Is Ha Long Bay worth it?
Ha Long Bay is a beautiful location that is situated on the east side of Vietnam roughly 2/3 hours from the capital. The Bay is known to be one of the most popular spots to visit in the world to visit. So much so that it is known to be a natural wonder of the world. Over 10 million people are to visit the natural wonder but does it really live up to expectation? And is it worth visiting??
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Transport
The best way to get here from most locations is by private taxi or coach. As mentioned it is a few hours from the capital, and these are the most popular ways that people travel to the Bay. We went directly from the Ha Giang Loop which was a sleepers bus through Hanoi and to Ha Long. This was a long journey but was overnight so the perfect place you can have a sleep and wake up at your destination.
You can check out the 12go buses here for all of your Asia bus needs, or check out the specific route here.
The City of Halong
The city is strange… A large city with buildings standing pretty tall but not much life. We stayed on the west bank of Ha Long and we struggled to find places to eat. There weren’t many people around and felt very desolate. Unfortunately we didn’t have the time to visit the east side of Ha Long but we heard similar stories of quiet streets and a lack of life in the large city.
Hotel
We stayed at Ruby Ha Long 8 Hotel which was on the bank of the water, a beautiful place for early morning walks. It’s a great location to see the Ha Long from the city and to go to the dock to board your boat ready to visit the islands of Ha Long. The Hotel costs roughly £15 a night and is high quality with lovely, spacious rooms, spotless bathrooms and great hosts. If you are looking to visit be sure to check out this hotel for an amazing experience here.
Activities and Experience
There are quite a few different activities and bookings you can attend with some providing overnight stay while in the Bay.
When we visited we opted for the day trip into the bay which included a buffet lunch, kayak activities, places to swim and explore as well as cool islands and caves. The activity lasts most of the day usually ranging from 9 am through to 5/6 pm and definitely keeps you busy throughout the day.
Check out the full experience via Viator here – Halong Bay Day Trip with Cave and Titop Island From Hanoi.
To delve in deeper, we started the day in the morning and meeting at the docks to board the boat which is much larger than the boats provided across the rest of South East Asia. Usually the boats are small with limited cover but this is a proper boat!
Here you had a seating area much like a restaurant with booths either side and a walkway down the middle to a bar with drinks and snacks. There are places to go outside and enjoy the lovely weather or views throughout the day so don’t worry. In the morning they will provide you with some fruits (fresh pineapple)for a small fee and you are left to your own devices while we head to the first stop.
On the trip you head to some luscious caves deep into the bay which are very large and you are taught about the history of the bay. It’s a nice walk and can take up to 45 minutes to enjoy before you head off to your next destination. At the end of the caves there is a local shop which offers local souvenirs that you may want to buy to remember your trip by.
Another destination on the agenda for the day is Ti Top Island which gets it’s name from astronaut Gherman Titov who visited the island in 1962. The island includes a statue which looks out across the bay and also has a viewpoint that is a pretty short walk. This gives you a beautiful view of the Bay!
It’s known to be one of the top beaches in Vietnam and can be popular to visit in the busy months of the year. They have a designated area to swim in to preserve the surrounding waters. This is a common place for people to also enjoy sports including beach volleyball or just simple to relax and get an ice cream to soak up the views of this beautiful island.
The top destination on this trip for us would be this small lagoon located through a small crack in the mountain that opens up to a lake-like water. Here there are wild monkeys that live and can come up close so make sure to keep your distance as after all, they are wild animals! The hidden water is a great place to explore with a Kayak and you get roughly 1 hour to explore, check out the rock edges, look for other small gaps towards more pools of water and just to marvel at the beautiful greenery.
This location really is beautiful and is a place to soak up the natural beauty of the bay. It definitely helps you to understand why it’s a natural wonder of the world! Such a stunning location!
The lunch provided on the trip is rice with different local meats and veggies which is a great way to fill yourself up after exploring and being busy around the local islands. The food is cooked fresh on the boat and is a buffet so make sure you make the most of it.
Throughout the day, the captain will make sure to update you on each location you are to visit and the plan for the day so you are aware of proceedings.
At the end of the day you will be dropped off back at the same location you were picked up at so you can head back and get much needed rest after a long day exploring the bay.
As mentioned previously, there are options to stay overnight or even for 2 nights! This would be a great way to see the Bay away from the bulk of travelling and enjoy the natural silence and beauty. This is also an opportunity to catch the sunrise and sunset in the bay which would be a marvel within itself. Also, as it’s a natural wonder there is limited pollution so there may be a good clear sky to enjoy the stars at night.
If you are interested to know more on the overnight stays at the bay, do check it out the 2 day tour here and the 3 day tour here.
Our Thoughts on Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay is a beautiful location that is full of nature and untouched islands. The stops are very informative and have a great balance of history, nature and activities that will keep you busy for the whole day for sure. The price for the day trip is budget friendly and when visiting it is definitely the number one thing to do here. Many people travel to Vietnam to visit the Bay so we would totally recommend it!
However, there are other places across South East Asia that are just as beautiful if not more so, including the South of Thailand and Palawan. If we could only recommend visiting one location we would recommend opting towards the South of Thailand and Palawan. We feel these are better value for money and have more opportunity to experience all of what the islands have including snorkelling, turtles and meeting locals on isolated islands.
To learn more about these opportunities in the South of Thailand please check out more here. For more on Palawan, Philippines, check out our blog post here.
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Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!
Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.
Find our full packing list guide here.
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