Visitar Halong Bay por libre o en tour, es adentrarse en uno de los paisajes más impresionantes del sudeste asiático y del mundo. With thousands of limestone islands rising from the emerald water, this UNESCO World Heritage-listed natural wonder seems like something out of this world.
Sailing among its rock formations, discovering hidden caves and floating villages, and enjoying the tranquility of the surroundings make this experience a must-do on any trip to Vietnam.
Halong Bay is considered one of the 7 natural wonders of the worldIt is located in northern Vietnam, 170 km east of Hanoi (approximately 3 hours by car).
Tours visiting the bay are usually booked from there, the northern capital. All travel agencies offer the same excursion to this area. Some may charge more, others less, but they generally offer the same itinerary.
In today's article, I'm going to tell you how it was. my experience traveling throughHalong Bay on your own and on a 1-day tour.
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Excursiones para visitar Halong Bay en 1, 2 o 3 días
In general, travel agencies will offer you the following excursions:
1-day tour: Includes transportation from Hanoi to the port, a cruise around the bay, a visit to a cave, and some water activities, such as kayaking. Finally, the return trip to the capital. (between USD 10 and USD 50 depending on the agency and the activities included)
2-day, 1-night tour: the same as the previous one but with a night on the boat and more hours sailing around the bay, getting to know a particular island, such as Monkey Beach (between USD 30 and USD 90).
3-day, 2-night tour: Same as above, but adding a night in a hotel on one of the islands, probably in Cat Ba, and more sailing across the Bay (more than USD 100)
In addition to this division by number of days and nights, there is also variation in the type of boat and its amenities. There are luxurious boats and more basic ones.
Unfortunately, being such a tourist destination worldwide, and with so many people looking for packages, it's common for agencies to take advantage of the situation and sell one thing, but then offer something else.
It happens often, and you only realize it once you get on the ship. You may find the conditions are very poor or even that the tour doesn't include the agreed-upon activities. It's all kinds of different; some agencies provide good service, others are terrible. Therefore, whenever possible, it's important to try to book with one that has been recommended by other travelers.
¿Qué opción elegí para visitar Halong Bay?
Como siempre trato de hacer las excursiones por mi cuenta, me asesoré antes de buscar el paquete ideal para mi.
I didn't want to be alone for just one day, but I also didn't want to be completely dependent on an agency. This not only makes the tour more expensive, but also increases the risk of things not going as agreed.
I came to the conclusion that the best thing in my case was to book the 1-day tour, that is, the cheapest one, but asking the agency, instead of returning to Hanoi, They dropped me off at Cat Ba port, the largest island in Halong Bay.
From there, I was completely free to explore. I ended up paying USD 18 for the day trip, which included entry to a cave. Speaking with other travelers, they told me they got it cheaper, but others found it more expensive.
It's a mixed plan that combines the best of both worlds. So, the basic one-day tour was necessary to take me from Hanoi to the port, where all the boats depart from, sail through Halong Bay all day, and finally drop me off in Cat Ba. These stops are difficult to do independently, but instead of spending the night on the boat or in a hotel stipulated by the boat, I had the option of going to Cat Ba Island and choosing the accommodation I wanted (more details about the island later).
Day 1 of the Halong Bay tour: Hanoi – Cat Ba Island
Route from Hanoi to Halong Bay
The day starts early. We're picked up from our accommodations and taken to the port for a trip that takes approximately three hours. There, we wait for the boats to be arranged and the different groups to be assigned.
The place is a world of tourists and boats setting sail. You might get lucky and get off quickly, or you might wait up to an hour and a half to board.
Sailing through Halong Bay
The boat I was assigned was in good condition, although I couldn't see the condition of the cabins where the rest of the group would spend the night.
After browsing for a while, we can now appreciate some karst formations rising out of the water. You've probably seen them in photographs, movies, or animations (like in Dragon Ball :D). They're small, isolated mountains that abruptly emerge from the water, creating a fantastic and unique atmosphere.
Ha Long Bay – Vietnam
This landscape will be repeated throughout Halong Bay. It's its uniqueness, its essence, and what makes it so unique and wonderful.
Ha Long Bay – Vietnam
Visit to Sung Sot Cave or Halong Bay Cave
Our first stop is the Sung Sot Cave, an islet containing a large cave with walkways and lights inside. It's striking, although the lighting inside is a bit excessive. The guide gives us an explanation as we walk through.
Sung Sot Cave in Halong Bay
It's a brief visit. Then we return to the boat and continue further into the Bay.
More and more formations emerge. The landscape improves as we go deeper and the rock formations envelop us.
The day was cloudy, like the 901st day of the year. That gives the place a certain mystique and charm, but if you happen to be clear, feel the smile of fortune on you :D.
Later it is the turn of kayaking in the BayI was supposed to stay for 1 hour, but after 30 minutes they called me because it was time to take me to Cat Ba.
Cat Ba It is the largest island in the bay and approximately half of its surface is covered by the Cat Ba National ParkIt is also one of the populated islands in Halong Bay.
