Halong Bay is an amazing place to visit. It is a New 7 Wonders of Nature winner, and also a UNESCO World Heritage Area. Halong Bay is worthy of any traveller’s Bucket List. That’s why we’ve put together 13 useful tips, to help you cruise Halong Bay the best way possible.
13 Useful Tips to Cruise Halong Bay
When you start researching the best Halong Bay cruise you will quickly see that there are literally hundreds to choose from. It is mission impossible to tell which cruises are the good ones, and which ones should be left alone. So what’s the trick to separating the wheat from the chaff?
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Tip 1 – Best Duration
Decide on whether a Halong Bay day trip, overnight cruise or a two night cruise is best for you. Typically this will depend on your budget, and what you can fit into your busy itinerary.
- Day trip – for the budget conscious or time limited traveller who want a glimpse of the bay.
- Overnight Halong Bay cruise – for the budget conscious or the traveller who wants to experience more of the bay than a fleeting glimpse.
- Two night Halong Bay cruise – for the traveller who wants to completely immerse themselves in Halong Bay and truly experience the glorious ambience. See the remote areas of Halong Bay.
Tip 2 – Suitable Budget
Decide on your budget. Typically there are three tiers of Halong Bay Cruises.
- Budget – US$300-$400 per couple per night
- Luxury – US$500-$650 per couple per night
- Premium Luxury – US$1000-$1400 per couple per night
Keep in mind that the Halong Bay cruise price does not need to dictate your level of enjoyment. There is no doubt that a budget cruise can still satisfy your every desire.
Tip 3 – Read the Cruise Reviews
For Luxury and Premium Luxury cruises book ahead on the internet prior to your trip. Then you have the advantage of checking through hundreds of customer reviews. Sifting through these Halong Bay cruise reviews gives you a distinct advantage over booking locally, where you’re forced to rely on the seller’s word and the accuracy of their brochures.
Also some great discounts are possible booking ahead online. Major hotel booking sites like booking.com offer these cruises in their hotels section, just set a filter for “Property Type” = “Boats”.
Tip 4 – Day Trips
For a Halong Bay day trip, allow a one night stop over in the old quarter of Hanoi before your cruise. Book through your hotel travel desk, or simply walk up to any of the reputable looking travel shops for a great deal. This seems to contradict tip 3, but read on.
Booking a Halong Bay day trip locally you can be sure to synchronise with a nice day, not a rainy day. This is especially true during the shoulder seasons, where rainy weather patterns can set in. There is literally no chance of 500 boats being booked out, so don’t worry about the F.O.M.O. factor.
Tip 5 – Securing a Transfer to Halong Bay
Transfers from Hanoi to Halong Bay are easily organised from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter for about US$15 per person in a luxury van. Cruise operators may offer the same for $20 per person.
If you want to stay in Halong Bay for a bit longer and book your own way back to Hanoi I found that An Binh Travel offers one way trips Halong Bay to Hanoi for US $16 per person, and can be booked online. The mode of transport is luxury van, which is typically fitted with 6 spacious passenger seats. Allow about 4 hours for this trip, and ask for door to door service.
Tip 6 – Booking a Halong Bay Luxury Cruise
If you prefer to go in style aboard a Halong Bay luxury cruise, there is simply no need to book the $1200 per couple per night premium luxury cruises. Regular luxury such as Signature Royal Halong Cruise offer ample 5 star luxury for half the price of the opulent Premium Luxury options.
Tip 7 – Longer Cruises
If two nights are not enough, cruises can typically accommodate guests for a full week. Email or call the cruise operator if this option appeals to you, although you will most likely have to pay the same daily rate as a 2 night cruise.
Tip 8 – Visiting Remote Areas
Be sure to confirm that your itinerary includes the remote areas of Halong Bay. Day trips can quickly crowd the front section of the bay. The far reaches are much more quiet and pristine. Here you can get beautiful beaches all to yourself and experience the true ambience of Halong Bay.
Tip 9 – Buying Jewellery
Bring a couple of million dong cash to purchase some nice pearl jewellery at the floating pearl farm, the value is quite reasonable. Don’t worry, they will also accept major credit cards. You will find that most cruises include a tour of the floating fishing village and pearl farm. These are accessed by small 4 seat row boats.
Tip 10 – Go Kayaking
Check if sea kayaking is on your itinerary, this is a very cool experience not to be missed. Make sure your health is up to this strenuous activity, and be aware that back rests might not be an option. There are many limestone caves which can be paddled into, this is a great experience in the calm waters. Halong Bay kayaking was definitely one of the highlights of our trip.
Tip 11 – Cabin Security
Generally you need to book a luxury cruise to ensure a security safe is available. Most budget cruises do not provide a room safe. In fact, if you choose the budget option be sure to have secure lockable luggage. You will be spending a lot of time off the boat doing tours, so good security is imperative.
Tip 12 – Cabin Private Balcony
Also check if your cabin has a private balcony, this may be one of the highlights of your Halong Bay cruise. There’s nothing quite like chilling out on your own private balcony, marvelling at the beauty of your surroundings.
Tip 13 – Extra Activities
Check what extra activities your cruise has. On the cruise we went on, the Signature Royal Halong Cruise, there were loads of extra activities including:
- Kayaking among the islands and caves
- Vietnamese cooking classes
- Night squid fishing
- Pearl farm tour
- Visiting Halong Bay caves
- Day cruise to outer islands
- Swimming on remote beaches
There were also 6am tai-chi classes on up on the main deck, however light drizzle put an end to those.
We participated in every available extra activity and they were all well worth the effort. They will make your Halong Bay Cruise even more memorable.
Have a Happy Halong Bay Tour
These tips will hopefully help you to sort through the plethora of cruise options available. You will undoubtedly find some negative comments whilst researching Halong Bay cruises. Whilst some of these are true, many negative comments are false or unfair.
Do not let negative comments persuade you to miss visiting this area, or you will forever regret leaving Halong Bay off your Vietnam itinerary. The cruise is definitely bucket list worthy for any budget!
Have a Happy Halong Bay cruise! Check out our Quick Travel Guide to Halong Bay for more information.
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It looks like a very fun trip to do, and it’s funny to thing to buy expensive jewelry while in a life jacket ahah
Yeah we were happy with every bit of this trip, 10 out of 10. And the jewellery made it home to 🙂
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