Halong Bay – 2 Days 1 Night Cruise Travel Guide
Discover what Halong Bay has to offer as you sail the open waters through one of the new seven wonders of nature located in Vietnam!
Halong Bay has maintained its stature to be Vietnam’s must see natural wonder given its UNESCO World Heritage Site title. However, as more and more gorgeous sights are being discovered in Vietnam, travellers are starting to have mixed feelings about visiting Halong Bay. Is it as spectacular as the wanderlust-stirring photos on social media portray it to be, or is it an overrated destination that’s merely fueling the country’s tourism industry? You’ll never truly know until you’ve been there and done that; so this post entails my personal experience of spending 2 days 1 night on a cruise to the Halong Bay. If this destination suits your travel palette, then be sure to include it when you visit Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city! 🇻🇳
The name Ha Long means ‘descending dragon’, and the bay is located on the northwest coast of the Gulf of Tonkin. On the first day of the overnight tour, most tour companies pick travellers up in a van or bus from the heart of Hanoi (some even provide pick up service from Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport). The journey takes 3.5–4 hours to reach Tuan Chau International Marina, and midway there is a mandatory stop at a tourist shop that sells a myriad of local art works, souvenirs, and marble statues.
Upon arrival at the Marina, you hop on a tender boat that will take you to the cruise ship where you will be welcomed with a drink and amiable cruise staff before checking in to your cabin that has an en-suite bathroom. The boat then commences its journey and glides to the center of the World Heritage Site. This makes for a lovely scene to enjoy a delicious four-course lunch that caters to every dietary requirement. I was impressed!
After lunch, you get some free time to nap or enjoy the afternoon views of the Halong Bay on the deck of the cruise. The tender boat then brings you to Ti Top Island where you can play at the beach, have a dip, or climb 450 steps to see a stunning panoramic view of Halong Bay. That’s a good post-lunch work out, to be honest! After an hour or so, you will be brought back to the cruise to gear up for the next activity; where you get to choose between enjoying a ride on a bamboo boat with a local boat rower or go kayaking around the Luon Cave area where you may spot the resident monkeys! 🐒
Once back on the cruise, as the sun sets, you will be served some fruits and nibbles along with tea and coffee. Chat away with your fellow cruise mates as the sky darkens, and then have a shower before getting ready for dinner.
Indulge in a lovely four-course dinner on board the cruise and grab a drink while enjoying the peace of the night under the star studded sky. Contentment galore! You can choose to go for night fishing with the tour guide should it be of interest to you. 🎣
Next morning, if you’re up early and in luck, a gorgeous sunrise may await you. A simple breakfast will then be served. Then, the final sight-seeing of the tour awaits you at the Surprising Cave, where you will get to check out the stalactites and stalagmites in the cave, learn more about the history of Halong Bay while walking through three chambers, find out what’s so surprising about the cave (think imaginative shapes and a phallic symbol), and wish upon a lucky turtle! 🐢
Back on the boat, you will get to learn Tai Chi or make some Spring Rolls, or both. It’s pretty fun, learning how to make an authentic Vietnamese dish that is a favourite of so many people, while helping the chef with his lunch duties. 😂
It will then be time to check out, while lunch is being prepared that will be enjoyed while cruising back towards the harbour. Post-lunch is your last chance to grab some last minute pictures of the wonderful Halong Bay experience.
Travel Tips:
🚀 The best time to visit Halong Bay is between March to May and September to November, when it’s high season. If it’s a gloomy day specially during the winter months (January to March) with no pretty sunrise or sunset visible, then don’t forget to carry your own sunshine with you! The experience is still worth the while, with low season fares being friendly to the pocket. But try to avoid July and August when it gets stormy and rainy.
🚀 It may be overwhelming to choose from a whole lot of tour companies and cruises – my personal suggestion would be to ask recommendations from fellow travellers who have experienced this tour, then choose an operator that will cater to your needs and budget. Booking from Klook that offers discounted attraction tickets and tours is also a great option!
🚀 Do not carry single use plastic bottles or items of similar nature with you as they are banned on board; sustainable measures are being implemented by the tour operators under the recommendation of the Vietnamese Government, and we need to do our best to support such initiatives for the well-being of our planet!
🚀 Bring along a jacket for the cold evenings, shoes and sandals, swimwear, and charging devices.
In summary, whether it is an overrated destination or not, if it is a place you truly want to visit, to experience something different for the first time, then by all means go for it! It doesn’t have to be expensive on the pocket, so you can choose between 3-star, 4-star, 5-star operators, or 3-star operators that offer 4-star services (that’s how packages are advertised and sold in Hanoi 😂). I personally would suggest the overnight experience with a decent cruise company (preferably with a private balcony if affordable) that offers a good range of inclusions like the ones mentioned in this post!
Besides ticking Halong Bay off my bucket list (which can be easily done by choosing to go on a day tour), the overnight experience was something I enjoyed. I was after the feeling of being on a cruise with sweeping views and fresh air in the middle of the sea surrounded by vast scenic landscapes; this feeling is something I value given how scarce this is in my every day urban life. So here’s to a phenomenal site that has 1969 limestone rising from the sea creating a large karst clusters dotted in emerald waters, the experience of which is just as good as the picture perfect postcards you’ll find in Vietnam!
Check out the best things to do when in Hanoi, Vietnam’s pulsating capital city!