All Posts, Asia, Vietnam · Ha Long Bay Cruise – Vietnam Bucket List Ha Long Bay, with its jade green emerald waters and jutting limestone karsts, is a bucket list destination for any tourist visiting Vietnam. With over 2,000 islands, the beauty of Ha Long Bay is just waiting to be discovered. Don’t miss out on an overnight Ha Long Bay Cruise for the ultimate Vietnam Bucket List experience. A bit of Ha Long Bay history The formation of Halong Bay is over 500 million years in the making. Most recently crowned as a ‘New Seven Natural Wonder of the World”, not many people know about the legends of Halong Bay’s origins. In Vietnamese, the name “Ha Long” literally means “descending dragon”. According to legend, Hạlong Bay was formed when gods sent down dragons to protect the Vietnamese locals from invaders. To create a barrier against attacking ships. dragons dropped jewels from their mouths into the bay, creating the limestone islands we see now. The more realistic explanation for Ha Long Bay’s unique landscapes is a result of long-term geological evolution. Sculptured by tectonic movement, this unique landscape has been millions of years in the making. Today, Halong bay is known for its tourism industry, with over 2.5 million people cruising through its famous waters each year. What to do in Ha long Bay? Cruise, of course! A cruise is the best way to experience the towering limestone pillars throughout the bay. You can enjoy the bay on a day cruise, and overnight cruise, or a multi-day cruise. The overnight cruises are the most popular option as they give you ample time to enjoy the experience. My Experience The #1 reason why I decided to visit Vietnam again? Ha Long Bay. During my first Vietnam trip 4 years ago, I had great intentions to visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, plans don’t always work out the way you expect – something I would quickly learn to be the norm rather than the exception when traveling. Ha Long experienced the heaviest rainfall in 40 years while I was planning to visit several years ago, so I canceled my cruise plans and decided to visit Ninh Binh instead, known as Ha Long Bay on land. I loved Ninh Bihn, but was still eager to come back and experience Ha Long Bay for myself. When deciding which tour company to cruise Ha Long Bay with, there are a TON of options to choose from. So how do you pick the right one? My husband and I decided to join an overnight cruise with Secret Ha Long Cruise This amazing cruise company checked off all my criteria and more: They cruise on a different route, away from the normal tourist route Offer extra activities like kayaking, exploring caves, etc.Have rave reviews about their service, food, and accommodations Here are my top 7 reasons why the Secret Ha Long Bay Cruise is one of the best options in Ha Long Bay: 1. Secret Route The Secret Ha Long Cruise does as its name suggests – it finds a secret route through the bay and anchors away from all the other cruise boats. You may have heard that Ha Long Bay is a victim of its own success, with too many cruise boats flooding the bay each year. With the Secret Ha Long Cruise, you seemingly have the bay to yourself, making for an unforgettable experience. 2. Kayaking What enticed me most about this cruise was the number of extra activities they offered. I tend to get bored very easily when on a cruise/beach-type vacation, so having the option to explore the area was a huge plus. Our first activity was one of my favorites: kayaking. Anchoring in a spot where no other boats were to be seen, we climbed into kayaks and set off on a journey through deserted caves and coves. You don’t realize just how tall these limestone cliffs jutting out of the water are until you’re kayaking between them. It was a new perspective to see the cliffs up close, with their lush jungle vegetation set on top of rocks meticulously carved out over millions of years, We kayaked for around an hour, constantly in awe of Ha Long Bay’s beauty and amazed that no other cruises had the idea to also visit the area in this manner. After taking in the sights, your guide will challenge everyone to a kayak race – the first one back to the docks wins! 3. Explore Ho Dong Tien Cave Think Ha Long Bay’s only attraction is on the water? I did too. Turns out, there’s even more to be discovered on land with numerous caves lurking inside Ha Long Bay’s cliffs. To date, over 50 caves have been found, with many more thought to be undiscovered. Arriving at Ho Dong Tien Cave, our guide gave everyone a flashlight – as if that was a sign of the darkness we were about to venture into. We then followed him between narrow openings and dark tunnels and arrived at a large opening in the cave with various stalactites hanging down from the ceiling. The second chamber of the cave led us to a small, fresh-water lake surrounded by limestone mountains. According to legend, this is where fairies came for bathing and sleeping. Therefore, the locals call it “Ho Dong Tien” (Fairy Lake Cave). 4. Make Home Made Spring Rolls Have you ever tried to make your own spring rolls? Turns out, it is surprisingly easy, and you’ll learn how to create this Vietnamese staple dish step-by-step: Place your rice paper on the plateAwkwardly use chopsticks (if you’re chopstick challenged like me) to add the vegetables, noodles, and meatRoll the rice paper VERY carefully into a spring rollEat as many spring rolls as possible (3 for Sarah, 5 for my husband) Learning about different cultures is what inspires us most when traveling, so getting an insight into how one of the most popular Vietnamese dishes is prepared was a nice extra touch. 5. Sunrise Tai Chi Lesson Rise and shine! Get a glimpse into how the locals start their days with a Tai Chi lesson. Our instructor said he practices Tai Chi every morning! Tai Chi is practiced for its defense training, health benefits, and meditation. Maybe it was from simply being at Ha Long Bay, but I certainly felt very relaxed after our morning Tai Chi session! 6. Sunrise/Sunset The best part of an overnight cruise is watching the sunrise and sunset from the peaceful setting of your boat. The backdrop of the limestone pillars combined with the serenity of sitting in the middle of the bay made this one of the best sunrise/sunsets I have ever experienced. 7. The Boat The Secret Ha Long Cruise offers private cabins with everything you need and more. Being on a boat, I was expecting a cramped room, but it was actually very spacious. Also included are huge windows to admire Ha long bay views without even getting out of bed! How to get to Ha Long Bay? Ha Long Bay is situated approximately 3 hours east of Hanoi. The best way to get here is by booking your transfer through your cruise tour company. Almost every cruise will offer a pick-up from your hotel in Hanoi. The Secret Ha Long Cruise offers a shuttle transfer for only $10USD per person per way. When is the best time to visit Ha Long Bay? Although Ha Long Bay is open for visitors all year round, I recommend planning your trip to avoid the rainy season. Rainy weather is not what you envision when cruising this stunning bay. For the best weather, plan your visit from October-November or March-April. I visited in October and experienced perfect, rain-free weather. It’s easy to see how the beauty Ha Long Bay made its way to my Top 10 Travel Experiences in the World. Would you add it to your bucket list? DID YOU LIKE THIS POST? PIN IT FOR LATER!
