Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO site of some 1,600 karst islands and islets, and the way to see it is from a boat that stays out overnight — the day boats from the city piers do a loop past the busiest islands and turn back before the light gets good. Overnight junks range from two-cabin wooden boats to floating hotels with pools; one night gives you the sunset, the dawn tai chi on deck and a morning kayak; two nights get you to the far reaches where the other boats are not.
The bay has three faces. Ha Long Bay proper, from the main piers, is the classic core with Sung Sot cave, Ti Top island's viewpoint beach and the highest boat density. Lan Ha Bay, to the south around Cat Ba Island, has the same karst with quieter anchorages, white-sand coves and better kayaking, and is where the newer cruise lines have moved. Bai Tu Long Bay, to the north-east, is the least developed and the choice for travellers who want the scenery without the traffic. Ask which bay a cruise actually sails before you book.
Cruises include meals, a cave or floating-village visit, kayaking or a bamboo-boat paddle, and a cooking demonstration; the differences are the cabin, the food and the route. Book directly with the cruise operator or a licensed Hanoi agent, check the cancellation policy for weather (the maritime authority closes the bay in storms), and bring a warm layer — the water is cold from December to February even when the days are pleasant.
Hanoi is the gateway: the Old Quarter, the Temple of Literature and the street food are two days well spent. Cruise operators run shuttle buses; a private chauffeur on the expressway to the pier is two and a half hours and lets you leave at a civilised hour. Pair the bay with Ninh Binh — Trang An's river caves and the Mua Cave viewpoint, the 'Ha Long on land' two hours south of Hanoi — for the karst in both its forms.
Three things to get right
- Overnight, not a day boat; Lan Ha or Bai Tu Long for fewer boats.
- Confirm which bay the cruise sails and its weather-cancellation policy.
- Add Ninh Binh (Trang An, Mua Cave) — the same limestone, on land.
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