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Halong Bay Boat Tour - Vietnam

Submitted by Guest Reviewer on Sunday, 16 November 2008

The quintessential Vietnam experience is a boat tour of Halong Bay. Located on the North West coast it is Vietnam’s most popular tourist destination and a UNESCO World Heritage listed site. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts in all shapes and sizes and it’s this unique geography that appeals to so many international tourists and Vietnamese alike.

Highlights

The postcard views
Watching sunrise or sunset from the top deck of your boat
The delicious seafood

Tour Group Size

Generally a maximum of 16 per boat.

Where

Halong Bay - 3 to 4 hour drive from Hanoi

Cost

$80 (AUD)

Tour Includes

Transport in an air conditioned Ford Transit van to and from Halong Bay
All meals
Tour of Wooden Stakes Cave
A quick stop of a floating fishing village
Kayaking / swimming opportunities
Mountain Bike tour of an island
1 nights accommodation on a boat (your room is air conditioned)
1 nights accommodation in a 3 star hotel on Cat Ba Island

The two night tour of Halong Bay is the most popular tour and is advertised in all travel agency’s within the old French Quarter of Hanoi. Tour costs and quality can vary greatly so shop around and get the best deal. Also don’t be afraid to ask other tourists for advice as chances are they have already been to Halong Bay or are heading there themselves.

The overnight stay on Cat Ba island is a waste. The island offers a lot of adventure activities but arriving on the island at 3pm leaves you little time to explore the island particularly when you leave at 8am the following morning. Whilst it’s easy to have fun, relax and soak up the sun on one of the islands many bars and cafes I tend to feel this experience is more about the bay itself and staying on the boat was a lot more fun.

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2 Comments »

Matt said:

Don’t forget to collect your passport from reception at the hotel on Cat Ba Island, like I did. It is a long boat trip back!

- 17 November 2008 at 12:44 am

Celeste said:

Just returned from a trip to Vietnam with my husband. Halong Bay was definately the highlight of my trip. We travelled independently through Vietnam for two weeks pre-arranged through an online travel agent called Vietnam Online. Check out their website because they offer this tour. http://www.vietnamonline.com.au

- 25 June 2009 at 5:21 pm