Halong Bay & Lan Ha Cruise: Kayak, Caves, Cooking & Pickup

4.96

(300 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Ever wondered if Halong Bay really looks like those photos? I did too—until we got picked up in Hanoi’s Old Quarter (our driver texted us the night before, which made me weirdly nervous). The bus ride was longish but not bad—there’s a stop for coffee halfway—and then suddenly you’re at Tuan Chau harbor with all these other travelers shuffling around. Our guide, Minh, handed out welcome drinks and grinned a lot. He kept calling Halong “the dragon’s bay,” which I liked.

I didn’t expect Lan Ha Bay to be so quiet compared to Halong proper—just this soft green water and limestone cliffs everywhere. Lunch was already waiting when we boarded the Lotus Cruise: fish with ginger and some kind of crunchy salad I still can’t name. There was a bit of time to just sit on the balcony (every cabin has one) and listen to the water slap against the hull. Later, Minh showed us how to roll spring rolls—mine fell apart but nobody cared—and then we tried kayaking in a lagoon where everything echoed weirdly off the rocks. My arms still felt it the next day.

After dinner (lots of seafood again), some people did karaoke or tried squid fishing off the back deck. I mostly just watched the lights flicker on the bay—there’s something about that kind of quiet that sticks with you. Next morning was early: Tai Chi on the sundeck while mist curled around the cliffs. Not sure I did any of it right but Minh said “just breathe.” We visited Dark & Light Cave by bamboo boat; our rower pointed out monkeys in the trees but honestly I was more focused on not dropping my phone in the water.

The drive back to Hanoi felt slower somehow—I guess after two days floating through Lan Ha Bay, city traffic feels extra loud. If you want a Halong Bay cruise that actually lets you slow down (and includes pickup, all meals, and a local guide who’ll probably remember your name), this is it. Sometimes I still think about that first quiet morning on deck—you know?