Visit Halong Bay

Hello Sumitha,

In order to give much more light to your post, i have created a new topic with it on the Hanoi forum.

Thanks

Priscilla 

Thanks, Priscilla !

Priscilla wrote:

In order to give much more light to your post, i have created a new topic with it on the Hanoi forum.

Ha Long Bay is next to Hai Phong - a new forum!

Any update on what you saw or did?  I was also in Hanoi and Halong Bay in December but I didn't see this then, and the timing probably wouldn't have worked out to give advice.

We went for a day-trip, which is a bit rough since it's about a 3 hour van trip there from Hanoi, and 6 hours of travel in a day.  An afternoon on the Bay in a boat is enough to get a general feel for it but of course I later considered more time would've been nice given how amazing it is there.

Another tourist told us an interesting story about staying overnight on a longer boat cruise tour, but that the tour operator took them to shore and put them up in a hotel because of alleged problems with the boat.  They later discovered that only passengers that weren't drinking alcohol, and not spending extra money on the tour, were removed in that way, and that others had stayed on.

My experiences with tour operators and activities were generally positive but we did have a few exceptions.  On one van ride the bus was completely packed, fold-out seats allowing for around 20 people to fit in a van, and on one guided temple tour even more people were assigned to one tour guide.  I'm not sure how someone could evaluate a trip provider before the actual experience though.

I know it's an old topic but want to give my opinion here just in case:
Tour packages to Ha Long Bay are available in single day trip, or longer (overnight, two nights, etc.)

While an afternoon is enough for touring the bay, the long drive can be tough (3-4 hours drive depending on traffic). You have to leave early, arrive around noon, get on the boat, have lunch, do activities, and then hustle back to the bus for another 4 hour ride. Not very comfortable for seniors or families with kids.

So there are two options:
- Opt for a two day trip or longer with the same tour operator
- Get to/from Halong on your own and catch the tour at the dock. This is what we did because we happened to be in Halong already with our family. We contacted the tour, and meet up with the rest of the group at the dock. While everyone cramped up in the bus, bracing for another rough drive after a long day, we just went back to our hotel and take some rest.

I agree that you need to do your research to find a good tour op. It's not just about the van ride, but also about your safety on the boat trip. There are tour ops who save cost by sending you on old/cheap boats without proper life vests or emergency equipment. We found ours through tripadvisors.

su1901 wrote:

Hi all,

We are coming for a family trip in December to Hanoi. We would also like to visit Halong Bay. Look forward to any advice or suggestions on that we must not miss in Hanoi/Halong Bay.

Best Regards,
Sumitha

I think this site is helpful to you.
[link moderated]

A cruise in Halong Bay is not easy to organize. There are endless options, junks go from amazing to garbage, and scas abound. To start with, I would say that is it the only site in Vietnam that I know (and I know the country upside down since I crisscross it constantly since 2006) where it is far better to bok a cruise through a SERIOUS agency, to avoid things : the complication of going from hanoi to the bay, and te scams on the spot if you go by yourself.

Then you have to make a major decision according to your budget ; private junk or collective one. The first choice has only advantages : you the junk is yours ; smaller than collective ones, they sail on channels inaccessible to larger boats (so, you can end up on a small isolated beach instead of the large one full of tourists) ; better food and service. Private junks are not that numerous and are more and more in demand, so advanced reservation is a must. Among the best : the deluxe junks of Indochina Junk and Parfum d'Automne, the 2-cabins Oriental Sun of Oriental Bridge Travel, and the junks of Eco-Friendly. Of course, it has its price !

If your budget does not allow that luxury, there are serious junk operators. Beware of cheap prices  there is no secret ; cheap = bad quality !

DO NOT go to Halong for a day ; it takes 6 hours round-trip between Hanoi and Halong + one hour to board the junk, so, in one day, you spend more time on the road than sailing and the junks do not go very far. Do not forget there are in fact 3 bays : the small Lan ha Bay southeast of Cat ba islanfd, the Halong Bay proper north of Lan ha, and Bai tu Long bay north of Halong.

Attention : Lan Ha Bay being small, only private junks and one-day cruises sail from Cat Ba (accessible by bus Hanoi-Haiphong + speed boat Haiphong-Cat Ba City). For cruises of 2 days and more on collective junks, the departure point is Halong city.