How to choose a best cruise for your Halong bay tour 2019?
Sunrise in Halong Bay
Book a Halong bay tour or travel on your ownA lot of travelers think that traveling on your own is always cheaper than booking a tour. However, it’s true for Halong Bay. If you travel on your own, you will take a bus from Hanoi to Halong Bay, you have to take a taxi to Gia Lam bus station or My Dinh bus station. I know it won’t be easy for tourist to take a local bus. There’s a lot of persons who is in the tourist wharf who offer plenty of choices for cruise. To be honest, you wonder who is a good one and who will tell you the truth. You don’t know that you go on the right cruise which you pay for. The cruise may be a different one with lower quality such as boat, food….. It’s your choice. I recommend to book a tour with a reliable travel agent or the hotel where you stay in Hanoi or booking online. If anything happens, you are able to deal with them www.charmingvietnamtravel.com .
Reputation:Please read more posts https://www.charmingvietnamtravel.com/faqs/, travel advice, travel experience and comments or ask your friends who has been there or other tourists who stay in the same hotel with you. It is so important to see what a company reputation is before booking with them. The cheap cruises may not be a good ones. The small one but with a good reputation can be your choice. Let’s choose ones suitable your budget.
Find a luxury cruise in Halong Bay, Our recommendation is:
Paradise Luxury Cruises
- Victory Star Cruises
- Valentine Cruise
- Au Co Cruises
- Huong Hai Sealife Cruise
- Starlight Cruise
- Violet Cruise
- Golden Cruise
- Indochina Sails
- Bhaya Classic Cruise
- Paradise Peak Cruise
- Pelican Luxury Cruise
- Paloma Cruise
- Dragon Pearl Cruise
- Calypso Cruiser
- Syrena Cruises
- Aphrodite Cruises
- Glory Cruise
- Image Halong Cruises
- Phoenix Cruiser
Tour price:
Here are some tips to help you find out the best one, but affordable one on your budget. From US$70 to US$250/ per person for 2 days 1 night, you can get good ones such as Alova Cruise, Vspirit cruise, Halong Glory Cruise. In addition, please check what’s included in the tour price. For some travel agents, as you check on their website, the price is lower but round-trip transportation may not be included. You may pay extra for a total bill.
If you prefer premium cruises, I can recommend Paloma Cruise, Pelican Cruise, Huong Hai Sealife, Gray Line Halong, Indochina Junk, Bhaya cruise. The rate is range from US$129 to US $345
If you are looking for a luxury cruise, my recommendation is Victory Star, Indochina Sail, Violet cruise, Paradise Luxury Cruise, Au Co cruise. The rate is different from each other. The most expensive ones are Au Co and Violet Cruise.
- If you are traveling during the summer from May to September 2017, there’s a big deal for most cruises from 20% to 40% discount.
- All cruises mentioned aboved offer joining group tour. It means that you will share the boat with others.
Facilities and Services:Most of cruises have same facilities and services. It is just different for 4 stars and 5 stars cruise which offer other additional facilities such as safety deposit box, book shelves and services snorkeling and fishing equipment, jacuzzi and spa and kayaking. The services are mentioned to be exclusives.
Safety first:
Please check the boat’s age. I know it’s hard, but don’t take the old one. The newer boats are more safe. You should also check all facilities on board via their websites for safety and security such as life vests, alarm clock, hammer and safety deposit box.
Itinerary:
Halong Bay boat trip is a perfect way to experience pristine beauty and sustainable ancient culture of Halong Vietnam that will surely rejuvenate your Halong Bay tours. We are very sure to provide you any type any level service that meet your demand and all informative knowledge about your Halong Bay Cruises.
Where to cruise:
My first recommendation is Bai Tu Long Bay where you can cruise off the beaten path, away from the crowd. You can get the most enjoyable moment and travel in your style. The second choice is Halong Bay. Most of the activities is almost the same: kayaking, caving, swimming, cooking class, squid fishing, karaoke on board…. but some of them offer extra special activities such as dinning in the cave, fishing with locals, collecting rubbish and wastes on the bay.
Duration of your stay:
Depending on your schedule, you will decide how long to stay. If you take a Halong bay day tour. You will spend 4 hours cruising on Halong Bay, joining these activities such as: kayaking or visiting a fishing village on a sampan rowed by locals and visiting Thien Cung (Hevenly Palace cave). It’s good for visitors who only have a short time. Most of the cruises offer the same itinerary, just choose a good tour company one as halongbaycruise.vn
Two important packages for travelling in halong bay:
Halong bay 2 days with 1 night overnight on a sleeping boat, Halong bay 3 days 2 nights with 2 nights sleeping on boat. On the 2nd day, you will take a day boat and spend your day for kayaking in the area of Dark and Light cave, visiting Soi Sim beach island. Some cruises offer a longer cruising to Ba Trai Dao beach and barbecue lunch on the beach but it depends on the tidal and weather condition.
- Halong bay cruise 2 days 1 night is the best choice for you to see both the magnificent Bai Tu Long Bay and Halong Bay with our itinerary for a limited time schedule. You will not only explore less visited sites in Halong Bay & Bai Tu Long Bay, but will also take part in a many other interesting activities such as: swimming, bamboo boat trip, kayaking,…
- Halong Bay cruise 3 days 2 nights: There is no better way to experience the most stunning scenery of one of the most beautiful bays recognized as a world heritage by UNESCO than aboard Halong. The 3 days / 2 nights voyage offers countless opportunities to explore the most exotic and magnificent destinations
- In my opinion, I prefer Halong bay 2 days 1 night and 3 days 2 nights.
- Private charter cruise: If you join a private one, you can custom itinerary, do your own activities and give instruction to the crews. There is also a plenty of choices such as 1 cabin, 2 cabins to 6 cabins. If you want something private, it will be a good choice for you. You may pay a bit extra than joining a group tour, but you have your own boat. It’s good for couples, family, the old.
- Joining group cruise tour: You will join the tour with others. A small but good service can be a good choice for you.
Family cruise
Admire the wonders right outside the window: Charming Vietnam Travel are usually scheduled to allow tourists to take overnights on the cabin while the ship is moving into “the land of a thousand-islands”. From the windows of cabin, you can admire many strangely sculpted limestone islands and outcrops.
Admire the wonders right outside the window
Responsible travel:
What the cruise does to, to respect and benefit local people and minimize environmental impact. Here is things to do for responsible travel in Halong Bay:
- Take a sampan to visiting the fishing village rowed by locals and chat with locals to know more about how their daily life is.
- Collecting rubbish and wastes in Halongbay
- Offering life vests to the local fishermen
- Re-planting mangroves forests in Halong Bay
- Repainting and building floating schools for local children
- Taking a fishing trip with locals.