Hanoi, ahoy

The Sung Sot Caves is a huge natural cavern complex with stalagmites and stalactites, high up on a hill. [Photo by Bidisha Bagchi/For China Daily]

The green water shimmered in the bright sun and reflected the rocks. It was a scene straight out of a postcard.

We could have stayed on the upper deck for hours. But it was time for lunch. Still, the dining hall had large windows, and the limestone pillars were clearly visible as our ship sailed by.

What we experienced in the name of lunch for the next hour was just a grand feast - every kind of Vietnamese delicacy, deliciously cooked and artistically presented. There were soups, salads, shrimp, fish, chicken and rolls - you name it.

Our guide had told us this cruise wouldn't be laid-back. There were lots of activities, and we probably wouldn't have much time to relax.

The ship first anchored near the Sung Sot Caves - a huge natural cavern complex with stalagmites and stalactites, high up on a hill.

The view of the bay from the top is magnificent as huge rocks dot the bay.

Our next destination was Soi Sim Island, which had a white-sand beach.

By the time we returned to our rooms, it was evening and time for the cruise liner's "sunset happy hour".