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Ha Long Bay in Vietnam is one of the world heritage sites and one of the new seven wonders of the world. In addition to taking a canoe to visit the stalactite caves, you can also enjoy the beautiful Guilin scenery on the sea, which is a Travel experience that many people yearn for.
If you are Traveling independently like Piaoer, there are many ways to play in Ha Long Bay. You can take a car from Hanoi by yourself, sign up for a round-Trip day trip to Ha Long Bay, or choose to book a cruise to enjoy a leisurely Tour of more than two days and one night.
[Itinerary Content] What to do in Halong Bay?
The normal itinerary of Halong Bay will include the three most basic activities of boat trip to the island, visiting stalactite caves, and canoeing. The most classic is to climb up to a high place and take a panoramic view of Halong Bay. Some special tours will include beach water play, cooking classes, visits to pearl farms, night fishing for small rounds and other activities to kill time on the boat in certain seasons. You can filter out activities that you don’t want to waste time according to your interests and choose the itinerary in your mind.
Halong Bay free travel planning suggestions
Here are three ways to plan a free travel in Halong Bay:
The easiest and most brain-free way is the first one, "Joining a local tour group for a round trip from Hanoi on the same day", which is suitable for flash travelers who only have five days and four nights and want to cross the water. The disadvantage is that it is very hard to pull a car to and from Hanoi on the same day.
The second one is suitable for those who have a seven-day and six-night vacation. They are willing to spare two days for Halong Bay, but still don't want to arrange troublesome transportation. They can directly sign up for a local two-day or three-day group, which includes round-trip transportation from Hanoi, cruise accommodation and sea cruise itinerary.
The last one is a high-budget and experienced traveler who regards Halong Bay as a vacation or a flight, enjoys being close to nature on the sea, stays in a high-end cruise ship that suits them, and arranges transportation and cruise bookings by themselves.
[The first way to play] One-day round trip from Hanoi to Halong Bay
In the past, when information was opaque, backpackers who wanted to save money on a one-day trip to Halong Bay would arrange their own round-trip transportation tickets and time arrangements. After arriving at Halong Bay, they had to queue up at the ticket center at the Halong Bay Pier to buy a four-hour or six-hour boarding ticket. The boat would go to a scenic spot, and each scenic spot would require additional tickets.
Nowadays, it is the age of the Internet. You can directly order a one-day tour itinerary on an online platform with transparent prices. Not only will there be Chinese and English tour guides to take you back and forth to the hotel, but the itinerary on the boat is also included in the fee, saving the time of on-site inquiries, and it will not be more expensive than arranging the itinerary yourself.
The following four one-day tours to Halong Bay all depart from Hanoi and include hotel pick-up and tour guides, but the packages are different and the fees included are also different. You can choose according to your needs:
Including the cost of Fighting Cock Island, Puppy Rock, Incense Burner Mountain, Swan Island, seafood Chinese food, bamboo raft boat experience: Halong Bay Classic Phoenix Popular Attractions One-Day Tour
1. Small group itineraries are of high quality, including cruise ships, Tiangong Cave and other attractions, seafood Chinese food, bamboo raft boat experience: Dragonfly Cruise Halong Bay Cruise One-Day Tour
2. Halong Bay & Surprise Cave & Hero Island and other classic attractions: Classic Route 2 One-Day Tour
3. Halong Bay & Surprise Cave & Hero Island and other classic attractions, but the boat is more advanced and the food is better: Halong Bay 5-star Cruise One-Day Tour
[Second way to play] Take a cruise and live on board for two days and one night
Next, I recommend the most popular plan, a two-day and one-night or three-day and two-night all-inclusive tour to savor Halong Bay. It is suitable for those who have a seven-day and six-night holiday and are willing to spare two days for Halong Bay, but still do not want to arrange troublesome transportation. Just sign up for a two-day or three-day local tour.
