Garbage Clean-up in Halong Bay, Vietnam

It's low season in Vietnam, and our partners in Hanoi are all out of the office on a mission to Clean up Halong Bay. The cleanup is scheduled for 3 days, and everyone is picking up garbage off of the pristine islands. Halong Bay has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and includes some 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because of there precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence.

I was with a group in April and was dismayed to see the littered state of these spectacular islands. We landed our kayaks on a tiny island, really just a patch of whitesand that would be carried away in the high tide and it was laden with garbage. We found shoes, light-bulbs, water bottles, coke cans, clothing, bags, you name it, we found it. Our whole group started picking it up and in just a few minutes filled 4 garbage bags. I arranged for a boat and captain to pick it up and take it to the dump. This cleanup is essential to the environment but also to educate the local people to take care of this area that will be a sustainable source of income for them if it's protected.

This "Clean up Halong Bay" is also happening in July and August from the 15 to 17th and is open to anyone who wants to help us on a very worthy cause. If you wish to join us please contact us at info@bikehike.com. It's a different way of exploring Halong Bay and helping to keep the bay clean for the future.

In the spirit of the environment and sustainability,
Trish Sare