Paddling the Tonkin Gulf, Vietnam
 

I'm looking for information on the Tonkin Gulf, Vietnam. If anyone has any
experience paddling this area, or indirect information, I would certainly
appreciate it if you could share it with me.



From what I've seen on the web, it looks to me like the best weather would
be mid October - early November; after the rainy season, before it turns
cool and after the Typhoon season. I know that there was a significant
pirate problem during the boatpeople exodus in the late 1970's and early
1980's, but my impression is that this is no longer a problem and that now
the Ha Long Bay area is a popular tourist area. If I am mistaken on either
of these points, I would certainly appreciate a "heads-up".