The price includes round-trip transportation from Hanoi, accommodation in Halong Bay, and sea cruise itinerary, etc., but the itinerary will still be slightly different according to different packages, mainly in the hotel you stay in. The cheaper ones are to stay in nearby hotels, and the more special experience is that you can stay on the cruise ship.
Such an itinerary usually takes a cruise on the first day to see the strange rocks and islands in Halong Bay, and the second morning is lazy to enjoy the beautiful beach. In fact, it is almost the same as a one-day tour, except that you don’t have to travel a long way because the round-trip time on the same day is stuck in a four-hour drive.
1. Stay in a three-star hotel and visit all the popular attractions: Halong Bay & Lan Ha Bay Cruise from Hanoi 2-Day 1-Night Tour
2. Visit classic attractions such as Halong Bay, Surprise Cave, and Hero Island, but the boat is more advanced and the food is more delicious: Starlight Cruise 2-Day 1-Night Tour
3. Ti Top Island, Pearl Farm, Surprise Cave, sea fishing itinerary, affordable cruise: Oriental Cruise Cruise Tour
[Third way to play] Book your own accommodation on the Halong Bay cruise
If the first two options do not suit your travel style, and you do not like the tiring and low-quality one-day tours, and the two-day all-inclusive tours are convenient but the hotels you stay in are not ideal, and you want to stay on the cruise ship of your choice with greater freedom, then booking Halong Bay cruise accommodation on the hotel booking website is the best way.
However, this way of playing is also the most laborious and requires the most homework before departure, because there are too many Halong Bay cruises. Although the cruises include similar Halong Bay cruise itineraries and onboard activities, the cruise facilities, catering, and rooms will affect the price. If you want to eat and stay well, you have to increase your budget.
In addition to the relatively cheap Classic Phoenix introduced in the one-day tour group above, Piaoer also sorted out several recommended and highly rated Halong Bay cruise accommodations:
1. [Luxury Room] Orchid Trendy Cruise: Double room for two days and one night from NT$9,000
2. [The most upscale in Halong Bay] Paradise Luxury Sails Cruise: Double room for two days and one night from NT$9,000
3. [Good environment and delicious food] Paradise Elegance Cruise Halong: Double room for two days and one night from NT$7,000
4. [Elegant Room] Alisa Cruise: Double room for two days and one night from NT$7,000
Basically, these high-end cruise ships have Hanoi shuttle services, some are free, and some require an additional charge of 5 to 10 US dollars. Before booking, it is recommended to ask in advance whether the price includes the itinerary on the ship and Hanoi transportation.
Transportation to Halong Bay
Planning to book a cruise by yourself and don’t want to ask the cruise hotel to provide transfers? Since the room rate is so expensive, it should be included, right? But there may be various reasons. You finally decide to go to Halong Bay by yourself. Piaoer also provides transportation from Hanoi Old Quarter to Halong Bay. However, I think after reading this, you will still want to directly sign up for a local tour or ask the hotel to arrange a transfer!
Bus
In fact, there is basically no public transportation that can reach Halong Bay in one stop. Taking the bus is the only public way. You must take a taxi or bus No. 34 from the Old Quarter to "My Dinh Bus Station" west of Hoan Kiem County (NT$10), then take a bus to "Bai Chay Station/Bai Chay Station (Bai Chay)" (NT$105), and finally take a taxi to the "Tuan Chau International Harbor" where most of the Halong Bay piers depart from the ship (NT$200).
Doesn't it look super troublesome! I told you a long time ago that it would be much more convenient to sign up for a tour group that includes transfers or ask your hotel to provide transfers!
Which way is the best to go to Halong Bay?
The above are several ways for beginners to visit Halong Bay. Some people may be dizzy after reading them, but you will find it is quite easy after actually going there. If you want to have a deeper experience in Halong Bay, there are Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay. Lan Ha Bay is quieter and has fewer tourists. It is more primitive and more European tourists like to swim and do outdoor sports here. Bai Tu Long Bay is more remote, so there are basically no tourists. If you want to have an in-depth tour, Paradise Elegance Cruise Halong is more popular, because whether Halong Bay is fun or not really depends on the cruise company!
