Introduction to Halong Bay
Halong Bay is a real gem that, I think, doesn’t need an introduction. Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, with its towering limestone cliffs, hundreds of islets covered in jungle and emerald waters, it’s not a surprise that this place is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Ha Long means descending dragon in Vietnamese and this place is the number one tourism hub in northern Vietnam. We didn’t stay in the city, but we opted for a two night cruise, which took us to many places around the bay and gave us enough time to really enjoy the natural beauty of this region. halong bay cruise 2 nights
If you are thinking about visiting Halong Bay, I would recommend considering the two night option. Here is the detailed itinerary of our two night cruise. The itinerary is very similar to all the boats that operate in Halong Bay, they just differ in price and level of luxury that you’ll get on board. halong bay cruise 2 nights
Day 1 - Kayaking and Squid Fishing
I will be honest, our trip didn’t start the best. As most of the accommodations, I booked the cruise via booking.com but I wouldn’t recommend you doing the same. The communication between Booking and the cruise line failed and we basically found ourselves at the port with our boat being “parked” in the middle of the bay. What happened was, that our original cruise line went bankrupt (at least I think so, we didn’t get any proper explanation) and we were moved to another boat with different sailing time, but no one informed us. As much as I trust Booking and keep using their services, I blame them for the lack of communication. As soon as I booked the cruise they charge my card, provided with the address where to go to board the cruise and I haven’t heard from them since.
Finding our boat
Luckily we found people who helped us and using a ferry and a smaller fishing boat, we got to our cruise where the rest of the passengers were already waiting for us. After we were happily on the boat (I don’t have to tell you how much stress this situation caused me at that time), I got an email from Booking about the change of my reservation… Well, thank you! So here is my piece of advice – don’t book Halong Bay cruise via booking.com! Check the boats there, pick the one with good ratings, go to their website and make arrangements directly there. halong bay cruise 2 nights
Lunch and kayaking
After settling down in our room with a private bathroom, we had lunch on board and then we headed to the kayaking spot. Even though floating villages are no longer allowed in Halong Bay, there are still small houses and businesses here and there, for example like kayak rentals, fish farms or floating gardens. Kayaking is always fun and this place was great, full of small grottoes and caves to explore. It was also quite busy but we were able to find some coves with less people.
Free time and swimming
After few hours of kayaking we got on back board of our ship and went to our over-night spot (every boat has their designated place where they can park during the night). Our boat was one of the smaller ones, and because we were travelling in shoulder season, there were only 3 other couples plus the staff. There was a sun deck on the top with beds where we could chill, sunbath and jump into the water. It was quite high and I was scared but I’m glad I did it! There was also a bar with beer, wine and some simple cocktails. The drinks were quite expensive (for being in Vietnam) but our guide gave us a “happy hour” that lasted the whole evening! halong bay cruise 2 nights
Cooking lesson, dinner, games and squid fishing
After swimming and having some fun on the sun, we had a cooking lesson where we learned how to prepare Vietnamese rolls, and the dinner followed afterwards. The food was really great with many options, they can also cater for vegetarians and vegans, you just have to let the ship staff know in advance so they can prepare. After the dinner they gave us some games to play in a group to get to know each other better and when the night fall we were encouraged to try squid fishing with home-made fishing rods. We really spent several hours trying to unsuccessfully catch a squid! Little did we know that they were not in season and it was (almost) impossible to catch them even though we saw some little ones approaching the rods and then swimming away. Anyway it was a fun way to spend the evening. halong bay cruise 2 nights
Day 2 - Exploring Cat Ba National Park
On our second day we woke up into a rainy morning, but luckily it didn’t last long and after the breakfast the sky cleared. We were the only couple who paid for the 2 night cruise, the rest had to pack their bags and they went to do some more swimming and later visiting a pearl farm, while we were picked up by a ferry to visit the biggest island in Halong Bay. The ferry took us to another boat (I can’t even count how many boats we changed during these two days :D), where we joined a group of other travelers from different ships who chose the 2 days cruise. The boat could accommodate maybe 30 people, if not more, but on that day there were only 2 more couples apart from us. Really small group of like-minded people, which was pretty awesome. halong bay cruise 2 nights
Visiting Cat Ba
Cat Ba is the largest of 367 islands comprising the Cat Ba archipelago in Halong Bay. Approximately half of the surface of this island, together with adjacent waters, has been protected National Park area since 1986. The national park is home to great variety of natural ecosystems, pristine beaches, lagoons, coral reefs, limestone cliffs, tropical jungles, swamp forest, few endangered animals (like Cat Ba langur) and tiny fishing villages. The tourism is slowly blooming in this area and there are some nice hotels to stay in, especially in the capital of the island also called Cat Ba.
