Adrift on Halong Bay.

Words are not sufficient. More images after the jump.

Halong Bay is dotted with thousands of limestone outcrops, which to ancient Vietnamese looked like the arched backs of dragons.

There's a bustling trade in Halong Bay touring boats (designed to look like Chinese junks). Many have living quarters on board, where you can spend the night with a loved one. The biggest island in Halong Bay, Cat Ba Island, has a hotel-resort on its beaches.

Here's what our touring boat looked like. There's a galley in the back from which dinner is served, a bathroom further back, and a deck up on top from which one can take unimpeded images of the bay.

A trip to Halong Bay isn't complete without a stopover at Thien Cung Cave, also known as "Heaven Palace". The Vietnam publicity machine has gone full crank in creating "legends" out of the limestone shapes in the cave; your guide will probably go full tilt (as ours did) about legends of a divine marriage that took place here, about the dragons in the bay, bla bla bla.

I don't mean to be cynical, but you don't need to hear these "legends" to enjoy the cave. The lights and the formations are just amazing on their own. Balancing real benefits with publicity tricks are still a work in progress as far as Vietnam tourism is concerned, if you ask me.

Here's an example: the brochures call this a "natural spring", where a goddess once bathed her children before sending them out into the world. Please, natural spring of water my ass. Fake fake fake fakey McFakerson.

Images © Mike Aquino, licensed to About.com.