Do not go to Vietnam without allowing a few days to take an overnight trip on Halong Bay. This place is not only mysterious but breathtaking.  This is a scenic part of the Gulf of Tonkin and though touristy, a culturally unique destination. 

EXPERIENCE

Many companies offer similar experiences to explore Halong Bay. We wanted to sleep aboard a junk since we had heard this is the best way to see the most of the bay. We ended up going with Bhaya Cruises. We were very happy with our choice.

The trip started with a four and half hour bus ride from Hanoi, which was long to say the least. It allowed us to see the countryside, we were shocked by the impacts of the industrialization and pollution outside the city. We boarded our boat and spent two nights at sea. The trip offered night fishing, kayaking, swimming, tai chi, and cooking lessons among other activities.  During the tour of the bay, there are stops at floating villages and pearl farms. 

Other highlights included a day trip stop at Cat Ba Island National Park. This island is home to native residents who live and farm among the jungle. This was a highlight of our trip for sure. Another worthwhile stop was Sung Sôt or Surprise Grotto is on Bo Hòn Island. This is a massive cave amidst the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is reachable by the boat docking. 

STAY

While in Halong we slept aboard the ship we were on. Our accommodations were extremely comfortable with our own beds and private bath. We were surprised with how spacious the room actually was, and we had a constant beautiful view out our cabin window. 

EAT

Unfortunately many of us got sick during this portion of the trip. We cannot be sure if the first night’s “Sumptuous Seafood Buffet” was the culprit or not. Despite awful food poisoning we enjoyed lots of fresh fruits and local catches while aboard. Note that the water in the bay looks clean in some places, and is clearly polluted by high shipping traffic in other areas—we took our chances, but perhaps would have been wise to do a little research on water quality before eating directly from the nets.