Posted by Karbo
We'd heard about how overcrowded Halong Bay was so we went with realistic expectations and had a great time!
It's overwhelming to sift through the hundreds of companies that provide tours of Halong Bay so we just went with a company that our hotel had recommended. One thing we noticed as we went through the tour itineraries is that each company provides basically the exact same itinerary, with minor adjustments.
It's overwhelming to sift through the hundreds of companies that provide tours of Halong Bay so we just went with a company that our hotel had recommended. One thing we noticed as we went through the tour itineraries is that each company provides basically the exact same itinerary, with minor adjustments.
The most popular tours are either 2-days/1-night or 3-days/2-nights. We opted for the 2-days/1-night tour and think that it was a good amount of time to spend in the area. We did meet a few people who had gone on the 3-days/2-nights tour and they really enjoyed it as well.
Halong Bay is a 4-hour drive from Hanoi, so expect to get picked up bright and early at your hotel. It was a very bumpy, very fast ride to Halong Bay with 1 washroom stop mid-way. The washroom stop is located at a tourist rest stop where you can buy souvenirs, snacks, and other miscellaneous items.
Once we got to Halong Bay we boarded a jetty that took us to our boat, A-Class Cruises. The exterior didn't look much like the pictures in their catalogue but the cabins were very nice.
We learned that there are over 200 tour companies operating in Halong Bay at a given time and they all follow the same strict schedule. Everyone gets exactly however many minutes is allotted (i.e. 30 minutes, 45 minutes) at each location before being shepherded to the next. Also, it's hard to get a postcard-esque picture of the bay since it's always littered with lots of tour boats. We'd read about this before we went on the tour so since it wasn't a surprise to us, we still had a great time.
We learned that there are over 200 tour companies operating in Halong Bay at a given time and they all follow the same strict schedule. Everyone gets exactly however many minutes is allotted (i.e. 30 minutes, 45 minutes) at each location before being shepherded to the next. Also, it's hard to get a postcard-esque picture of the bay since it's always littered with lots of tour boats. We'd read about this before we went on the tour so since it wasn't a surprise to us, we still had a great time.
Halong Bay may be overcrowded but it's still something that should be on your must-see list. The islands are breathtaking and spending a night in the bay isn't something you get to experience all the time!