Halong travel guide

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Overview

Important Information

Gallery

Taking a cruise on Ha Long Bay -- or the Bay of the Descending Dragon -- for many represents the pinnacle of their experience in Vietnam. easily one of the most popular destinations in the country, UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ha Long Bay is both mystical and magnificent, an incredible feat of nature that almost never fails to impress.

Yes, it really is that good.

Last time, UNESCO had picked out 830 World Heritage sites around the world, chosen for their cultural and historical importance, and also for their geological uniqueness. Ha Long Bay offers a little of all three.

It's not the cliffs themselves that make Ha Long Bay unique, but rather their sheer number. A huge bay, dotted with nearly 2,000 mostly uninhabited limestone cliffs, the breathtaking scenery is very similar to that of the Andaman coast of Thailand, Vang Vieng in Laos and Guilin in China.

Created over millions of years, tectonic forces slowly thrust the limestone above the water-line. During this process waves lapping against the stone carved out a number of vast, striking caverns, as well as other geologically interesting formations, such as tunnel caves and uniquely shaped massifs.

Over the ages, Vietnamese fishermen with too much time on their hands began to see shapes in the stone massifs atop many of the islands, and named the islands accordingly -- Turtle Island, Human Head Island, Chicken Island and so on.

In what constitutes one of the most fascinating cultural features of the area, some of these fisherman still live on the bay today -- on floating fishing villages, where houses are set atop barges year round, the inhabitants catching and cultivating fish throughout.

How to pick the right Ha Long Bay cruise

The first thing you need to know about Ha Long Bay is that it's beautiful and well-worth seeing. The only real question for the traveller in Vietnam is how best to see it and, like many things in Vietnam, things are never as clear a they could be.

Ha Long Bay is cluttered with some 500 licensed junks, and on any given day, up to 300 of them may be plying the waters -- that's basically one boat for every ten ticket offices in Hanoi! Competition has driven prices down to absurdly low levels and as corner cutting, cheating and bare-faced lies become par for the course so do travellers leaving with a bad taste in their mouth... but it needn't be that way.

Just do your research and asking the right questions. So how do you know which Ha Long Bay tour is the one for you, Feel free to live chat with us for free information or contact us for the best deals of the season.

The primary purpose of a Ha Long Bay tour is to savour the tranquillity and beauty of the water. But two or three days of utter tranquillity can get a little too tranquil -- luckily the natural and cultural endowments of the bay provide activities -- in some cases with a heavy helping hand from the Vietnamese government.

About the cruise

They're slow: Boats ply the waters slowly and take scenic, circuitous routes. They often stop and put down their anchors while the passengers are eating lunch.

What to expect when doing a cruise?

You may visit a floating village
Not all tours make a stop at a fishing village -- some just cruise by. If you do stop, you'll be able to view the seafood being farmed, have the opportunity to buy some, and have it prepared for you free-of-charge on the boat.

You'll get to swim
Every tour stops for a swim at least once a day. Sometimes these swims take place near local fishing villages, leading to jokes and apprehensions about the toilet situation on fishing villages. All tours also include a stop at one of the beaches.

You may get to kayak
All the boats bring kayaks and, weather and tides permitting, stop to let passengers paddle around. Sometimes the opportunity to kayak through one of the tunnel cave systems will present itself. Other times passengers are simply expected to paddle in circles around the boat -- not surprisingly the caves and tunnels are far more interesting.

You'll get to go caving
All tours include at least one cave visit in the price of the tour (admission on your own is 20,000 dong). The two most popular caves are the Dragon Cave and the Surprising Cave. You won't know beforehand which cave you will see -- that decision is made on the boat. The many caves of Ha Long Bay

You may sleep over on the bay
Two and three-day tours always offer a night in a cabin. On any given night, about 80 boats are allowed to drop anchor in one of three designated areas -- that means each area is filled with 20 to 30 boats. Sometimes they anchor very close to one another, other times they'll find a more private spot away from other boats.

You may overnight on Cat Ba Island
Most two-day tours offer one night in a two-star hotel on Cat Ba Island. Activities including a hike in Cat Ba National Park, a kayaking trip through some offshore tunnel caves, and/or a lunchtime-visit to a local fish farm, where you catch your own fish before it is prepared for you, are usually offered as a part of the tour.

You'll be fed and transported
All tours offer three meals a day, starting with lunch on the first day and ending with lunch on the last day. The quality of the meals varies tremendously depending on the price of the tour as does the transport to and from Hanoi.

