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Anchors away in Halong Bay

Route: Hanoi - Halong Bay - Bai Tu Long Bay - Hanoi

Halong Bay is an awe-inspiring archipelago composed of almost 3000 limestone islands. The spellbinding region is one of the greatest natural wonders of Vietnam, and is best explored leisurely by boat on a Halong Bay cruise. During your Halong Bay cruise, you'll weave slowly through the maze of islands on a traditional Chinese junk boat. You'll spend one magical night aboard the comfortable Huong Hai junk and anchor at several of the tiny islands in this mysterious bay. If you need to cool off during our two-day Halong Bay cruise, you can dive into the turquoise waters and watch the exotic fishes scatter under the surface.

Please note: The weather can deteriorate during August, September and October due to the typhoon season. In case of bad weather, our Halong Bay cruise may have to be adjusted slightly.

If you'd like to start building your Vietnam holiday, take a look at our range of bite-sized Vietnam tours. Alternatively, if you'd rather leave the planning to us, you can take your pick from our selection of ready-made holidays in Vietnam.

Duration	2 days / 1 night Departs daily from Hanoi	Accommodation	1 night aboard a comfortable, traditional junk boat. Comfort Level 2-3 (see accommodation)
Price	£119 per person - based on 2 people sharing a cabin	Included	Transport from Hanoi to Halong Bay, one night accommodation aboard boat, all meals, Halong Bay cruise, English speaking guide
Transport	Air-conditioned bus and Huong Hai junk	Excluded	All drinks other than tea and coffee, entrance fees to caves and other Halong Bay cruise stop-offs, 8 dollar entrance fee for two days.

Day 1: Departure Hanoi - Halong Bay cruise

Approx Travel Time from Hanoi to pier: 4 hours

It's the first day of your Vietnam trip in Hanoi and this morning you'll be collected from your hotel at around 8:00am and transferred to the coastal town of Halong for your Halong Bay cruise. The junk awaits you. Once you're on board, you'll kick off your trip with a lunch caught fresh from the sea. Afterwards the boat will begin its cruise through Halong Bay past small limestone islands, some of which are thickly forested and others which have secluded sandy beaches. During your Halong Bay cruise you'll visit one of the many hidden caves and you'll be able to take a dive into the azure waters from one of the tropical beaches. Fishing enthusiasts can attempt to catch their evening meal with a traditional rod and tackle. During dinner, you can watch the sunset whilst enjoying a glass of Vietnamese wine. Life doesn't get much better than this... The junk will anchor in nearby Bai Tu Long Bay, a much quieter bay, away from the other tourists. You'll spend the night here on board the junk.

Halong Bay Cruise - Traditional junk boat

Day 2: Halong Bay Cruise - Hanoi

Approx Travel Time from pier to Hanoi: 4 hours

This morning you'll be woken by the wafting scent of a delicious breakfast. You'll then begin your morning Bai Tu Long Bay cruise, which features trips to various islands and rock formations. Lunch will be served aboard the junk during your return voyage to the mainland. At Halong, a transfer will be waiting to take you back to Hanoi. This is where your Hanoi Halong Bay tour ends.

To follow this laid back trip, we would recommend a more active trip in North Vietnam, such as our Hill Tribe Sapa trip tour or our Sapa trek. Alternatively, you could choose to travel south, dropping in on the historic city of Hué or taking our Hoi An trip along the way.

Halong Bay Legend

Ha Long literally means ‘descending dragons’ and legend holds that this is precisely what happened at Halong Bay. A long, long time ago when the ancestors were fighting invaders from the north, the gods decided to send help. They sent a family of dragons from heaven to help the local people defend their land. The dragons descended into Halong Bay and began to spew jewels and jade. As soon as these gems touched the water they turned into islands, forming a barrier to keep the invaders away. This allowed the ancestors to keep their land and form Vietnam. After the victory, the dragons liked Earth so much that they decided to stay. Legend has it that the mother dragon still lies in Halong and her children lie in Bai Tu Long. The tails of the dragons form the Bach Long Vi area. Keep an eye out for them during your Halong Bay cruise.

Hanoi Halong Bay Cruise - Junk boats and islands of Halong Bay

Halong Bay Cruises - Accommodation (click to enlarge)

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