Depending on who you ask, a Ha Long Bay cruise is either a must-do or a must-miss when visiting Vietnam. Ha Long Bay, with its colorful limestone karsts jutting up out of jade green waters, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. If you hire the right company, cruising these waters is an otherworldly experience. At times, I felt like I was in a movie.
Sounds pretty incredible, right? So why is visiting this famous attraction three hours north of Hanoi so polarizing? And why did I love it so much?
Well, here is a small secret: I didn’t actually visit Ha Long Bay proper. I went to Ha Long City and boarded a ship that primarily went through Bai Tu Long Bay.
Okay. That question is answered. But what is Bai Tu Long Bay?
Bai Tu Long Bay is connected to Ha Long Bay. According to the cruise company we used, it has more limestone islands (5,000+ vs. 2,000+) but the same beautiful jade green waters. The biggest difference, though, is in the number of tourists.
Bai Tu Long Bay only permits a small number of companies to operate in their waters, which severely limits the number of tourists. This takes care of one of the #1 complaints of visiting Ha Long Bay proper: Too crowded.
Bai Tu Long Bay was not crowded at all. At times, it felt like we were the only boat on the water. One person aboard our ship said she’d been on a cruise through Ha Long Bay proper a few years prior, and it felt like following one cruise ship crowd from one experience to another. Bai Tu Long Bay was not like that all.
So what was it like?
Before I tell you what it was really like on our 3D/2N Bai Tu Long Bay cruise, let me share more about the logistics and how we chose our cruise company.
How to cruise Ha Long Bay/Bai Tu Long Bay
Ha Long Bay vs. Bai Tu Long Bay:
Everyone knows the name Ha Long Bay. It’s become very popular, and some complain it’s over-touristed. One person on our ship had been on a Ha Long Bay proper cruise and said it was true. Because of the high number of tourists, there are also boat vendors that follow cruise ships around and try to sell various items to passengers.
However, because more companies sail through Ha Long Bay, there are more options from which you can choose. A wider selection means you can be picky about what ship you choose. If you want specific amenities and activities, your chances for finding exactly what you want are high. It’s also easier to book a Ha Long Bay cruise last-minute.
Bai Tu Long Bay has far fewer tourists because only a few companies are permitted to sail through it. This restriction is meant to keep Bai Tu Long Bay from becoming over-touristed like some say Ha Long Bay has. Although I can only speak for a Bai Tu Long Bay cruise, our cruise experience felt very peaceful. At times, it felt like we were the only ship on the water. We only ran into other passengers from another ship at the fishing village and at the caves, but it never felt too crowded.
The drawback is the opposite of Ha Long Bay. Because there are far fewer companies that sail to Bai Tu Long Bay, the selection is much smaller. You may have to compromise on what you’re looking for in your cruise. For example, I wanted a room with a balcony, but the cruise ship we booked had no balcony rooms. I was very happy with what we booked in the end, but that was a compromise we made up front to get everything else we wanted in our cruise.
Number of Days Needed:
The most common Ha Long/Bai Tu Long Bay cruise appears to be two days and one night. However, there are options for anywhere from 1-5 days. Fewer than 2D/1N and more than 3D/2N does seem pretty rare, though.
The length of time you decide on depends entirely on your schedule and how far you’re staying from Ha Long City. We were staying in Hanoi before and after the cruise, which is a 3-4 hour ride from the cruise port one-way. The length of the trip made a 2D/1N cruise seem too short. Additionally, regardless of the length of your cruise, you board and disembark at noon, giving you maybe 24 hours on board the ship. These factors just did not make a 2D/1N cruise seem very relaxing, so we opted for 3D/2N. We also had two weeks to spend in Vietnam, so devoting three days to a Bai Tu Long Bay cruise seemed like a good use of our time.
Some people stay in Ha Long City or on Cat Ba Island and are content with a one- or two-day cruise, though. This option can also be better if you have less time to spend in Vietnam.
