Halong Bay as known as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is famous because its stunning limestone mountains raising up from emerald waters that formed from thousand years ago. Vietnam Travel Tips
Halong Bay is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site twice and a very popular tourist destination in the northeast part of Vietnam, under the management of both Quang Ninh and Hai Phong provinces. Vietnam Travel Tips
The whole of Halong Bay or sometimes referred to as the Gulf of Tonkin has an area of around 1,500km2, which contains approximately 1,969 islands and islets made from karst limestone towering like skyscrapers throughout the bay, formed through millions of years.
A long history and tremendous values lie within Halong magnificent limestone mountains.
Normal limestone mountains are usually found on the ground, however, the Halong Bay’s limestones are raised from above the water.
It’s taken 500 million years to form Halong Bay to 2000 limestone islands as today.
Human beings have inhabited the area for centuries but made no damage to the heritage. The appearance, indeed, added unique cultural values to Halong Bay.
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Make the most of your visit
Halong Bay retains much of the otherworldly magic conjured up by 1969 jungle-clad islands and islets rising from deep emerald waters. Getting there is increasingly straightforward, thanks to the 2018 building of an expressway connecting Halong City and Ha Noi, and the opening of Van Don International Airport (with flights to Ho Chi Minh city, and international flights coming soon) a mere 50km from Halong Bay.
But the bay's popularity has taken its toll. Concerned about overcrowding, water pollution and litter, the Vietnamese government has imposed strict regulations.
Today, boats must follow one of five prescribed routes through the bay, meaning overnight cruises leaving roughly from the same place at the same time play follow-the-leader as they hit the major highlights of the bay almost in frustrating concert. In addition, swimming is only allowed at a few designated beaches, with drones surveilling the skies to make sure boat captains comply.
Especially with these rules in place, your choice of cruise can make or break your Halong Bay experience.
Luxury cruises
Want to spoil yourself? Halong Bay has some sumptuous cruise options that are basically luxury hotels on water. You’re paying for the experience of five-star amenities here – not for any particular divergence from the typical cruise itinerary – but if you want to live it up from a swanky sun-lounger while watching the sun set over a vista of craggy jungle-topped islands, you can’t really go wrong.
For a luxury cruise, bank on spending around US$300–350 for a cabin.
Pros: It’s a serious treat. While the cost may seem high, it typically includes higher quality meals and amenities on board, such as a spa or gym, as well as entry to Halong Bay.
Cons: Those who are after good value should probably look at midrange options. Overnight trips (marketed as two-day/one-night trips) usually involve 24 hours or less on the actual boat, which can rankle given what you pay for the experience.
Budget and midrange cruises
Most Halong Bay visitors go for midrange or budget cruises, but there is a huge range when it comes to price and value for money. At one end of the scale are some ultra-budget boats where conditions are rustic at best; at the other are some excellent midrange options offering cosy hotel-style cabins, knowledgeable on-board tour guides and kayaking stops. If purse strings are tight, for facilities, comfort and safety considerations, it’s sometimes better to choose a day cruise with a midrange operator rather than a bargain-basement overnight trip.
Budget cruise prices start from US$60 per person for a day trip. Paying between US$110 and US$130 should get you a worthwhile overnight midrange cruise.
Pros: Competition is fierce, which means plenty of operators add freebies into the itinerary, such as kayaking and private minibus transfers from Hanoi.
Cons: You have to wade through a lot of options, which can be confusing. It’s worth doing your pre-trip research.
Day cruises
If you’re pressed for time, do as many locals do and see Halong Bay on a day cruise from Tuan Chau Marina in Halong city Cruise boats can be rented by the hour (around US$30 per hour for a boat that accommodates up to 20 passengers) or you can join other passengers aboard a four- to six-hour cruise for about US$50 per person. Options vary greatly, so check whether the price includes lunch.
Pros: Day cruises are cheap and easily organised tours right on the spot in Halong City, plus there’s free entertainment on board provided by karaoke.
Cons: Can be crowded and noisy, with only time enough for a few stops. Did we mention the karaoke?
Inside Hang Thien Cung, a cave at Halong Bay
Most decent midrange Halong Bay cruises will offer an hour or so of kayaking (some charging an extra fee). Paddling around the karsts allows you to experience the limestone towers from a completely different angle: up close and without the constant thrum of an engine in the background.
For more experienced kayakers, there are also kayak-only trips. These trips are run by a handful of operators based in nearby Lan Ha Bay (off Cat Ba Island) rather than Halong Bay itself, though Lan Ha’s islet-scattered sea has as much wow factor as Halong Bay and is much less visited.
Full-day kayaking trips from Cat Ba Island cost between US$25 and US$30 per person.
Pros: In one of Southeast Asia’s most popular tourist destinations, a kayak trip is a way of escaping the crowds.
Cons: On a full kayaking tour, you’re only going to see a sliver of the area. To see more, it’s a better idea to take a cruise that includes a kayaking stop.
