One of the highlights of your route through Vietnam is an overnight cruise through Lan Ha Bay and Halong Bay. Waking up to a view of the huge limestone rocks and beautiful surroundings is an insane feeling.
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In this article, we recommend one organization for the two-day cruise. This is the organization we have been with ourselves and we loved this. We are not partnered with this organization but really write from our own positive experience.
Overnight Cruise in Halong Bay
Halong Bay is the famous, tourist spot from where all the luxury boats depart on cruise. You will encounter huge boats in Halong Bay equipped with every luxury. For travelers who have a bit more to spend, this is obviously fine, but if you do not have a huge budget, it is better to opt for Cat Ba Ventures’ cruise through Lan Ha Bay from Cat Ba.
OVernight Cruise in Lan Ha Bay
Lan Ha Bay is located south of Halong Bay and is described as Halong Bay’s little brother. In Lan Ha Bay you have the same stunning views as in Halong Bay, only the tours are cheaper and you will encounter fewer boats during the overnight cruise. Win-win in other words! It is a beautiful part of Vietnam that you will experience here.
Two-day cruise from Cat Ba
Cat Ba Ventures’ two-day cruise departs from Cat Ba Island. There are many great sights in Cat Ba, so be sure to plan an extra 1-2 days for this. If you book with Cat Ba Ventures you will be expected at the office at 11:00 am. If necessary, they can also pick you up at your hotel for free. At the office, you will get a brief explanation of the next 2 days and then you and your group will leave for the port.
On the bus, the tour guide will immediately introduce you to each other in a fun way. We had tour guide Tony on our overnight cruise, who was a real joker. At the port, you first get on a small boat, as the big boats can not get that close to the shore. If it is high tide, you then sail straight to the big boat (the sleeping boat) to put down your gear and sail from here. If it is low tide then you will sail the small boat during the day and only go to the big boat after kayaking to eat and sleep.
As you sail out of the harbor, the guide will tell you what the next day and a half will look like. After this, you may also choose whether the group wants to swim and kayak first or have lunch first. Everything is really set for the fun of the group so you will have a lot of freedom. The kayaking and swimming is really incredible. Cat Ba Ventures has “secret” spots where no other boats go. You are therefore alone with the group in the most beautiful kayaking spots.
Furthermore, during the day you can enjoy reading a book on the deck, chatting with the other travelers or taking a nap. Meanwhile, you cruise through the beautiful limestone cliffs, reminiscent of Ninh Binh, Halong Bay on land. The great thing about the cruise with Cat Ba Ventures is that you start in Lan Ha Bay and then sail on to Halong Bay. That way you’ve been to both places and no longer have the question “which place is more beautiful?”.
In the evening you will see an insane sunset and be served a delicious dinner. After this, it is time to stargaze from the deck of the boat and have great conversations with the other travelers. You get to know everyone very well during these days.
Day 2 of the overnight cruise
Good morning! You wake up to an amazing view of the limestone cliffs. Your day certainly can’t go wrong now. At 08:00 you will be expected at breakfast and an hour later you will start kayaking. You end up at beautiful lakes where you can also have a nice swim. After this, it’s time to relax on the deck, as in an hour you will go swimming again.
The boat stays in the middle of a special stretch, surrounded by the rocks with small beaches. You see huge eagles flying everywhere here, and their nests on the rocks. Here you stay and relax for about an hour and a half, which is really nice. After swimming, it is time for lunch and then, unfortunately, you will sail back towards Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba. Around 3 p.m. the boat will dock back at the port and you will be taken back to your hotel. You can look back on a wonderful two-day cruise and a highlight of your trip in Vietnam.
The only drawback is that Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay are full of plastic. This ruins nature and the beautiful image of the region. Do your part by at least not throwing more trash into the water. Cigarette butts are also just allowed in the trash.
Packing list for the overnight cruise
You only need to bring stuff for one night so you don’t need a big bag. You can leave your backpack or suitcase at your hotel or at the office where you book and take a small backpack with you.
- Clothes for 1 day (day 1 you already have clothes on)
- Bikini / swimsuit
- Flipflops
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Book
- Mosquito spray
- Toiletries
- Camera or GoPro
- Chargers
Learn more about the HAlong Bay cruise
It is advisable to book your two-day Lan Ha Bay cruise well in advance. Especially in high season (November through March, July & August), it is wise to book at least 2-3 weeks in advance. Cat Ba Ventures sails a “small” boat that holds up to 20 people. We ourselves liked this very much but because of this they are also quickly booked up. This is the website of Cat Ba Ventures, it is a bit chaotic. For any information, you should send them an email: [email protected]
If you are traveling solo you can book a room for yourself, you do pay a high fee for this. If you do not want this you will be placed in a room with another solo traveler.
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