Selecting a Cruise Company:
Once you determine which Bay you want and the amount of time you want to spend on your cruise, you can start selecting a cruise company. If you are looking for companies that cruise through Ha Long Bay, the number of options can be overwhelming. As noted, Bai Tu Long Bay has fewer options, but you’ll still be deciding among a few companies and ship configurations.
Other things to consider when selecting a company are:
Room Types:
Rooms across Ha Long Bay cruise ships seem to run the gamut from simple double-occupancy rooms to full family suites. Some ships offer rooms with balconies, while others might not offer any balcony rooms or might only offer them for their premium rooms. Room type can be a good way to whittle down your options.
Ship Amenities & Inclusions:
Most ships have similar configurations and inclusions. But some offer more inclusions and have more space on board than others. Some examples of things to consider that may or may not be included:
- Transfer from/to Hanoi
- Lounge deck with sunbeds
- Large deck for tai chi
- Pool/hot tub
- In-room spa tub
- En suite balcony
- Water, coffee and tea
All activities and food should be included, but some differ slightly by ship. Drinks aside from water, coffee and tea are typically not included.
Activities & Itinerary:
Comparing itineraries across companies, it seemed like most were very similar. However, some companies might cut out or modify certain things depending on the area you’re visiting.
Most itineraries I saw included:
- Kayaking
- Cave visit
- Fishing village visit
- Squid fishing
- Swimming
- Vietnamese cooking class (Note: Most companies’ reviews said the cooking class was just rolling spring rolls, but the class on our ship was a seafood pancake, which I appreciated)
Some also included:
- Traditional wooden row boat ride
- Hiking
- Visit to Cat Ba National Park (not available on a Bai Tu Long Bay cruise)
- Optional pearl shopping
- Tai chi
Note that if you’re going to opt for the three-day cruise, read the ship’s itinerary carefully. Some cruises take passengers going on both two-day and three-day cruises aboard the same ship. These cruises return to Ha Long City to drop off the two-day passengers in the middle of the three-day passengers’ cruise experience. If possible, I’d recommend avoiding any companies that do this, which can typically be seen in their Trip Advisor reviews.
Food:
Most companies appear to offer a similar selection of both Vietnamese and western food. This is one area where the reviews can be more discerning and call out ships that offer bad-to-mediocre food.
Reviews:
Online reviews can honestly be one of the toughest places to start if you don’t know what you’re looking to find. Most companies will point potential customers towards Trip Advisor or blog sites that really say very similar things about all cruise companies. However, here are a few things that stood out to me as I was looking to book this cruise:
- Complaints about cleanliness of the ship: Some reviews will mention cleanliness of the rooms or vermin on board. I recommend avoiding these ships.
- Complaints about tour guide: Some reviews I read claimed their tour guide ran the itinerary poorly and/or was not very informative.
- Pressure to buy things: Nothing can ruin a trip faster than being overly pressured to buy things you don’t need. While there are shopping stops before and during the cruise, you should never feel obligated to buy anything. If you’re feeling undue pressure to buy anything, the company is likely not very good.
- Poor transfer experience: Some reviews I read mentioned experiences with disorganized transfer services where people were left behind or otherwise delayed in returning to Hanoi, even in cases where the transfer cost extra.
- Unfulfilled excursions: There may be cases where due to something like weather, a company may be unable to fulfill the promised itinerary. However, this should not be the norm. And if the company has to skip out on an experience, there should be a suitable alternative. A review noting this problem is a red flag.
With all of these tips in mind, and on a recommendation from someone who’d cruised Ha Long Bay before, we decided to book Indochina Junk’s Dragon’s Legend three-day, two-night cruise.
Here is what it was like:
Day 1: Ha Long City, Boarding, Floating Fishing Village
On the morning of the first day of the cruise, Indochina Junk picked us up at our Airbnb in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. The transfer was included in the price of the cruise, which seemed to be the case for most – but not all – of the cruise companies I researched. Make sure to read the fine print.
