Drift Between Limestone Peaks
Bite-sized trip
Day 1 – Hanoi to Bai Tu Long Bay
This morning you’ll be collected from your hotel and embark on a 4 hour drive to Hon Gai harbour where you’ll hop on a traditional Chinese junk boat with huge, billowing sails. This will be your floating home for the night. A lunch of fresh grilled seafood will be served as you set sail, kicking off the trip in true local style. You’ll spend the early afternoon sailing between towering jungle-topped islands, before dropping anchor so you can explore the bay for yourself.
Kayaks will be available so that you can paddle to the places your boat won’t reach, where you’ll find secluded beaches and can swim in the azure waters between the rock formations. At sunset, grab an ice-cold beer, watch the blazing sun sink into the sea and soak up the magic of the place. A delicious dinner will be served on board before you retreat to your cosy, private cabin or try your hand at squid fishing or traditional Vietnamese games.
Day 2 – Bai Tu Long Bay to Hanoi
If you feel like it then you can start the day with a spot of Tai Chi on the deck to welcome in the day, before exploring a cave filled with sparkling stalactites. As you cruise back towards the harbour you can relax on deck or watch a cooking demonstration from the chef. You’ll have a tasty lunch on board, before disembarking for your transfer back to Hanoi, or to the airport or train station for your onward journey.
Meaningful Travel
We have decided to offer Bai Tu Long Bay instead of the more famous Halong Bay as the latter is experiencing issues with overcapacity and environmental degradation. So we are part of the solution and not the problem, we want to alleviate some of the pressure on Halong Bay by offering an alternative to make this hot tourist spot more sustainable in the long run – providing employment to many local people whilst allowing visitors to enjoy the stunning scenery of this area.
Accommodation
For this bite-sized trip we offer the following options
Choose an alternative cruise to a lesser travelled Lan Ha bay
Enjoy an atmospheric (and very comfortable) cruise through the lesser-known Lan Ha Bay, a quieter sister of Ha Long and Bai Tu Long (but just as stunning). During these 3 days you will marvel at the changing landscapes of karst mountains, take in the sunsets and explore the bay on kayaks. You’ll get to visit a floating village and go ashore at Cat Ba Island. All your meals are included and chefs will be whipping up some incredible Vietnamese delights for you to sample.
Upgrade to our In Style accommodation
For this bite-sized trip we have an alternative option available for your accommodation. Our In-Style version is something a bit more special or unique but still with lots of local flavour! If you would like to upgrade your accommodation for this bite-size trip select our In Style option below.
