Being different from choosing a hotel for land trips or islets, choosing a cruise ship to explore Halong Bay is much more difficult. Cruise ship is not only a place to sleep but also the key to the quality of your holiday in Halong Bay. There are some information help tourists choose the best Lan Ha Bay cruises.

Overview of Lan Ha Bay

Situated in the south of Halong Bay, Lan Ha Bay is home of Cat Ba Island. During a Halong Bay overnight cruise, tourists can visit Lan Ha Bay. Or they can rent a boat and start your journey from Cat Ba Island.

Lan Ha Bay is unlike some neighbor bays as it is reserved a more pristine scenery with an intense concentration of limestone mountains. However, the sea surface has partitioned into smaller bays with over a hundred beautiful beaches. Thus, it is easy to seek for a good spot for swimming, organizing a private beach BBQ, or an overnight camp. After a long day, you can relax in the emerald waters and breathing the salty sea breeze of Lan Ha Bay.

Lan Ha Bay has gradually gained popularity, thanks to its unspoiled and magnificent natural beauty, and as people look for pristine and less-crowded destinations. A rock-climbing & deep water soloing or snorkelling & diving trip is also a great idea. Lan Ha Bay is considered to have the best water quality for diving and good conditions for rock-climbing. 

How to choose the best Lan Ha Bay cruises?

According to many travelers, taking cruise ship is the best way to enjoy the natural landscape in Lan Ha Bay. Unlike the islands that can be visited during the day, Halong Bay has many majestic caves far from the mainland. If you go back during the day, the long travel time will make it hard for you to fully enjoy the beauty here. You will easily choose a cruise ship for  your journey to explore Lan Ha Bay.

The length of stay in Lan Ha Bay

The recommendation for tourists is to spend 3 days and 2 nights in Lan Ha Bay trip. You will have a chance to visit Halong Bay, let’s try relaxing on the sea and spend night time on the boat with wave music, spa, … You will probably have a memorable experience of taking a rest in the luxurious cabin, seeing the vast ocean and the moonlight that you missed by the busy daily life.

Selecting exactly where you want to go

Although it is generally called Halong Bay, there are 3 other beautiful bays: Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay. Three bays all have caves, limestone rocks, exotically shaped cliffs and equally beautiful beaches.

Cruise ship tour agents have different destinations for you to choose. Because Halong Bay is always crowded and packed with boats and ships, you can choose the 2 other destinations: Bai Tu Long Bay and Lan Lan Bay for a more perfect experience.

Checking out the services included in the tour

To choose the best cruise ship in Halong Bay, you should carefully read the services included in the tour. You will be living in the middle of the sea, eating, traveling in the cruise ship for 2-3 days so it would be bad if the cruise ship does not provide good services.

Ask the tour operator if you have any question, read the terms in the brochure or poster and consider the reviews about the quality cruise ship before booking.

Taking a cruise ship is the best way to enjoy the natural scenery in Halong Bay


Searching information about different cruise operators.

You should begin to choose cruise ship for exploring Halong Bay by considering services of various cruise companies. Besides, you also need to consult the visitor’s comments as well as the rating on some popular travel websites.

Choosing the right services with your budget

Please do note this suggestion, you should not choosing poor quality services due to its low cost. To reduce costs, some companies will cut down some of the services on the cruise ship such as food, play activities, facilities, etc.

This affects not only your mood while traveling but also your health. Remember to consider the cost you spend with the quality of related service.

Booking the right tour

Tourists often book the travel agents which offer the best Lan Ha Bay cruises. Firstly, these hotels and agents will probably give you a higher price. Secondly, the quality of services on the cruise ships may not be suitable for your needs. Thirdly, depending on a hotel, dealer, or agent to book your tour will lose some of your benefits as well as your desired activities on cruise ship.

The cruise is the best way to make a great trip in Lan Ha Bay. A cruise helps you explore nature since most of the landscapes and destinations are on the water. In general, you won’t have to buy off the whole cruise, you just need to secure a slot on the ship.

Mostly everything will be planned for you, from the activity schedule to the meal’s menu. It means that you don’t have to worry about what to eat, what to do or where to stay. Of course, an organised trip may lessen your independence, but it is a good thing that you can, on average, experience the fullest out of Lan Ha Bay. There are beautiful spots that only local people know and you can only reach them by boat.

Tourists just relax more, you do not have to worry about what to eat and where to stay because Lan Ha Bay cruises have full-equipped furniture. However, it will be a challenge for you to do self-research on cruise tours operating in Lan Ha Bay. So, we would like to recommend some of the suitable options for a great trip in this bay. In the list, the cruise will range from day tour to overnight tour, just for you to find the one catching your eyes:

Travel Sense Asia is a local tourist agency with the main purpose of assisting tourists in planning itinerary and offering services for tourists. The ultimate aim of the agency is to bring foreign tourists a better view of our country. Travel Sense Asia guides are well-educated, professional and passionate about Vietnam and its people. The excellent services at a reasonable price and specialised in the tour are offered.