After scoring a great flight deal to Hanoi in Vietnam, my best gal and I decided that we will make the most of our trip — after all, we only had 5 days to spend in the country. So, apart from exploring the lively and vibrant city of Hanoi itself, we made sure to drop by Halong Bay in order to finally witness this UNESCO World Heritage Site!
Another reason why we wanted to visit Halong Bay was because of how it looked so similar to the limestone cliffs and pillars that you will find in the Philippines’ Palawan islands (the UNESCO sites of El Nido & Coron to be exact). Well, sure enough, we were right! Nevertheless, each of these places have their own charm and we were grateful to have witnessed Vietnam’s version.
Now a lot of tourists would actually book either a day trip or overnight trip when they visit Halong Bay from Hanoi; however, we wanted to spend more days there… and thanks to Buffalo Tours, we had the chance to sail around Halong Bay for 3 days and 2 nights with an amazing cruise provider called as L’Azalée!
Venturing to both the well-known and off-the-beaten-path spots in the bay, you bet that we had a great time for each and every day that passed! If you wanna know exactly why, do read on below and find out how we have come to love this experience through and through.
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Halong Bay Cruise
» Pre-Travel Guide
Where to get the best flight deals to Halong Bay?
You can reach Ha Long by first landing in Hanoi and then taking a bus ride (or an organized tour such as this) to Halong Bay which roughly takes 4 hours one way. Otherwise, you can also choose to fly directly to Cat Bi International Airport in Haiphong which is just a 2.5-hour bus ride away from Ha Long city.
My go-to platforms for grabbing the best flight deals are Momondo, Kayak, and Skyscanner. I scan through these 3 websites to ensure the best fare that I can find! But of course, it’s always good practice to research first the budget airlines that exist in the country that you’re currently staying in, since they could have rock-bottom prices that are not often visible in the above flight search engines.
Where to stay in Hanoi, Halong or Hai Phong?
Hanoi = Luxury: Sofitel Legend Metropole / Mid-Range: Hanoi Trendy Hotel & Spa or AirBnB / Budget: Hanoi Charming Hotel
Halong = Luxury: Vinpearl Ha Long Bay Resort / Mid-Range: Paradise Suites Hotel or AirBnB / Budget: Halong Cheers Hotel
Hai Phong = Luxury: AVANI Harbour View / Mid-Range: Nam Cuong Hai Phong Hotel or AirBnB / Budget: Dong Duong Hotel
What to pack? What essentials to take note of?
For your luggage: Depends on the weather. We visited Halong Bay in February which is winter season. It averages 17-22°C in the mornings — but if in case it’s not foggy and the sun shines well and good, it becomes perfect and I can wear shorts and a shirt only. If you’re coming during summer (May to October), there’s no need to pack too much swimming gear because swimming in Halong Bay has been outlawed (except for a few islands where it’s allowed). When it comes to towels, L’Azalée provides it for free so there’s no need for you to pack this bulky item.
Visa: If you’re a citizen from the Philippines like me, you don’t need to apply for a visa because you can enter with just your passport for a maximum of 21 days. For more information on Vietnam visa exemptions and requirements for other nationalities, go check this page.
Insurance: Purchasing a travel insurance for your trip is HIGHLY recommended. For the best price deal, go and purchase it from World Nomads.
Cash: There are ATM’s in Halong Bay. The local currency is called as ‘Vietnamese dong’. ($1 = 22,800 VND = Php 50~).
Any other things I should know?
Pick up from your hotel will usually be scheduled around 7AM to 8AM. The cruise will end at around noon. Rest assured, pick-up and drop-off to your hotel in Hanoi or Hai Phong is provided by L’Azalée in each of their cruise packages.
» The Cruise & Prices
L’Azalée Cruises may have just been established last 2015, but they have swiftly built themselves a reputation as being one of the premier cruise providers in Halong Bay.
To date, they have over 6 vessels that provide a range of packages such as the following:
DAY CRUISES : starts at around $60~ per person
6.5 Hours — A classic cruise wherein you will be visiting Sung Sot Cave, and afterwrds you choose one from these 3 activities: ride a boat through Luon Cave and see monkeys, hike to top of Ti Tov Island for panoramic views, or hike and swim at Soi Sim Island. This includes a buffet brunch, afternoon tea, and use of on-board kayaks and snorkeling equipment.
4.5 Hours — For those on a tight schedule, this classic cruise will make you pas by Dao Tung Lam Bay, Thumb Island, Incense Island and Ba Hang floating village, and then have a guided walk through Thien Cung cave. This also includes a buffet brunch.
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OVERNIGHT 2 DAYS – 1 NIGHT : starts at around $250~ per room
Includes lunch, dinner, and sunset tapas on the first day. On the 2nd day, breakfast and a light lunch will be served. You’re free to use kayaks, snorkels and fishing equipment on board. There are 3 variations to this kind of trip and they are:
Intimate Journey To The West — This is a premium cruise geared towards couples and it mainly involves visiting several caves and beaches as well as trying out squid fishing.
Intimate Journey To The Center — Also a premium cruise geared towards couples. It differs from the above with the caves and bays that you’ll be seeing. To know the distinction, see this page.
Halong Explorer — Unlike the other two, this is the deluxe cruise wherein you’ll be joining other guests. The itinerary will almost be similar, but with additional special activities like a Tai Chi and cooking class.
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3 DAYS – 2 NIGHTS : starts at around $450~ per room
Includes meals throughout your stay, and you’re also free to use water equipments such as kayaks and snorkels. There are 2 variations:
Deep Into the Bay — Premium cruise for couples.