We rode with other cruisers for about three and a half hours to the Indochina Junk office in Ha Long City. About halfway through the trip, we stopped at a rest stop to stretch our legs and use the restroom. The restrooms are inside of a shopping area, but I don’t think most people did any shopping. When researching Ha Long Bay cruise companies, I’d read that most companies that offer free transport often stop at a rest stop that can double as a shopping trip. From this research, I thought people might be bothering us to buy things, but no one tried to sell us anything at this particular rest stop, even when we walked through the store.
After arriving at the cruise company’s office, they took our bags, gave us some tea and had us pay our final payment before boarding the ship. We had about half an hour before going to the cruise port, so took the opportunity to take a short walk by the water.
Boarding the ship:
When it was time to board, we climbed into a golf cart and headed to the port. The cruise port was crowded and chaotic, so our cruise leader told us to follow his red hat. We all made it to the dinghy* that would take us to our ship: The Dragon Legend.
(*Not sure if dinghy is the right term, but it was a small motorized boat that took us to and from the ship. I can’t figure out if I should be using a different term, but let me know if there is one?)
We rode through the bay, eyeing up the other companies we didn’t select. I recognized some of them from my research. As the dinghy pulled up to our ship, I was immediately happy with my choice. Whereas other ships were large and rather nondescript, the Dragon Legend was sleek with gold trim and a golden dragon at the bow.
As we approached the ship, a smiling crew greeted us, waving a warm welcome. The decor on the inside of the ship was also sleek – black with red trim. We had a quick introduction to the ship where the cruise leader went over our itinerary for the next three days.
We found our way to our room and appreciated the large picture window through which we could watch the limestone islands pass. The room was spacious, with a sitting area and large spa tub beneath another window.
When I booked the Dragon Legend, I was a little wary because the ship didn’t have any balconies. However, between the in-room windows and the large deck at the top of the ship, I didn’t miss having a balcony at all.
Floating Fishing Village:
After a five-course lunch consisting mostly of seafood, vegetables and fruit, we sailed to the Vung Vieng Floating Fishing Village. We rode the dinghy to the fishing village where we learned more about the history of the village and how the inhabitants currently live. The Vung Vieng fishing village consists of floating docks and houses inhabited by families who have lived there for generations. The first generation built the village because the limestone islands of Bai Tu Long Bay provided good storm shelter. According to the cruise director, the residents who live there now haven’t changed the village much in the present day.
We boarded traditional wooden rowboats rowed by primarily women of the village. They took us to different docks to explore the village and see more of the bay. In the first area, we saw an example of the different fishing traps historically used in the village. We also walked along the docks and observed working traps with swarming fish. Another stop took us to a pearl demonstration where we watched people harvest and clean pearls. This was the only part of the cruise with an option to buy souvenirs.
From there, we returned to the ship and relaxed on the upper deck until dinner.
After dinner, there was an opportunity to try squid fishing. Though it wasn’t squid season, I picked up a bamboo fishing rod and tried my best to attract some squid. I learned the trick is to make your tackle dance in the water like a prawn, a squid’s favorite prey. I got a few bites and even pulled a squid out of the water but was ultimately unable to reel any into the boat. No one else caught any either, and I was the closest. I knew I’d try again the next night.
Day 2: Kayaking & Private Beach Barbecue
On day 2, we arose bright and early for a tai chi lesson on the top deck of the boat. One of the crew was also a tai chi master, and he took us through a 15-minute routine. It was the perfect way to start the morning, practicing tai chi in the early morning air amidst the jade waters and limestone islands of Bai Tu Long Bay.
We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast buffet while the ship sailed to our kayaking spot. As we kayaked through Bai Tu Long Bay, I couldn’t help but marvel at my surroundings. It was incredible to be up close to the limestone islands and see the various shades of green, red, orange and beige embedded in these rock formations. This experience was one of the many times I felt like I was on a movie set during our cruise.
