Bai Tu Long Bay, Halong Bay

Beautiful bay, very quiet compared to Ha Long Bay and just as scenic, although the small beaches were somewhat dirty, so we couldn't get a good swim until we got to the day boat, after kayaking. We visited it the second day of our 3 days and 2 nights cruise to Ha Long Bay. We only saw two other day boats along or nearby, which made the experience very relaxed. The kayaking was a bit harder than the first day in the fishing village, due to the waves and more open waters, but had some incredible views.

We had an unforgettable experience on on overnight voyage on the Treasure Junk. We had one of the two suites, which aren’t much more expensive than a normal cabin but totally worth it. Regardless of the tour company and boat you chose it’s a similar itinerary of kayaking, cooking class, tour of floating village and plenty of time to soak up the stunning views. What sets Bai Tu Long Bay aside from Ha Long bay is that it’s quieter, with less boats taking the standard route, and so you are more likely to get some amazing photos without another Junk sneaking into your picture. We found the food to be amazing with several courses in each meal, as well as friendly boat staff and a totally brilliant tour guide, booked through Hand Span tours in Hanoi. We did the one night trip and it felt about right... we wanted more but might have found day 2 to be repetitive, although I could have sat on deck and enjoyed the stunning views all day! Book this and you won’t regret it ;-)