So, no matter how much or how little you pay, all of the above, at least in theory, will be included in the tour. Judging the differences between tours, then, is not so much a matter of what they do, but how well they do it -- and if they actually deliver on what they promise.

Ha Long Plaza Hotel
Gorgeous

Despite the rather boxy exterior, the interior of the Plaza is gorgeous. The attention to detail starts with the staff, whose uniforms will make you feel under-dressed unless you're wearing a top hat and tails or a ball gown. The lobby is huge, but unlike other such places, it's well-designed to feel comfortable at the same time. The theme of elegant-yet-comfortable carries on into the rooms -- dark wood touches that don't weigh down the atmosphere, marble bathrooms, great views even in the lowly 'superior' rooms -- this is what you're looking for if you're planning to shell out the simoleons in Ha Long City (though you can definitely save some simoleons booking on-line). Of course they've got the standard spa, gym, pool combo on offer, as well as live traditional Vietnamese music, performed by an all-girl band, every evening in the lobby. It's the place to be. Prices do not include 15% tax and service charge. Buffet breakfast included. Children under 8, no additional charge.

Contact details:
8 Ha Long Rd, Bai Chay. T: (033) 845 810 F: (033) 846 867

Saigon Ha Long Hotel
A decent option

This four-star outfit is a decent option in the luxury range, and the prices aren't quite as steep as The Plaza down the road. The cheapest rooms are the villas out back, housed in separate buildings with about half-a-dozen units in each -- not too shabby, but even the staff seem a little embarrassed by them: they really aren't four-star material. For that matter, the main hotel houses rooms that a pretty and elegant, but they still have a bit of an institutional feeling. They, too, fall a little bit shy of four-star material. Still, it's not nearly as bad as the Halong Pearl, there's a decent pool, and this is Ha Long -- there just aren't that many good options in this price range.

Contact details:
Ha Long Rd, Bai Chay. T: (033) 845 845-48 F: (033) 845 849

Thuy Duong Hotel
Quirky with a spacious balcony

This place stands out from the pack on Hotel Alley because -- it isn't. It's on Ha Long Road a little East of Vuon Dao Street. It's pretty much the only true mini-hotel that has strayed so far from the herd, though the prices are a little higher than what you'd pay on The Alley proper. It's a quirky-looking place with a very distinct flavour. The rooms get cheaper as you move to the back of the hotel, but what won us over were the very spacious balcony/seating areas associated with the front rooms. There's also a bar/cafe on the ground floor.

Contact details:
20 Ha Long Rd, Bai Chay. T: (033) 846 137 F: (033) 846 137

Peace Hotel (Hoa Binh Hotel)
Has a decent internet cafe

This place stands out on the street because of its attractive blue exterior, but the other good reason to stay here is that the first floor is given over to a pretty decent internet cafe -- on-line access is available to guests at a discount. The rooms are a good deal in the low season, but unlike some other places in the neighbourhood, their prices go up quite a bit in the high season. However, we suspect they only trot the high season prices out when the town is truly starting to fill up: otherwise, you'll probably be able to get the low season prices. As with all the mini-hotels on Hotel Alley, all the rooms are kept clean and in good shape, have private baths and useless TVs. An added bonus -- they take credit cards.

Contact details:
39 Vuon Dao St, Bai Chay. T: (033) 846 009

Holiday Hotel
Friendly, conscientious staff

This place distinguishes itself with its friendly, conscientious staff and good proximity to the Asia Restaurant, which is where a lot of people head for their meals anyway. Also, they have some rooms with three beds that can sleep groups of up to 4 or 5. Otherwise, expect the same as elsewhere -- clean, decent rooms, decent bathrooms with toiletries, and very little to look at out the windows.

Contact details:
81 Vuon Dao St, Bai Chay. T: (033) 848 565

Mai Hoa Hotel
Very helpful manager

The Mai Hoa is located on Anh Dao, a bit away from the other hotels -- not close to much of anything, really. Maybe that's why the prices are a bit lower, too. Also, we found the manager, Hieu, very helpful -- he speaks English pretty well and seems more eager to please than to make a quick buck. Otherwise, as with elsewhere in this tiny village of tiny hotels, the rooms are the rooms are the rooms: decent furnishings, decent bathrooms, clean, but nothing to write home about.

Contact details:
8 Anh Dao St, Bai Chay. T: (033) 640 041, (089) 13 307 772