My two-day and one-night itinerary in Halong Bay
Basically, the itineraries of Halong Bay for each cruise ship are similar, except for the comfort of the ship, the deliciousness of the meals, etc. This time, I chose the five-star "Amanda Cruise", which visited Luon Cave, Ti Top Island / Titov Island, and Hang Sung Sot Cave. Here I will share with you the contents of my two-day and one-night itinerary in Halong Bay!
[First morning] Hanoi shared ride transfer
This time, I signed up for the Amanda Cruise Halong Bay two-day tour. I paid extra to be picked up from the Hanoi hotel to the Amanda Cruise boarding point. The supplier will contact you in advance via Whatsapp for the pick-up time and other information. Please remember to install the APP before departure, because the one-day tour itinerary and tour guides in Vietnam are all contacted via Whatsapp. If you have any questions, use this to find someone the fastest!
We boarded the shuttle bus at around 8:00 that day. It was a mini bus that could carry about 15 people. The seats were very soft and comfortable. It took about 2.5 hours to reach Tuan Chau Port, where the Amanda Cruise boarding ship was. The shared bus carried tourists from various cruise ships. The driver would confirm your cruise ship and let you get off. You must confirm your name in this part to avoid getting off the wrong one!
[First morning] Check in at the port counter
After getting off the bus, follow the driver's instructions to check in at the counter opposite. You will get a sticker for boarding the cruise ship and can rest in the waiting area. Some snacks and drinks are sold here. If you are worried about being hungry on the cruise ship, you can also buy some here first.
Then the counter staff will help you move your luggage to the luggage area of your cruise company. Because there are many cruise ships in the same port, you must make sure that your luggage has been moved here, because our luggage happened to be the one that had some problems and was not moved on board (this is not just a problem of the cruise company. I was in Vietnam for 23 days and encountered all kinds of problems with Vietnamese services. It is the most secure to pay more attention to your own things).
[Noon on the first day] Board the ship!
This cruise ship with green plants is the Amanda Cruise we took this time. It is a luxury five-star cruise ship in Halong Bay. We observed the cruise ship on the sea on the first night and we could really feel that Amanda Cruise is quite good.
There were dragon and lion dances at the boarding area, and the white people at the scene were super excited and kept taking photos.
[Noon on the first day] Itinerary description
When boarding the ship, the luggage had already been placed at the door of the room, but you had to go to the restaurant first to listen to the tour guide for the two days explain the matters on the ship, travel time, and cruise route.
The tour guide introduced that this time we would visit the three most popular attractions, namely Luon Cave, Ti Top Island (Titov Island), and Hang Sung Sot Cave, and the order would be adjusted according to the weather and crowds.
If you are not sure about the name of the attraction, the restaurant and bar also have itinerary times, but the boat ride attractions may change according to the on-site conditions, so just refer to the time.
Double Room
After the itinerary is explained, you will have about half an hour to rest and return to your room to rest.
Although I was sleeping on a cruise ship, the bed was still a King Size bed, which is a must-have in Vietnamese hotels. It was also a relatively hard and supportive bed in Vietnam, so I could sleep soundly until dawn.
After all, the ship is not one of those top luxury cruise ships in Europe, but just a high-quality river cruise concept, so the room facilities are very basic, equipped with air conditioning, wooden floors, open wardrobes, etc.
There is also free water, free tea bags and G7 coffee powder, and welcome fruit on the table. If you want to make tea, since high-wattage electrical appliances cannot be used on the cruise ship, you have to go to the restaurant counter upstairs to get hot water. There will be an electric thermos with boiled hot water!
The boat sailed all the way to the core area of Halong Bay. You could see the scenery of Halong Bay from the room window. Unfortunately, the weather in North Vietnam in December was relatively unstable, and it was cloudy here in Halong Bay.
