Cruising Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

I have read several blogs about people wanting to capture the “Instagram shot” of a location and then that spot becomes overwhelmed with visitors who only come for a picture. Everyone we talked to who had been to northern Vietnam said, “You have to go to Ha Long Bay.” Unfortunately, that recommendation was shared by everyone who had ever been to Vietnam and it felt like being in a Instagram location. I am glad I had the experience, but I am not sure I can recommend it to everyone.

We took some friends’ advice and booked a 2 day-1 night cruise with Apricot Cruises.  The cost was about $285 Canadian for the 2 of us, including meals and transportation from Hanoi. It’s listed as a 3 Star cruise and I have no issues with this company at all. I booked it through Agoda.com and could cancel for free up until 7 days before the booking. Our hotel offered to book the same cruise, but their price did not include the transportation from Hanoi to Ha Long.

Winter Weather

It was the end of December when we took this trip. Although it had been 28 degrees C earlier in the week, when we left for Ha Long Bay it had cooled to 8 degrees with some showers. Fortunately we had brought a warm jacket, hat and gloves. The Beijing Airport where we layover is known for its lack of heat. I also bought a discounted The North Face raincoat in Hanoi. An Australian man in our group only had shorts and a light jacket.

Cruise Itinerary

Getting to Ha Long Bay

We were picked up by bus from our hotel in Hanoi at about 8 am. There were 31 passengers by the time we finished the collection process. From there we headed to Halong Bay, which is about 3 1/2 hours from Hanoi. The luggage was mostly in the back storage compartment of the bus. The upper shelf was too shallow for most day packs and the seats were quite small in width and leg space, especially if you were holding your pack.

We stopped at a rest stop about halfway there. The washrooms were clean, but to get back to the bus or the coffee bar you had to walk all the way through the salesroom of jewellery, paintings, silk items, etc. where the staff were happy to serve you. It was a great example of capitalism in a communist country.

There were some “disabled workers” doing needlework where they created beautiful scenes out of embroidery thread. The fabric was stretched on a frame and the craftsman had one hand on the top and the other on the bottom returning the needle. Some projects had 2 people working together. All the workers were so fast.

Although the trip was somewhat uncomfortable, I saw lots of rice fields and other agricultural products growing along the way. We passed through several villages and saw many forms of transport along the road.

Ha Long is becoming a destination of its own. New bridges have been built and there is a building that looks like the American White House, but on a smaller scale. Hotels are going up and a water park has been built. The area is developing rapidly.

Getting on the Ship

Our guide had our tickets ready. We loaded our luggage into a smaller boat and rode about a block to our cruising boat. It must be some kind of security issue, because our bus could have dropped us at the boat just as easily.

The harbor was packed with boats of all sizes. Most people take the overnight trip or even a 2 night cruise, but those who stay at Ha Long often just go out for the day, in bigger boats. I’m sure the captains of the boats know what the plan is, but it looked like mayhem to us. That feeling of being overwhelmed by boats did not go away for entire cruise.

Our boat

I never got the name of our boat because there were a couple of flower pots placed in front of where the name was painted. I only knew us as the “Pink Family” because of our guide’s name. We arrived on board and were greeted with some tea and a cool wet cloth. As it was only 10 degrees C, a warm cloth would have been appreciated. There were many stairs on the boat, however, and it would be difficult to manage if you were not able-bodied.

We were given the keys to our stateroom and found it very pleasant. We had a large window looking out over the railing. The bed was a queen size with thick duvets. There were lots of gaps around the door and the windows but the AC unit could be set to heat, which was necessary on this trip.

The walls and floor were very dark wood and the private bathroom had a toilet and shower. The shower was probably typical for a boat in that the floor was raised with wooden slats and the showerhead stuck out into the middle of the bathroom. We were just there overnight so we didn’t try it.

Meals

Meals included large quantities of a variety of food such as large prawns, fried fish, crisp vegetable salad, chicken wings, pork ribs,etc. We sat at tables of 6-7 and the meal was served family style. Just as I was sure I was done, they would bring another plate or bowl of something. Those passengers who were vegetarian, or who didn’t eat pork were accommodated with other choices. Breakfast was a buffet, but the other meals were served. Food was included in the price but drinks were extra.