About 40 minutes into the kayaking trip, our cruise leader gave people the option to go back to the ship. A couple of boats went back, but we continued on – we weren’t ready to leave the kayaks and close-up beauty of the bay yet. We kayaked to a small private beach for a short swim break. After nearly an hour of kayaking in the hot sun, a refreshing swim in the cold waters of the bay was definitely welcome. I was a little nervous because we’d also seen a lot of jellyfish of varying sizes (including giant jellies) during our journey. However, our cruise leader assured us the jellyfish wouldn’t come near the small beach because of the current.
After our short swim break, we boarded the kayaks to return to the ship. We opted to stay in our swimsuits because the next stop was a private beach for a barbecue lunch and more swimming.
Private Beach:
This beach was much bigger than the one where we stopped during our kayaking trip. As we approached the shore, we were impressed to see our tables set up for lunch under umbrellas on this otherwise completely empty beach. We ate a delicious barbecue meal consisting primarily of seafood and vegetables again. Then, we had free time to frolic in the waters and relax on the beach.
I was once again assured that we wouldn’t encounter jellyfish as long as we didn’t go out in the water too far. However, they were prepared with a lime for jellyfish stings. Luckily, we never had to find out if the lime worked.
That afternoon, we also had a brief Vietnamese cooking class. During my research, it seemed like a cooking class was part of the itinerary for most Ha Long Bay cruises. However, many of the reviewers on other ships complained their cooking classes consisted of instructions on how to roll spring rolls. I was pleasantly surprised when I learned we were making Banh Xeo, a Vietnamese seafood pancake.
That night, it was time for squid fishing round two. I had been practicing my prawn technique and projecting prawn energy into the water. Once again, I got the first nibble on my tackle, and finally pulled a squid out of the water! It’s important to hold it over the water so it can squirt out all of its ink before you bring it into the ship. This time, I was able to hold onto the squid and bring it onto the boat. I caught both the first squid and the most squid on the boat and named myself the #1 squid fisherman of the Dragon Legend.
Day 3: Cave, Water Puppet Show and Return to Hanoi
Our final day aboard the cruise had another early wake up call for sunrise Tai Chi followed by a light breakfast. Because we were disembarking in the early afternoon, we had a light schedule for our last day on the boat.
Scientists have discovered dozens of caves throughout Ha Long and Bai Tu Long Bay. Only three are open to visitors. In Bai Tu Long Bay, you can visit Thien Cahn Son Cave. We took the dinghy to the island of the cave and climbed some steps to get to its entrance. Inside, we marveled at the stalactites and stalagmites and learned more about the caves’ history.
Fisherman once lived inside these caves when they came to these bays, and we got a tour of how they lived. During rainy season, they had plenty of clean drinking water from the rain, but during the dry season, they had to rely on rainwater reserves. We saw where they stored the rainwater and where scientists had carbon-dated the cave by cutting into the rock and looking at the width of the colorful layers in the rock.
We returned to the ship for a brunch buffet before sailing back to Ha Long City and disembarking. After making it through the chaotic cruise port once again, we piled into vans to head back towards Hanoi. But we weren’t done with our excursion yet!
On the way back, we stopped at a water puppet show. Water puppet theater is a storytelling tradition dating back hundreds of years. They typically tell stories of Vietnamese history and myths. We watched as colorful puppets splashed around the water and tried to follow the stories while enjoying complimentary tea and snacks.
When the show was over, it was finally time to head back to Hanoi.
The driver dropped us at the Hanoi train station in the Old Quarter around 4 p.m. We had plenty of time to spare before our overnight train to Sa Pa. (Stay tuned for that post!)
Are you considering Ha Long Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay on your Vietnam itinerary? Let me know how I can help!
2 thoughts on “Ha Long Bay: Everything You Need to Know before Booking a Cruise”