The toilet is located in the back, with only a shower and no bathtub. The water pressure is lower than that of local hotels in Vietnam, but it is acceptable on a ship. At least the hot water is hot and the water temperature is stable. But those who are afraid of cold should be aware that it is actually quite cold from the time you wash to the time you dry (we came in early December, the temperature was 15 degrees), so remember to turn off the air conditioner before washing!
【Day 1 noon】Lunch
Lunch was scheduled for 13:00 and was a buffet. Basically 90% of the members in our group were foreigners and Indians living in Europe. Everyone was very gentlemanly, well-behaved, quiet and polite. They followed the flow of people and took their food slowly. So even though I hated buffet meals, I didn't feel uncomfortable fighting for food.
Half of the meals are Vietnamese cuisine, including spring rolls, fried rice, fried noodles, Vietnamese fried meat, hot stir-fry, some sushi, fried seafood, and some vegetarian meals for vegetarians. Although there are not as many as 40 dishes, I think the seasoning is very good, and it's rare that I think it suits my taste!
The restaurant also has floor-to-ceiling windows, which provide ample lighting. Looking out the window, we are gradually approaching the Halong Bay cruise ship docking station.
[First day afternoon] Hero Island
The island hopping trip requires taking a small boat, and you can choose to participate or stay on the cruise ship. Everyone in our group is healthy and has no physical discomfort, so everyone is on board.
Hero Island is the most popular attraction in Halong Bay, and it also has the most tourists. It takes 20 minutes to walk to the top of the observation deck, from where you can take the standard photos overlooking Halong Bay that are often seen on the Internet. The scene is really beautiful, but unfortunately the weather was cloudy and the photos looked very ordinary.
[First day afternoon] Luon Cave
Then we came to Luon Cave, which is also a very popular tourist attraction in Halong Bay. Because we visited it close to 16:00, all the tourists had left. We were almost the only ones on our boat in Luon Cave. We had the whole natural beauty to ourselves and the travel experience was quite good.
For the itinerary in Gwangmyeong Cave, you can choose to take a boat with a boatman, or row a canoe yourself. Everyone on our boat was here for vacation, and except for the children, everyone else was carried by others. After the boatman rowed out of the cave, the surrounding area was the beautiful offshore limestone terrain of Halong Bay. We also saw at least ten monkeys climbing on the mountain wall, which was very funny.
It was sunset when we left Guangming Cave. It turned out that if you stay in Halong Bay, you can see the beautiful golden Halong Bay. It was the most beautiful time of the day.
[First night] Snacks
After finishing the trip and returning to the room to rest, you can go up to the deck to have a drink (at your own expense) and eat a cake (free) while waiting for dinner.
The tour guide proudly said that our ship was the only one in Halong Bay that allowed dining on the deck, which I think would be very happy for Westerners.
While the sunset colors are still there, it is really a great vacation time to sit on the deck, enjoy the breeze and appreciate the beautiful scenery.
Snacks include fruits, spring rolls, tapas, etc.
[First night] Dinner
When it was time to meet up, the guide explained the itinerary for the next day, and then the meal started! We had a Western dinner that day, hooray!!! We never had to see Vietnamese food again.
First up is the super delicious pumpkin soup. It’s not the kind with a strong root vegetable flavor, but more the kind that Asians love, but it’s not too watery and the sweetness of the pumpkin comes through.
Since there was no light on the deck, the colors of the main dishes looked horrible when photographed. However, the duck breast was delicious, the meat was tender, and the seasoning was in the Vietnamese-French style, with the fresh and slightly sweet taste of Asia and European cooking techniques. I think it is already a mid-priced main dish on land.
The shrimps are a bit small, but the seasoning is great. The seasoning is a bit close to Thai style (the Vietnamese style that is more sour and spicy), but you can still feel the Western style of making shrimp dishes.
Then the chicken cooked in a Vietnamese style was served. It was served with purple rice. I doubted whether other Westerners would eat it, but I just treated it as a health-preserving meal and it was actually very good.
