Halong Bay and Cat Ba - worth staying for a few days

The seascape of Halong Bay makes it a must see place for many people who visit Vietnam. There are other areas in the world with similar scenery, but what is special about Halong Bay is the intensity and scale of the islands, islets and karsts; there are over 1900 islands which span a 120km of coastline.


Most people experience the spectacular scenery on a junk, which is a tourist boat that has the look of a traditional Chinese cargo ship. Junks usually have about eight cabins and run trips lasting one or two nights, they give you an opportunity to take in the views, explore caves, visit islands, swim and kayak.

Halong Bay is a tourist magnet and potentially it could be a huge disappointment. I can visualise people coming with the expectation of having a relaxing voyage and enjoying amazing views, only to have their trip ruined because they were restricted to a small area where they were driven to distraction by the sound of horns from other boats, loud music from booze cruises and felt the boats were more numerous than the rock formations they had come to see.

It is worth doing some research before booking a trip, as there isn’t necessarily a correlation between what you pay and what you get. We were lucky to have some good local knowledge and being able to talk to companies directly about what we wanted to see and do on the trip. This had the added advantage of us being able to negotiate a good price. At the very least check out forums and review sites on the web.

We opted for a 3 star junk called Cristina. The facilities in general were quite good. The bedroom had nice linen and the bathroom was fitted out to a reasonably high standard. Food was included in the price and was edible, but nothing special. The tour guide was helpful, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Our trip included one night on the boat and a night on Cat Ba (an island). While we were on the boat we had a chance to kayak in the still waters, swim and to visit a cave. We were away from the heavy concentration of junks, but never in an area which was free of other boats. It would have been a real bonus if we could have ventured further afield away from the crowds. It was worrying that there was a noticeable haze and the water wasn’t very clean in places.

If we had longer it would have been good to have spent more time on Cat Ba. It’s a cosy resort with a laid back feel and doesn’t suffer from the high volume of traffic that we experienced in the larger cities. There is some development underway on the island, but hopefully the authorities will ensure this enhances the place and does not detract from its charm. A longer stay would also have allowed more time to explore the area more generally. This is definitely worth considering if you want the views without the crowds, as it means you can escape from the tourist trail.

Halong Bay and the surrounding area is one of the most beautiful and memorable places I have ever visited. I would strongly recommend anyone visiting Vietnam to include it on their itinerary, but to make sure they do their homework and book the trip through a reputable tour company.