Bai Tu Long Bay

Vietnam

Bai Tu Long Bay

Less crowded than Ha Long Bay. Peaceful, beautiful floating spires for miles. This was a great couple of days. We enjoyed tai chi at sunrise, kayaking and scenery the most. We spent 2 nights on the cruise ship. Our day 2 was a little hokey as we were transferred to another boat with everyone (2 other couples) who were also doing 2 nights. We liked the day's itinerary but didn’t like the fact we didn’t have access to our cabin during the day, and we had new set of people and tour guide when returned to our boat. When we returned to our boat they offered the same afternoon activities (kayak, cooking class, ...) as they did the night before

3 days (could definely do 1 night rather than 2 nights)

Day 1: Transfer from Hanoi, lunch on boat, kayak, cooking class
Day 2: Tai Chi, Floating Fishing Village, Cave/Beach
Day 3: Tai Chi, Thien Canh Son Cave, Transfer to Ninh Binh via bus

Hotel: Swan Cruise

Favorite restaurant or bar: N/A

Day 1: Transfer from Hanoi, lunch on boat, kayak, cooking class

Pick up at 8am from our hotel in Hanoi. They were timely. We headed out with 16 other people in a light drizzle in a limousine bus. Our guide Sunday was informative. We stopped once during the 3-hour drive for 30 minutes. Shopping and snacks. Drove by many new apartment buildings. Sunday told us most are empty. Bad investment just before COVID that still hasn’t caught up.

Upon arrival in Hai Long Bay we waited about 30 minutes or so in a large busy terminal with many other travelers. Somehow they kept track of everyone and got us going to the right place at the right time.

Took a small transfer boat a short ride…

…out to our large overnight boat (Swan Cruise) where about 30 other people joined us.

We had 1 of the 3 balcony rooms. Loved the corner of windows. Room with the views and access to a balcony is lovely, but the room was definitely looking a bit worn. Furniture, paint, bedding, etc needed a refresh.

Had lunch - multi course. Food was good.

Then in the pouring rain many of us (surprisingly) headed out to kayak. Eventually stopped raining and it was beautiful! Felt good to work the muscles a bit.

Back on board did a cooking class of spring rolls before another multi-course meal.

Chef steamed our shrimp (with hot stones in the pan) for one of the courses. Impressive display. Shrimp was very good!

Day 2: Tai Chi, Floating Fishing Village, Cave/Beach

Started the day off on the top deck for sunrise Tai Chi (6:15am)

Sunrise was gorgeous. Lighting over the spires was beautiful.

After breakfast we joined our day trip (6 of us that were on the two night program) traveled further out on a day trip boat. It was a little hokey that we weren’t on a boat with everyone who was doing 2 nights. We liked the itinerary but didn’t like the fact we didn’t have access to our cabin during the day and we had new set of people and tour guide when returned to our boat.

First stop was a rowboat transfer to a floating fishing village.

Beautiful glassy water (waterskier’s dream).

Netted pools growing various fish and oysters.

Lovely pearls for sale. Probably a relatively good price, and you could be sure they were real.

Kayaking tour to an isolated beach for cave exploring.

Took kayaks to another beach where Larry was able to get in a swim. Water was cool, but bearable. He was so happy that he remembered his swim goggles. Nothing much to see though.

Got sucked along in the draft of our guide kayak all the way back. Drafting made it much easier. Back on our day boat had lunch, and then time to relax on the sun deck as we motored back to our overnight boat.

Once back on our boat, we chose not to kayak again, but instead to relax and read on our balcony.

We appreciated having time to enjoy the balcony, play cards and start our bottle of wine before dinner. Dinner was a different menu than the 1 nighters. They did the shrimp show again.

Day 3: Tai Chi, Thien Canh Son Cave, Transfer to Ninh Binh via bus

Got up again in time for the 6:15am Tai Chi and sunrise, although not as much of a sunrise.

After the same breakfast, we took our small transfer boat to explore the larger Thien Canh Son Cave on one of the larger islands.

We then returned to our boat to pack up, have a very early 10am lunch, and prepare to transfer back to the mainland.

At the terminal, they seamlessly handed us off from one guide to another, and got us transferred with a few others in a tight little SUV for a thankfully short transfer to a larger luxury bus for our 3.5 hour trip to Ninh Binh. Another full bus, but relatively comfortable. A straight road through boring little nothing towns.