us were really tired of the trip but couldn't just sit at a place out of excitement. The landscape, the beauty of the clear turquoise water was just so overwhelming. My dad had already made reservations for us at the hotel for two weeks. So we headed straight to our hotel with two-three quick stops on the way from the airport.

After reaching the hotel. I straight away rushed to the beach to have a look. My mom followed me while dad completed all the check-in formalities. After chilling for some time at the beach, we headed back and got fresh and ready for dinner. I was starving. I am vegan due to my diet chart, but my parents are non-vegetarian. And after hearing so much about Ha Long Bay's seafood, even I slipped my diet and tried some seafood. I was having seafood for the first time in my life and was really nervous, but it turned out to be a great experience. I tried squid and prawns; the squid was ok, but the prawn was delicious. The names of the dishes are very fancy, and they look fancy too. Some of the dishes that I tried during my stay over the days were- 

• Cha Muk (Grilled Chopped Squid).
• Drunken Prawn and Lobster.
• Oyster.
• Sam (Horseshoe Crab).

We also took some time and visited some sightseeing places over the days after my physiotherapy sessions. It is a beautiful place to stay or go on vacation. I would love to visit here again sometime with my girlfriend or wife. A very calm, quiet, and romantic destination. Some of the places that I can remember the names of are- 

• Tuan Chau Island.
• Vung Vieng Floating Village.
• Driftwood Island Caves and caves of Ha Long Island.
• Quang Ninh Museum.
• Cai Bau Pagoda.

We also cruised around Ha Long Bay and to Cat Ba Island. After one week of physiotherapy, I was allowed to go to the waters with an instructor. It was such an overwhelming experience. After 12 days, I also went kayaking and snorkeling with my dad. They were there to support me throughout. I glad that we took this trip to Ha Long Bay, not just a great trip but also very helpful and relaxing. I have thought this in my head to come back and dive into the deep bay and explore the underwaters, too, once I get better. Moreover, I forgot to mention about my travel carrier, American Airlines Reservations. They genuinely helped me with all the seat selection with extra legroom to support for kiosk check-in. I am truly obliged to get a chance to travel with American.