Halong Bay appears in every Vietnamese travel itinerary for good reason – approximately 1,600 limestone karsts and islands scattered through emerald waters create one of Earth's most dramatic seascapes. I boarded an overnight boat and watched the karsts drift past like floating mountains frozen mid-escape.

Kayaking through hidden lagoons accessible only through narrow cave openings felt like discovering a secret world. Inside these limestone enclosures, the water was mirror-still, reflecting the karst walls above in perfect symmetry. I paddled in silence, not wanting to break the spell of the place.

The fishing villages floating on these waters housed families who had lived aboard their boats for generations. Their children rowed smaller craft between junks, waving at tourists who seemed to them like creatures from another planet. Watching them dive for coins tourists threw into the water, I considered how different human life could be.

Sunrise on the bay revealed mist swirling between the karsts, fishing boats emerging like ghosts from the morning fog. By afternoon, I was swimming in water so clear I could see the bottom at 10 meters, and by evening, the boat captain had prepared fresh squid and washed it down with cheap beer. Nature doesn't get more inspiring than this.

– Carmel