The mealtimes were a great opportunity to chat and share. The passengers were from all over the world and ranged in age from 8 to 60. Everyone had a different story about how they ended up in Vietnam, and on this cruise in particular.

Things to do

Surprise Cave

We were scheduled to visit Surprise Cave and Titop Island that afternoon. The problem is that all the other people who drove out from Hanoi for the day and boarded their boats seemed to have the same itinerary.

The line up to enter the cave was enormous and poorly managed. The path was narrow and steep in places. There were a couple of places to stop for pictures but then those who stopped pushed their way back into line. At one point, the line narrowed to single file and many people just pushed others out of the way to maintain their spot, instead of merging 2 or 3 wide into 1 line.

The cave, though, was impressive once we got inside. it was an enormous cavern that stretched deep into the island. Lights and walkways had been added for safety, although we saw people step over the ropes and cut across through protected areas. There were many kinds of rock formations on the walls, floor and ceiling. I have never seen such a large cave. Because it was so large, the crowds spread out inside so it didn’t feel so crowded.

The line to exit was in a different part of the cave and moved more smoothly. The area around the cave was filled with boats, waiting to pick up their passengers. By the time we got back in our small boat for the trip to Titop Island, there was no one waiting to enter the cave.

Titop Island

We arrived at Titop Island around 5 pm. It has a trail to the top where you can view the bay. It also has a beach where you can go for a swim. Although the water was quite warm, the air temperature was only 13 by then. A few people were in the water from other groups, but it was too cold for me. Many from our group hiked up to see the view of the bay. I watched the swimmers and some young men playing very entertaining football on the beach.

Evening

Although there was a large sundeck on the roof of our boat, it was far too cold and windy for a sunset party. Because of the heavy clouds and threatening showers, there wasn’t even a sunset. It just got dark. Once that happened, all the boats set their anchors for the night.

After dinner, some passengers like to fish for squid or sing Karaoke. In our group, most were tired from an early morning and long drive and went to bed. Beverages were available in the restaurant area for anyone who stayed up.

Day 2

Oyster Farm

Morning Tai Chi was not held. It had cooled to 8 degrees C and everyone stayed in their warm beds as long as possible. After breakfast we loaded into the smaller boat and toured an Oyster Farm to see how pearls are produced. It was quite interesting with lots of demonstrations with real oysters. There was also a showroom where you could purchase pearl jewellery. We saw an $8000 black pearl! The best part was an old poster on what kind of pearls you should wear at various stages of your life.

Passing the time

The itinerary called for kayaking at this stop. There were 5 or 6 boats out from other cruises, but it was cold, windy and the waves seemed a little high for me. Our guide didn’t recommend it. We went back to the boat and after clearing out our rooms played card games instead. I thought that was a great compromise. Interesting travellers sharing stories and teaching others their favorite card games. I also spent time on the sundeck watching the islands and all the other boats.

The guide did a demonstration lesson on making fresh spring rolls before lunch. After another great feast we returned to dock with the flotilla of other cruise boats, around 1 pm. We reversed the arrival process and got back to our hotel in Hanoi about 5 pm.

The Cruise experience

I talked with some of the others in our group about this trip and our opinions were quite similar. It was a good experience in all. The grey skies and cold temperatures certainly did not look like the brochures but travellers can’t control the weather. Travelling overnight on a boat was fun, even if we didn’t get to do everything listed in the promotional material. The cave was spectacular, once we finally made it inside. The pearl growing process was new and a worthwhile stop.

According to our guide, summer is the busy time for locals people, and winter is the busy time for foreigners. She said there are up to 600 boats in the bay at one time. I don’t know if that number reflects our time on the water.

So, I have mixed feelings about taking a Cruise on Ha Long Bay. While it was a good experience with interesting people, there are many others all wanting to do the same thing. If you have reasonable expectations then you will enjoy it. If you want to give it a pass, take a long tail boat trip in Krabi through the islands instead.