Safety
One of the most important reasons to steer away from the ultra-budget cruises is safety. After a boat sinking (and the loss of 12 lives) in 2011, new safety regulations were brought in for Halong Bay cruise boats, but scrimping on safety does still go on with some fly-by-night operators.
In particular, check that any kayaking stops are accompanied by a guide. Because of the variable and surprisingly strong currents close to the karst islands, a safety-conscious operator won’t allow kayakers to paddle off from the boat by themselves.
Booking tips
Most trips leave from Hanoi, but you can also base yourself in Halong City. When you're booking, bear these tips in mind:
The Halong Bay entry fee is US$13 per person for a day cruise and US$25 for an overnight cruise. This is generally included in your ticket, though it's worth double-checking for the cheapest cruises. Activities like kayaking and island bike rides may cost extra.
When comparing prices, check whether a transfers between Hanoi and Halong Bay are included, and if so, whether it’s one-way or round-trip, and if it uses the new expressway or not.
While the Ha Long–Hai Phong Expressway has cut travel time between Hanoi and Halong Bay to 2½ hours, that really only applies to private vehicles which don’t stop to pick up any other passengers and which don’t make the usual 30-minute comfort stop halfway through the journey. Aboard a shuttle bus, plan for a three to 3½-hour ride.
Check closely to see whether overnight cruise rates are priced by cabin or by person. Single travellers should expect to pay 70-80% of the full cabin price.
The itinerary on a one-night cruise can be very packed, with shore excursions, kayaking, swimming and hiking all included, leaving little time to actually just sit and watch the amazing scenery during daylight hours. If you have the time, a two-night itinerary is much more leisurely, with the bonus of visiting sights with fewer people around.
7 famous specialties in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Halong tourism in particular and Quang Ninh in general not only owns beautiful natural landscapes but also many famous and savoury specialties from sea waves. Here are the lists of can-not-miss dishes that you should try when visiting Halong.
Sticky rice with golden grilled chopped squid, eat with fish sauce and pepper, all make a super delicous dish for breakfast or lunch. The average price for a plate ranges from 15,000 to 20,000 VND, or you can buy only grilled chopped squid with the price from 250,000 VND.
2. Pancake with grilled chopped squid (Bánh cuốn chả mực)
“Banh cuon” with meat, mushrooms, fungus, shredded meat and onion-scented, served with famous grilled chopped squid, all create unforgetable taste. You can enjoy it near Bach Dang cinema, Halong city.
3. Ngán dish (Món ngán)
“Ngán” is a bivalve mollusk such as clams, can be processed in various ways: grilled, steamed, made soup, fried with noodles or vegetables. “Ngán” also can be used to make wine which owns sea scented. You can try it in all restaurants in Halong, if you want to buy wine, you can go to Cai Ram market and Vuon Dao area.
4. Sipunculus (Sá sùng)
Sipunculus is a kind of sand worm, a kind of seafood that only exists in Halong. Fresh sipunculus fried with garlic spikes make a delicious dish. You can dry sipunculus into dark brown then grilled or roasted it to use with a cold cup of beer or spices for noodle broth. Sipunculus are rare, if also very high price, one kg close to 4 million.
5. Horseshoe crab( Món sam biển )
Another attractive specialty of Halong is horseshoe crab, an arthropod crustacean. From this, people can process a lot of delicious and unusual dishes such as: blood pudding, salad, sweet and sour fried legs, sauteed with lemon grass, fried horseshoe crab’s eggs, steamed, baked cartilage, fried with vermicelli and so on. You want to enjoy it, let’s go to Gieng Don or Cao Xanh area.
6. Cà sáy Tiên Yên
“Cà sáy” is the hybrid of duck and cairina, through processing of Tien Yen people, the flavor becomes doublly delicious. Tien Yen people process “cà sáy” and make its specialized sauce which has the fragnant flavor of Cai Rong, Van Yen, Cat Hai fish sauce, the sweetness of Quang Tay “xá xị” and the mild pungency of Tien Yen ginger grown on home soil.
7. Hoanh Bo soaked wine rice (Rượu nếp ngâm Hoành Bồ ở Hạ Long)
Wine is made from local specialty – glutinous rice. No pounding sticky rice is cooked then incubated. When fermented and soaked to the point, people enter the ferment leaves that taken from Hoanh Bo forest, after long time it turns into alcohol which is put into the jars to drink slowly. Hoanh Bo soaked rice wine are sour, slightly sweet, which stimulates digestion that is very good, especially in the summer.
When to go
One of the best times to visit Halong Bay is November – there are blue skies aplenty, temperatures are moderate and there’s a good chance of calm seas. From May to September, tropical storms can whip up without much warning. This is also high season in Halong, particularly from June to mid-August when domestic tourism peaks.
February to April is often cool and drizzly, and the fog can make visibility low, though also adds an ethereal atmosphere. Year-round, cruises and tourist boats sometimes need to alter their itineraries, or trips can be cancelled with little warning depending on the weather and sea conditions. If you’re booking a cruise, check the fine print for the refund procedures.
Where to book Halong Bay citytour
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