Cruising in Vietnam?

[vietzay]

This will be my first time to Vietnam. we will be in Azamara Cruise docking to Halong bay on May 2015. i have contacted a travel agent to organize an over night stay in traditional Junk style boat in the Halong bay.

here is the detailed junk info: http://www.vietnameseprivatetours.com/cruise/halong-bay-private-junk-tours/

 

My question is do i really need to take this junk boat? i simply want to experience something authentic and unique.

How if i cancel the junk and take a trip to Hanoi since we will have 2 days and 1 night free time.

 

Thank's and all reply are appreciated.

[Floridiana]

You should really experience Halong Bay on a boat and not cancel. Have you looked at photos of this amazing area of the world? Talk about unique!

Edited March 12, 2015 by Floridiana

[John Bull]

Unfortunately most ships are in Halong Bay for only one & a half days. Is that the case with your cruise?

Hanoi is a very full day because it's something like a 3 hour drive e/w. That leaves only the half-day.

 

Overnite junk cruises generally go out about noon & return about 11am. This timing is for tourists based in Hanoi & usually doesn't tie in with ships' time in port, and I know that in the past cruisers wanting an overnite cruise have had to either have a seriously curtailed itinerary to fit in with ship's time in port, or pay the two-night rate to get a full itinerary. The agency in your link seems to operate the same routine, but perhaps other CC members can chip in with alternative sources that are more geared to visitors arriving by cruise ship.

 

The alternative is to hire a day junk.

 

If your ship arrives pm you are very unlikely to fit in a worthwhile junk cruise that afternoon because it takes time to disembark your ship (probably tendered) and get to the junk harbour, and day junks return before dark. Best you'd manage is something like a two hour cruise & much of that time is spent crossing the open bay to get to the limestone islets (karsts).

So if you want a worthwhile day cruise it would have to be on your full day, at the expense of Hanoi.

But that does mean that you can get together with like-minded folk & go ashore on the first afternoon to negotiate with the junk reps at the tender jetty to fix up a junk for next day. A 4 or 6 or (probably) 8 hour cruise is possible & prices are waaaaay cheaper than pre-arranged junk cruises.

That is what we did - about 20 of us split our forces between two junks, one of a four hour cruise & the other a 6 hour cruise.

Brilliant.

This from my review at the time

"HaLong Bay. Anchored off Ha Long City, 1 1/2 days. Super morning sail-in on main passage thru the karsts. Having decided against long road trip to Hanoi, & to take a full-day junk cruise, we were at a loose end for the 1st afternoon so had arranged a private city tour. Even at $27 pp for the two of us it was a waste of time, the city has little to offer. Some you win, some you lose. Next day 8 of us hired a junk (capacity mebbe 30)for 6 hours, $90 total. Others hired junks for 4 hours for $60. Six hours was about right. Bay was misty, as usual this time of year - didn't spoil it, added to the eerie mystery of the place. You need to experience it to understand. Overall, 2 great days."

 

Full review (Singapore to HK) at

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=63066

 

That was five years ago, no doubt prices have since shot up from the $60 - $90 per junk that we paid, but organising on-the-fly will still be a fraction of those quoted on the 'net.

 

If your full day is the first day & your ship leaves around 2pm next day then you can do a Hanoi tour on the first day and fit in a four hour junk cruise (four hours is really the minimum to be worthwhile) next morning. But I'm not sure that you'll have time on Day 1 to fix up the junk cruise for early next morning.

 

I'd strongly recommend that if you go to Hanoi you do so on a ship's tour. And if you decide against also trying to squeeze in a junk cruise, make that ship's overnite tour to Hanoi.

 

Do try to avoid ship-sponsored junk cruises - as well as being seriously over-priced they'll likely be loaded to capacity so it'll be more like sitting on a bus. About thirty or more, rather than up to a dozen of you all able to sit inside or on loungers on the roof if you hire a junk yourselves.

But that may be the only way you can fit in both Hanoi and a junk cruise.

 

Difficult to choose, also understandably nervous if you choose to wing-it by fixing a junk cruise on arrival rather than pre-booked.

 

Consider what other Vietnamese ports you're visiting - Saigon may be enough for you to tick the "Vietnamese city" box & concentrate on the pretty unique experience of a good Halong Bay junk cruise.

BTW Azamara can sail the Saigon River so they port in down-town Saigon, very convenient esp if you want to take in the nightlife. Most ships are too big & have to port at Phu My, some distance from Saigon.

 

Check your ship times in Halong Bay.

Just a day-and-a-half?

 

JB :)

Edited March 12, 2015 by John Bull

[maryann ns]

We were able to spend two nights on a junk this past November/December. I highly recommend Indochina Junks as they are permitted to go to Bai Tu Long (Bay off Halong Bay) which is more secluded and cleaner. The scenery is fantastic. You may also get time to kayak. They apparently do day tours but you would need to contact them.

 

Other than that, I agree you should see if you can find others to join you for a private junk tour.

 

We had three days in Hanoi and loved it, but it is a very long, boring drive to get there and back from Halong Bay, and would not be worth it for only a few hours just to say you were there.

Edited March 12, 2015 by maryann ns

[Lerin]

WOW, can't help you with your question at all as we've not been to Vietnam or on a Junk Boat. However after clicking that link, it is now on our bucket list! have fun

[vietzay]

Nice answers guys, Thank you, so, i decided to stay an over night in the halong bay.

That's the other view from the bay.

cant wait to see it ...

 

 

One more .. amazing one

 

Edited March 13, 2015 by vietzay