The Heart of Halong — Deluxe cruise which is the standard.
To see the detailed itinerary for the both of them, visit this page.
SEAPLANE & CRUISE COMBO : starts at around $300 per person
This is a packaged cruise that includes a 2-day-1-night cruise and a scenic one-way seaplane flight to Halong Bay from Hanoi (you can choose to have it after the trip too which is from Halong Bay to Hanoi).
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Like what I’ve already mentioned, I had the chance to go on their amazing 3-day-2-night cruise. It helps to note though that depending on the weather, the places that you will be visiting may differ or change as compared to what’s stated on the website. (We were given a document beforehand that shows the intended itinerary, but there were some few changes on the way — which was not a problem at all.)
Moreover, the prices mentioned above may change by season and apart from the already mentioned inclusions such as food and water equipment, transfer to and fro your hotel will also be provided. (Naturally, airfare and visa costs are not covered.)
» The Vessels
Premium Cruise Vessels
Private Asian-style junks that has a capacity for 4 people (hence, 2 rooms). It features queen-sized beds, bathroom and shower, flat screen TVs, and private deck for the rooms. Meanwhile, the vessel has a spacious top deck for dining and sun deck sprees.
Deluxe Cruise Vessel
The largest member of the fleet, this features 10 superior cabins (16sqm) and 2 junior suites (23sqm) — each of which has a private bathroom. (The suites have a private outdoor deck at the rear of the ship). The facility has a wide open air sun deck with sun loungers and a bar and a large restaurant and bar area at the middle deck.
Classic Cruise Vessel
A single vessel that is 24 meters in length with a capacity of 40 guests. It has a top deck with seats and sun beds as well as a lower deck that has an air-conditioned lounge bar.
» The Staff
L’Azalée Cruises has English-speaking staff, so you should not have any worries about that. When it comes to service, their hospitality is on par with that of the Philippines — which means a lot, because I am proud of the service industry in my home country.
All throughout our trip, we dealt with 2 main tour guides and they were great to be with! They offered a lot of information and trivia on every place that we visited; and if we ever had any problems, they always went above and beyond to assist us in order to make our stay as comfortable as possible.
» The Activities
For the activities that we did, I think I can best show you what they were in video form, and here it is!
For a detailed breakdown of our itinerary…
DAY 1
8:00AM – Pick-up at hotel and departure from Hanoi to Halong Bay
12:00PM – Arrival at Halong Bay and transfer to Tuan Chau Island to board the boat
Settling in to our rooms and then a buffet lunch
Tour at Sung Sot Cave or ‘Cave of Surprises’, the largest cave in the bay
Cruise through Lom Bo Canal
Visit the floating Pearl Farm
Kayaking activity (if you want to kayak, please let L’Azalée know 48 hours beforehand)
Free Time
Cooking class on how to make Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Dinner
Squid Fishing
DAY 2
Catch the sunrise at Bai Tu Long Bay while takign part in a Tai Chi class with a guru
Transfer to a different boat at Ti Tov Island to cruise to lesser-known areas of Halong Bay
Visit the locals at Cu Van fishing village whilst riding a smaller tender to sail through the homes
Buffet lunch on the boat
Cruise by Drum Cave, Trinh Nu Cave, Ho Dong Tien Cave and a number of islets
Kayak through Luon Cave where we also spot monkeys
Back to Titov Island and back to the main boat
Option to visit the pearl farm again for a chance to shop
DAY 3
Take part in another Tai Chi class
Back to Ti Tov Island to better explore it: swim at the beach and/or walk up to its scenic viewpoint
For final leg of cruise, we passed by karsts of Thumb Island, Fighting Cocks and Incense Karst
Light lunch
Say goodbye to the crew
1:00PM – Departure to Hanoi by shuttle bus and drop-off at our hotel
» The Food
There was never a day in L’Azalée that we were hungry; besides, every meal was just so filling and packed with varied dishes! Naturally, there are Vietnamese fare such as gỏi cuốn (spring rolls), pho (rice) noodles, canh (soups), bánh mì (Vietnamese-style sandwich), and more that are accompanied by other Western dishes, fruits, and desserts.
When it comes to drinks they have an array of wines, champagne, spirits, fruit juices, and coffee that you can choose from. Speaking of coffee, Vietnamese coffee is lauded as one of the best in the world — unfortunately, I’m not a coffee-drinker so I can’t say much about that… however! My companions for this trip were, and they always kept singing praises about the cup of jo that they get served with.
The only improvement that I’d like to see is that I hope they offer snacks or a la carte desserts too on board. But then again, with how full the meals were, you’ll most likely not have any cravings!
» Halong Bay as a Whole
Halong Bay was exactly how we expected it to be — and more!
There are distinct differences though to that of Palawan in the Philippines (most especially the fact that in Halong Bay, you can’t just swim anywhere anymore and that the waters aren’t as clear); but anyhow, that didn’t take away the allure of it all. It remained to be a trip that was truly memorable!
Overall
Vietnam’s Halong Bay is a wonder that’s worthy to be seen and I’m absolutely glad that I had the chance to witness it for myself — more so in a cruise that helped enhance the overall journey!
That being said, I highly recommend L’Azalée Cruises if you’re looking for a company which will make the most of your stay and which will give you the best “bang for your buck”.
BOOK NOW WITH L’AZALEE
DISCLAIMER: Buffalo Tours sponsored this trip (other expenses are my own). Still and as always, all views that are expressed here represent only those made by myself and NOT of any other entity in their favor.
How about you?
What do you think of L’Azalée Cruises?
Would you like to try them out? Why or why not?
Or have you cruised through Halong Bay before? How was it?
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