We got off the boat in a small port with absolutely nothing around, only a bicycle rental. Each of us got on a bike and we started our journey through the national park. The nature was awesome! Lush green and wild with very few communities living in the area. We stopped in the Tai Lai village, where we were able to hang out with the locals over a glass of home-made wine and play with the ever-present puppies. The wine they make can be really made out of anything, we got a chance to sample snake and bee wine. I didn’t dare to drink a beverage with pieces of snake swimming inside, but I tasted the one with bees and it reminded me of honey. Not too bad, to be completely honest.
Lunch, fish farm, kayaking and swimming
After the Cat Ba Island we had lunch on board which was delicious and after that we were taken to yet another kayaking place. From the kayak we could explore nearby houses built on water. Their inhabitants actually lived there and were fish farmers. I didn’t particularly liked this area very much because there was a lot of trash around and it was quite dirty. Even though Halong Bay is UNESCO protected site, there’s a lot of garbage in the water which is really sad. While kayaking around we picked up some garbage from the water and gave it to the guy who was renting out the kayaks so he can recycle it, but I’m almost sure that everything just ended in the water again.
When we finished kayaking, the boat took us to a cove with really clean and beautiful water so we can swim. There were many other boats but the cove was big enough and didn’t feel crowded. In the afternoon we were taken back to our ship to meet the new crew and have dinner. I really liked this one extra day of cruising around Halong Bay. Cat Ba Island is a real gem and I can imagine staying just on the island for few days and explore its beautiful nature and beaches. halong bay cruise 2 nights
Day 3 - Pearl Farm
Our last morning welcomed us with some short rain again, but soon the sun showed up and we were able to start the day! First we had breakfast which usually consists of toasts, coffee, tea and egg omelet. It was simple but good and filling. There’s a fridge with coke and juices for purchase, the final bill is usually paid at the end before the cruise finishes. halong bay cruise 2 nights
Net fishing
After the breakfast the staff showed us how to net fish! We got on a smaller wooden boat to set up the nets near the bay and then leaving them there so we can have lunch later (we didn’t catch anything but still got lunch). While setting up the nets, we could see many small fishing boats doing the same. Fish are the main part of people’s diet in this region and fishing is also the main source of income for many locals.
Pearl Farm
When all the nets were set, we continued on our way to visit pearl farm to learn something about cultivating pearls and to see the whole process. The farm village is built entirely on water and it’s one of very few villages that can legally operate in Halong Bay (in the past, there used to be many floating villages, but because the inhabitants didn’t solve their problems with trash and pollution and because Halong Bay became part of UNESCO, they had to be moved to the shores and to the islands).
Our tour included a step-by-step demonstration on how to harvest the pearls, know-hows, and must-dos when farming and producing these treasured gems from scratch. As for the local people that work here on a daily basis, there were about 40-50 of the employees in total with ages raging from 18 to 40 years old. Among these workers, some of them live on the mainland and the rest stay on the farm to take care of the place during the night. halong bay cruise 2 nights
Because I love jewelry and nice accessories, I considered this place quite interesting, especially the shop where you can buy high quality pearls in different price ranges. The staff members will tell you exactly where the pearl is from, what is special about it and of course the price. They have black as well as white pearls and they are either farmed, or the most expensive ones were simply found and fished from the bay. I got myself a ring as a forever memory of our two days spent in Halong Bay.
Packing, lunch on the boat and goodbye
After visiting the pearl farm, we got some time to pack and then had our last lunch on the board of our cruise ship. One thing that really surprised me during our stay in Halong bay was the fact that there were no mosquitoes! I didn’t use repellent once and didn’t get a single bite. I don’t know if it’s caused by seasons, but I found this fact quite amusing so I thought I’d share it with you. halong bay cruise 2 nights
I really enjoyed our cruise in Halong Bay and I’d recommend everyone visiting this place when in Vietnam. It doesn’t matter if you opt for just a day cruise or you’ll stay 2 nights, but this place is truly spectacular and deserves your attention. If you’d like to know more about our Vietnamese adventures or if you are looking for an itinerary inspiration from north Vietnam to the south, check out my previous article here.
Have you been to Vietnam and Halong Bay? How many days did you stay? What was your favorite part of the trip? Please let me know in the comments!
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