Ha Long Bay is easily the most well-known tourist destination in Vietnam. Because of the popularity, there are hundreds of methods available to explore the famous chain of islands. After considering numerous options, we elected to book with Halong Hideaway Tour. Initially, we chose the 2-day/1 night option, which we later extended to 3D/2N.
Halong Hideaway offers a description of both itineraries on their website. We would recommend booking the 3D/2N package, but it’s possible to upgrade once you reach the island, like we did.
One thing that stood out to us about Halong Hideaway was that it offers to opportunity to stay on the company’s private island. Many of the other companies in the area just offer accommodation on the boat.
Day 1:
We were picked up at our accommodation, Central Backpackers Hostel, in Hanoi at ~8:00 am. Once on the bus, we departed for Cat Ba Island, where we boarded a large wooden boat. Once on the boat, our host explained the day’s itinerary. We were set to have lunch on the boat while sailing to Hideaway Island, stopping to swim later that afternoon.
Anna and I absolutely loved swimming in the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay.
Once at the island, we and the rest of the group loaded our bags off the boat into the dormitory building (where we didn’t end up sleeping). After getting settled in, we had some time to explore the small island and settle in before dinner. Dinner was a magnificent spread of spring rolls, rice, chicken and vegetables, after which the host told us there would be a beer pong tournament in the island bar. Needless to say, Anna and I won, being the only North Americans on the tour.
After the tournament, the rest of the group continued to party in the bar, but Anna and I decided to go for a swim. Earlier that day, our host had told us about the chance to swim with bioluminescent plankton around the corner from the main beach. We didn’t know exactly where to go, but as I followed Anna along the dark beach, I noticed her footprints beginning to glow in the sand. The further we walked, the brighter our footprints glowed, until we noticed the water lapping against the shore glowing as well. At that point, it was evident we were in the right place, so into the water we went.
I think I can speak for both of us when I say this was one of the coolest things we did in Southeast Asia. With every movement we made, the dark water glowed bright blue around us. We were completely alone among the famous Ha Long Bay sea stacks, and it was incredible to watch the sparkling trails follow us through the water. Anna, with her Marine Biology degree, was squealing with excitement. Eventually, we saw a large glowing mass pass us in the water, so we decided it was time to get out. We returned to the main area of the island, and pulled a couple of padded beach chairs together to watch the stars. We ended up falling asleep there, which we calculated as a huge upgrade from the crowded dorm room.
Day 2:
We awoke on our beach chairs to the sun on the shining limestone cliffs, and decided we weren’t ready to leave yet. Luckily, our guide was easily able to upgrade us to stay another night. It was $30 to stay in the dorm, or $20 to stay in a tent on the beach. Since we had slept on the beach the night before, the tent was a no-brainer.
After breakfast, we loaded back onto the boat and headed back to Cat Ba Island. On Cat Ba, we took a short hike up to a viewpoint of Ha Long Bay.
Following the hike, we went on a short bike ride around the island, stopping at a small village for lunch. When we finally arrived back at the boat, we were all ready for a swim. We stopped at swimming spot to jump in and swam to a sand bar near a large limestone cliff. I even taught Anna how to do a backflip off the boat. She nailed it on her first try.
Day 3:
We only had a half day on the island since we were scheduled to depart back to Hanoi around noon. We made the best of our limited time, using the Kayaks provided by Halong Hideaway. It was a great way to explore the surrounding area. We paddled through the islands and passed by a floating village. Apparently the residents of these floating homes only journey to the mainland to get married. After about an hour of paddling, we found a secluded beach where searched for shells and enjoyed the sun.
Finally, we hopped back on the boat and made the journey back to Cat Ba Island, before loading onto a bus to Journey back to Hanoi.