They dropped me off at the tip of the island, not at the official port. From there, you have to wait for a bus that takes you to the center of Cat Ba, where the lodgings and locals live, for $5.
The bus crosses the island on a well-maintained road for an hour. The surrounding area is rich in vegetation, and there's said to be an interesting variety of animals.
The center of Cat Ba Island
It was already nighttime when I arrived downtown, so the first thing I did was find some accommodation among the many available in the area, and then head out to dinner at one of the restaurants near the coast.
Day 2 in Halong Bay: Explore Cat Ba and its surroundings on your own
Cat Ba Center
Now with the daylight, the morning chill...and the clouds above, I was able to begin to get to know the central part of the island.
In the morning, walk along the entire waterfront. It's short and can be covered in 30 minutes or an hour.
View of Cat Ba Harbor
The landscape, as I mentioned earlier, is similar throughout the bay. We're surrounded by mountains, fishing villages, and boats entering and leaving the port.
It is a very pleasant view and it is enjoyable to walk from one end to the other.
Cat Ba Center
Kayaking through the fishing villages on Cat Ba Island
I went to the Ben Beo Port (15 minutes walk from the center) and I rented a kayak for $8 all day, which although I wasn't going to be rowing 24 hours a day, gives you the flexibility to go wherever you want for as long as you want.
Once you start paddling and moving away from the shore, you will encounter large floating fishing villagesI had never seen anything like this in my life, I felt like I was in the movie Waterworld.
Fishing Village in Cat Ba, Halong Bay
There are dozens of floating huts, one next to the other, separated by large avenues of water. As I paddled along and near the huts, the locals greeted me and even invited me into their homes. It's a sight you have to see.
If we move further, past the villages, we can reach other islets with small beaches, where you can hop off if you want. It's a beautiful feeling of freedom to go wherever we want, stop, or walk through the karst mountains at our leisure, untethered by a ticking clock. But be careful, manage your energy, because you have to come back later.
A constant, seeing the fishermen working
I spent hours paddling at a leisurely pace, observing everything around me. Trying to remember which mountain I had passed or which path I had taken so I could find my way back. Because if you go too far, you can get lost in such a labyrinthine place. In any case, there's always a boat nearby that we can ask in universal sign language 🙂 (very few speak English).
View from my kayak
Motorized Boat Excursion
When my arms were tired, I returned to Cat Ba. Since a 1.5-hour motorized boat tour of the area was just leaving, I decided to join in.
I thought they were going to take me further than I could have reached with the kayak, but that wasn't the case. We practically followed the same route, passing through the same places but adding a few islands, like Monkey Island.
Monkey Island cloudy
Anyway, now that I was more relaxed, I took advantage of it by taking pictures everywhere, something that was a little difficult for me in the kayak.
Fishing Village in Cat Ba, Halong Bay
I didn't have much more to do today. I'd seen more than I expected.
Fishing Village in Cat Ba, Halong Bay
Day 3 in Halong Bay on your own: Other activities in Cat Ba
Hike to the Northern Beaches
In the morning, I went along the coast to explore some beaches north of downtown Cat Ba. They have a few cabins if you want to stay. They're nice but not very big. You also have to be lucky with the weather.
Beaches north of Cat Ba (the weather was not good)
Another activity you can do on the island is explore the nearby extensive National Park. You can do this by motorbike or with a local agency. I didn't have time to do this, but other travelers told me the views are fantastic from the top. You might even get lucky and spot some wild animals.
Leaving Cat Ba
In the afternoon I had to leave and continue to the south of Vietnam, towards the city of Ninh BinhI booked transportation to leave Cat Ba the same day. This included a bus to the port, a speedboat to the mainland, and another bus to get back to the city. The entire trip would take approximately five hours and cost $11.
In future stories I will tell you what there is to do in Ninh Binh or as they usually call it, the Halong Bay Land.
Excursions from Hanoi
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What is the best time to visit Halong Bay?
The best time of year to visit the Halong Bay It's during spring or fall, that is, between March and May and late September and November. During these months, we'll enjoy pleasant temperatures and avoid crowds of tourists.
Because the bay is located in the northern part of the country, it can get colder in late autumn and winter. However, generally speaking, Halong Bay can be visited year-round.
Final thoughts on my visit to Halong Bay and Cat Ba
Sailing through Halong Bay
I was very happy with the entire experience. I feel I made the best decision that suited my needs. Combining the one-day Halong Bay tour with the rest of the tour on my own gave me the freedom I was looking for.
Having the freedom to explore this magical place at my own pace was incredible. The landscapes are straight out of a fairy tale. It deserves to be declared a World Heritage Site.
Before coming here, I had read stories from travelers who recounted how bad their experiences were on their tours, but they always blamed the agency that rushed them or changed the conditions. They say they keep you waiting too long, the boat is rubbish, the agreed-upon activities aren't included, the guides speak little or no English. We're held hostage by this situation, and when it happens, there's not much we can do.
It's a shame, because those kinds of negative experiences create a less than pleasant perception of the place, and they'll remember Halong Bay with bittersweet feelings.
