Vietnam: Halong Bay

Travel tip:  don't always believe the reviews you read. 

Initially we were hesitant to visit Halong bay after reading a number of reviews that said it was overrated and overrun by tourist.  SO GLAD WE DIDN’T LISTEN.  I think key may be to visit the bay during low season, late May/June so that you can really enjoy it and avoid the big crowds.

Halong Bay offers a variety of options from 1 day tours to 1 week.  I would opt for the longer ones if you have time. I repeatedly said that if I didn’t have to see anything else in Vietnam, I would have stayed a week.

Whatever you do, you pay for what you get so you many want to spend a little more to get a better quality boat. We loved our boat, the food was fab & it was chill with only 10 cabins.  If aren't looking to relax or be romantic then you might as well go for a party boat.  One was anchored across from us & the entire group continued to jump fro the sun deck for hours!

The trip is so relaxing and the views are stunning. There is as much activity as you want. We kayaked, hiked, swam, explored caves, relaxed on the sun deck, and learned how to make spring rolls.

We were also lucky enough to share a few meals with some great people: an older couple from Holland traveling through Vietnam for 3 weeks, an Australian man who was visiting his brother in Thailand and was planning to rent a motorbike to ride through the north of Nam, and another couple from Holland who were on a 6 month adventure – they had taken a motor home through Australian and New Zealand and were traveling Vietnam for 1 month before returning home. (I hope to be them in my 50's!)