Cruise Along Ha Long Bay Vietnam

Upon returning to Hanoi from the mountain area of Sapa, we headed out to the iconic Ha Long Bay, which was another long drive. It’s about 4-5 hours from Hanoi with a 30 minute pit stop at the pearl farm where you learn how they mass produce pearls which is quite interesting.

Once we arrived in Ha Long Bay, we boarded the Bhaya Classic Cruise Boat for an overnight excursion of the bay.  The boat itself is a bit older but very well kept and the service was excellent.  We had a very nice cabin with our own bathroom and window; but, we spent most of our time on the top deck enjoying the view.  The boat’s pace is slow and steady so that you can admire the thousands of limestone islands throughout the bay.

They served us a delicious buffet lunch and after lunch, we took a smaller boat to a floating fishing village, where the fishermen literally live on the water.  You can choose to kayak through the village or have a local villager row you around on a canoe.  There wasn’t A LOT to see as far as sights, but it was interesting to learn how the villagers survive by their fishing skills and what it’s like to live in a floating village.  

Upon our return, I had a great massage in the tiny spa for about $25. We socialized with the other guests and eventually were served a beautiful plated dinner.  You can even take a class to learn how to cook a traditional Vietnamese dish such as fried spring rolls.  And in the evening, you can try your luck at squid fishing off the back of the boat.  Mike stayed up quite late and ended up catching 5 squid!

The next morning after a coffee and pastry, we headed out to see an ancient cave then came back for a proper breakfast.  The cruise docked back in the harbor around 11am and we were off to Hanoi again to catch a flight to Dong Hoi.  If I had to do it again, I would spend 2 nights in Ha Long Bay because it really is a beautiful place but damn, it’s a long drive for just 1 night.