I don't like desserts, but their desserts are not too sweet. Basically, from appetizers to desserts, everything is delicious. Halong Bay Cruises really puts a lot of thought into the food! It completely overturned the impression that the food on Southeast Asian ships is terrible.
After dinner, evening activities began on the deck, starting with an introduction to several ethnic minorities in Vietnam, from costumes to bamboo pole dances to singing. At the same time, they also celebrated the birthday person of the month and those on their honeymoon.
Then there was the karaoke time, which I and the Westerners were all terrified of. Basically, because Westerners don't have this culture, they don't participate at all. Some of us slipped away at the beginning. Because we are Chinese, the tour guide asked us to sing. Fortunately, I didn't know any of those songs, so I was allowed to slip away.
During the evening time, there were actually free activities on the boat, such as spa massage for the soles of the feet and fishing for small squid. If you have children with you, you can go and play.
[The next morning] Breakfast
Breakfast returned to the buffet format. In fact, there was a Tai Chi activity before breakfast, but no one on the ship participated. Everyone came directly to eat during breakfast time.
For the meal, we went back to the combination of Vietnamese cuisine, stir-fried vegetables and stir-fried meat. I only had Pho for breakfast in Vietnam, so I had to have a bowl of Vietnamese Pho. It’s not worse than the one on land!
Looking out the window in the morning, the weather was still cloudy and it even started to rain!!!
【The next morning】Hang Sung Sot Cave
Fortunately, our itinerary on the rainy day was to the Hang Sung Sot Cave inside the cave, so we walked inside the limestone cave and admired the stalactites and stalagmites created by nature. Although we have been to the most beautiful Yangshuo Silver Cave, the limestone caves here in Vietnam are not illuminated with all kinds of dreamy lights like in China, so we don’t have the feeling of entering a different world.
But the good thing is that you can savor the color and texture of the limestone itself. Although the Surprise Cave does not have the beauty of the outdoor limestone terrain, it may be because I think Halong Bay is not as beautiful as the Li River in Guangxi. The exaggerated size of the Surprise Cave makes me feel that it has its own characteristics independent of Guangxi. You also need to climb stairs here in the Surprise Cave, but they are all gentle slopes. Be careful that it will slip, so if you are with your elders, take good care of them.
The Surprise Cave covers an area of about 10,000 square meters, is about 30 meters high, and has a 500-meter-long passage. Along the way, the tour guide told the story of how the French explorer discovered this place. I have always loved the adventure stories of the 20th century. I think that was the reason why I fell in love with traveling, so walking in this cave, I felt a sense of adventure!
After walking out of the cave, there is another viewing platform where you can overlook Halong Bay, but it was raining heavily, so even though it was hazy and beautiful, the colors were really not that good.
[Second day at noon] Shared bus back to Hanoi
After returning to the cruise ship, there was a DIY spring roll experience, followed by lunch at noon, and then we were sent back to the pier to wait for the shared bus to take us back to the hotel in Hanoi, ending the two-day and one-night sea trip.
【Conclusion】Is Halong Bay fun?
For travelers who like the underground Yangshuo limestone caves of Guilin's karst terrain and the Lijiang River landscape on the ground, "Halong Bay" in northern Vietnam also has limestone caves and magnificent landscapes, but the scene is changed to the sea. The limestones in Halong Bay are farther away, unlike Guilin where they are all in a row, so the scenery in Halong Bay is more open and magnificent, which is very different from the exquisite and ink painting feeling of Guangxi.
Personally, I still like Guangxi more. The Nanning Dalong Lake Scenic Area, which I have been to before, has never been heard of by tourists. The senior tour guides on the scene think it is better than the travel experience in Halong Bay, because there are too many tourists from all over the world in Halong Bay, and the various island itineraries are actually quite hyped and chaotic.
But many people may not have the opportunity to go to China. In that case, Halong Bay is the first choice for those who want to see the karst topography because it is spectacular. In addition, Halong Bay has also been the site of the 007 movies "Tomorrow Never Dies", "King Kong" and the French movie "Indochina". It is famous and easy to reach. |
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