When you close your eyes and picture Vietnam, what comes to mind? Rice paddies? Conical hats? Crazy motorbike traffic?
These were all things I had in mind before traveling to Vietnam. And I did indeed encounter them all, nearly every day. But there was one other image that would pop into my head: that of the tall limestone islands of Ha Long Bay.
Located in the Gulf of Tonkin and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being “a spectacular seascape sculpted by nature,” Ha Long Bay has long been a popular destination for travelers to Vietnam.
And I didn't want to miss it, either.
I had some misgivings about traveling to Ha Long Bay, however. After all, it's located in northern Vietnam, which is often prone to smoggy air drifting down from China and/or poor weather that often leads to little-to-no visibility. It's also quite popular with backpackers taking party cruises, and I was worried about the Bay being crowded and noisy.
But you know what? The Ha Long Bay that I experienced in late January exceeded all my expectations.
I visited Ha Long Bay as part of an Intrepid Travel tour of Vietnam. We arrived to the Bay before lunchtime after a few hours of driving from Hanoi and upon arrival boarded a private “junk boat” which would become our overnight home out on the water.
I LOVED our boat. It wasn't new or fancy like some of the other tourist boats you can spot out on Ha Long Bay, but it had character. It also was miles away from the party boats I had pictured — each cabin was fitted with a real bed, a Western toilet, and even a shower nozzle. Above the cabins was a dining/sitting area, and above that was an open-air deck with some sun chairs.
If you are going to Ha Long Bay, booking an overnight cruise is really the best thing you can do.
Our overnight cruise included so many highlights, from gorging ourselves on fresh seafood to kayaking among the karsts to singing karaoke onboard after the sun had set.
Here are photos from my Ha Long Bay cruise:
Seeing Ha Long Bay in the morning:
Kayaking around the limestone islands:
Cruising past floating villages (and vendors):
Visiting Sung Sot Cave (AKA Surprise Cave):
And watching the sun light up the islands and then set into the Bay:
And as for my fear of it being crowded? Well, with more than 1,600 “islands” covering more than 1,500 square kilometers, there really is plenty of space at Ha Long Bay.
It may not remain this way forever, though. While the Ha Long Bay I saw was indeed beautiful and weirdly quiet at times, there's no denying that things could easily take a turn for the worst here if we tourists aren't careful.
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Is Ha Long Bay someplace YOU would like to visit?
*Note: I visited Ha Long Bay as part of a complimentary tour of Vietnam and Cambodia with Intrepid Travel. As always, though, opinions are completely my own.
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
I’m so glad to see that Ha Long Bay remains wonderful! Sadly, there was basically zero sunshine when I went, but it was still gorgeous. I think kayaking around was definitely my favorite part- exploring some of the areas where the boats aren’t allowed was unreal.
Kayaking was such a highlight! I’d actually never done it before, so it was extra cool for me.
And I imagine it would still be pretty awesome to see it all misty and kind of mysterious… But I won’t’ lie – I was really glad for the sun!
I was on Halong Bay at the same time as you, also not on a party boat. It was one of the main reasons I went to Vietnam and it didn’t disappoint me. In the South, the Mekong Delta is entirely different but also amazing.
Awesome to hear, Bill! I’m glad you enjoyed it as well.
And I agree – the Mekong Delta was also great!
It seems hard to take a bad picture there but as always, your photos are stunning! I’d love to visit one day and I’ll definitely book an overnight cruise. This looks so cool. Thanks for sharing!
Happy travels 🙂
In my opinion, and overnight cruise is the only way to really experience this place!
Ahhhh – you were definitely lucky to get such a beautiful and clear day! The Ha Long Bay I knew does not look like the pictures above :p Beautiful pictures, especially the one with the limestone islands stretching across the horizon and beyond. LOVE!
I am well aware how lucky we were with the great weather!
Great description on what sounds like one of the most incredible places on the planet. I also loved the photo of the floating vendors-I love destinations that “offer” this. And that sunrise/sunset picture belongs on a guidebook cover!
Awww, thanks Julie! And yeah, the floating vendors were fun! It was so random to look over the side of the boat and see them sidling up.
Wow, I had no idea the area was so big. For some reason I pictured it to be much smaller! Gorgeous sunset photo.
I had always pictured it to be quite small (and possibly cramped), too! But no! It’s HUGE!
I am loving reading your Vietnam posts, Amanda, as I’m going there in eight weeks. Thanks for the tips!
Awesome to hear, Liz! I have plenty more to write!
Stunning! Is this where they filmed that james bond movie “tomorrow never dies”? Great pictures anyhow!
It’s not where they filmed that! The “Tomorrow Never Dies” scenes you are probably picturing were filmed in Thailand – but I’m hoping to visit those islands on this trip, too!
Wow, such a beautiful place. Especially seeing it down low in a kayak.
Agreed! Kayaking was such a highlight – we even saw monkeys!
Ha Long Bay has been on my list for ages! I really hope to visit before it becomes overly touristy.
I hope you can, too! It already is quite touristy, but not nearly as bad as I had feared!
These pictures are beautiful! You can totally make a Ha Long Bay calendar for extra cash 😉
Haha, thanks! Perhaps I’ll have to take special calendar orders. 😉
Looks like you had wonderful weather! I too visited in January (four years ago) and our first day was beautiful and sunny, though overcast the next morning. I absolutely loved it – like you I didn’t want a party cruise and thankfully I learnt which companies to avoid after a bit of research.
We got SO lucky with the weather! A few days earlier no boats went out because of poor visibility, and the morning after our main cruising day it was overcast and quite gray. So glad I got to see it in nice weather!
Ha long bay is beautiful without a doubt. Travel changes so many false impressions about a country.
So true! I’m really glad I went.
So pretty! I need to put this on my list of things I need to do! I’ve heard of Intrepid Travel tours but I’ve never done one. I wonder if there is an alternative to seafood.
I’ve now been on 5 Intrepid trips all around the world, and have really enjoyed them. And yes, they made non-seafood meals for someone in our group!
It must be a very beautiful place, and quiet too. I’d love to go one day!
It was surprisingly very quiet, considering how many people were out on the Bay!