Cruising Around the Bay

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Halong Bay is a can't-miss stop on any first time vacation in Vietnam. The tree covered limestone islands that jut out of the water are absolutely breathtaking. The easiest way to see the bay is to arrange a tour out of Hanoi. The typical itinerary is a three hour drive east of the city to the coast, followed by lunch. Depending on what tour company you use, there will be different comfort levels of the buses and your accomodations, which are typically on a junk boat on the bay. During the afternoon you cruise around the bay and usually stop at some caves (see photo) and then go off to a little cove for a swim. You stay on the water overnight and head back to land just in time for the next group get on the boat. There are tons of tourists there all doing the same thing, so the port and the docks near the caves are packed with boats.

I booked my tour with Kangaroo Cafe, which is a mid-level tour operator. It was nice that we only had 12 people from countries ranging from Australia to France. That meant that there was plenty of space on the bus and on the boat. I even had my own room even though there were two twin beds, and if the group had been bigger I would have had to share.

The weather continued to be rainy, just like it was in the rest of Vietnam, but the sites were still incredible. Words really can't do justice to the bay's beauty, so I'll keep this one short and let you fill in the blanks by checking out my photos.

Travel tidbits:

• Kangaroo Cafe is run by an Australian guy. I was pleased with the overall two day tour, which cost $59 and included transportation, accomodation and meals. I would definitely recommend them. You can find cheaper options for as low as $28, but I hear that you are jumping around from one group to another for different portions of the trip. Part of the fun was getting to hang out with your group for both days. Of course, some of the higher end tour companies offer nicer buses and boats.
  

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Photos

Our Junk
Staying on the boat overnight

Caves in the Bay
Used to be a Viet Cong hideout during the war

Comments

[MA-nster]

Photos
Great photos. Definitely on my list of places to visit.