Cruise in Ha Long Bay

Dad and I as the boat was just leaving the harbor

As I finished up my semester teaching in Thailand I welcomed the arrival of my dad, step-mom and step-brother for a week exploring Bangkok and Chiang Mai. After a week my step-mom and step-brother had to get back to the States but my dad had more vacation time to take advantage of, so we flew over to Hanoi, Vietnam for a few days of historical sites and cooler temperatures. With only five days in northern Vietnam my dad had a long list of museums and war memorials that he wanted to visit in Hanoi, however, I'm much less of a history buff and instead had a visit to Ha Long Bay very high on my list of things to do. Ha Long Bay is located in the Gulf of Tonkin, which branches off of the South China Sea and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. Although there are day trips available from Hanoi, the most common way to visit Ha Long Bay is to do an overnight cruise on small ships. I looked into quite a few different companies, but after reading many good reviews I finally decided on an overnight cruise with Galaxy Premium Cruises. 

Kayaking in the bay 

The cruise started with an 8am pickup from our hotel in Hanoi and we loaded into a large van with all 19 customers and took the 3.5 hour journey to the coast of Vietnam. We were on the boat by noon and left port shortly after for our adventure! We quickly befriended the other passengers on the boat and spent the next 24 hours getting to know each other while sharing meals, playing games and doing various activities organized by the ship.

Squid fishing at night

I was initially worried that we would feel restless or bored while on the boat, but they kept us pretty busy. When we first boarded we were immediately stuffed with a huge lunch, serving up plenty of traditional Vietnamese foods. We then had some downtime to get to know the other passengers and enjoy the passing scenery as we headed further into the bay. After letting our food digest a little, it was time for kayaking! We spent about two hours exploring small caves and paddling our way through little books and crannies. The rest of the day included plenty of more food, some swimming for the brave of heart (the water was much too cold for my liking) late night squid fishing and card games.
The next morning we were up early for a quick breakfast (noodle soup, classic Asia) and then we headed off to a nearby cave for some exploration. We visited Surprise Cave, which is one of the largest caves in Ha Long Bay, made up of two main caverns with ceilings reaching up to 90 feet high. It's definitely the hotspot for all Ha Long Bay cruises and ended up being much more crowded than I would've preferred, but it was still great to see. We ended our afternoon by slowly cruising back into port while eating our last filling meal of the trip. 

Morning fog over the bay 

The four hour drive and stress of picking the right company definitely paid off at the end of this trip. We had such a great time getting to know the other travelers on our boat, and we enjoyed the scenery and quiet surroundings that Ha Long Bay has to offer. Although it's out of the way of Hanoi it's something I would definitely suggest for anyone in the area. I'm on a quest to see as many UNESCO World Heritage Sites as possible, so it already had some initial brownie points in my book, but even for those not on that same mission the area is a stunning site to see and offers a relaxing 24 hours away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Hanoi. 

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Logistical info

- Galaxy Bay was one of the pricier options, costing $145 per person 

- It includes transportation to and from Hanoi and four meals