Halong Bay - From other locations

[Jade13]

Can you get to Halong Bay if your ship will be docked at other ports in Vietnam such as Da Nang (or Ho Chi Minh)?

[greatam]

Can you get to Halong Bay if your ship will be docked at other ports in Vietnam such as Da Nang (or Ho Chi Minh)?

 

Yes, with a plane ride. But you would be hard pressed to get there during a port stop, unless it was overnight. And even then, with the travel time from the Hanoi airport to Halong, you wouldn't have much time unless you were off the ship VERY early, got to the airport (depending on the ship, that alone could be a 2 hour car ride) and took the 10:00AM flight to Hanoi would you even be able to see anything of Halong on an overnight.

 

Halong is the port outside Hanoi (in the NORTH). About 2-3 hours travel time, although distance wise, it is only about 50 miles. Traffic is simply unbelievable.

 

Saigon/DaNang are in the SOUTH. About 750 miles between Hanoi and Saigon, about 350 from DaNang. Just North of DaNang (Hai Van Pass) was the dividing line (DMZ) between North and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

[keltic]

Do the ships go through the nicest part of Halong Bay when they berth in the morning?. A day trip to Hanoi from Halong could be a nice option in case I could see the bay from the decks.

[greatam]

Do the ships go through the nicest part of Halong Bay when they berth in the morning?. A day trip to Hanoi from Halong could be a nice option in case I could see the bay from the decks.

 

VERY few of the large cruise ships can get into Halong. Usually Haiphong or Cai Phong or Cai Mep, even though the cruise lines are deceptive and state it is Halong or Hanoi. You will dock at the container/industrial ports. Halong is relatively shallow, so the big ships cannot dock. Seabourn, Silversea and some of the other luxury lines ships are small enough to actually go into Halong. I think the Costa ships are too large.

 

If you only have a normal one day port stop, you really have to make up you mind whether you want to see Halong Bay, or go into Hanoi (about a 2-3 hour drive). Traffic is horrific, so if you only have the day, I highly recommend you spend it in Halong on one of the MANY Chinese junks rather than going into Hanoi. Your Hanoi tour will be eaten up with 4-6 hours of transit time JUST between the cruise ship and Hanoi City. NOT a lot of time for sightseeing if you only have one day. If you have an overnight port stop, you can actually get into Hanoi the first day, then the second day take one of the Chinese junks around Halong. Or, IMHO, for the most spectacular experience, spend the night on one of the Chinese junks. Simply FANTASTIC.

 

Enjoy!!!

[keltic]

Thanks Greatam. So Halong Bay for me, not Hanoi.

[Jade13]

Yes, with a plane ride. But you would be hard pressed to get there during a port stop, unless it was overnight. And even then, with the travel time from the Hanoi airport to Halong, you wouldn't have much time unless you were off the ship VERY early, got to the airport (depending on the ship, that alone could be a 2 hour car ride) and took the 10:00AM flight to Hanoi would you even be able to see anything of Halong on an overnight.

 

Halong is the port outside Hanoi (in the NORTH). About 2-3 hours travel time, although distance wise, it is only about 50 miles. Traffic is simply unbelievable.

 

Saigon/DaNang are in the SOUTH. About 750 miles between Hanoi and Saigon, about 350 from DaNang. Just North of DaNang (Hai Van Pass) was the dividing line (DMZ) between North and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

 

 

Thanks. Right now we are booked on Azamara (unless HAL redeploys a ship for the time period we want with the original and somewhat better itinerary), and it does not go to Halong where I have been very interested in going.

 

Azamara has a 14 night cruise but it really only makes something like 4 ports stops because of multiple overnights. I'm willing to do an overnight somewhere (most likely to get to Angkor Wat) but it makes it difficult to decide what to do elsewhere.

[greatam]

Thanks. Right now we are booked on Azamara (unless HAL redeploys a ship for the time period we want with the original and somewhat better itinerary), and it does not go to Halong where I have been very interested in going.

 

Azamara has a 14 night cruise but it really only makes something like 4 ports stops because of multiple overnights. I'm willing to do an overnight somewhere (most likely to get to Angkor Wat) but it makes it difficult to decide what to do elsewhere.

 

The only two places cruise ships dock to get to Angkor EASILY are from Saigon and Bangkok. Hanoi requires at least two flights (although JetStar is making heavy inroads into Vietnam-they may start flying nonstop Hanoi/Siem Reap in the future) and Sihanoukville requires a 4 hour road trip to Phnom Penh, then either a one hour flight, another 4 hour bus ride or a 4 hour boat trip to get to Siem Reap (the boat is really a great way to see the countryside).

[Jade13]

The only two places cruise ships dock to get to Angkor EASILY are from Saigon and Bangkok. Hanoi requires at least two flights (although JetStar is making heavy inroads into Vietnam-they may start flying nonstop Hanoi/Siem Reap in the future) and Sihanoukville requires a 4 hour road trip to Phnom Penh, then either a one hour flight, another 4 hour bus ride or a 4 hour boat trip to get to Siem Reap (the boat is really a great way to see the countryside).

 

Based on current cruise plans I would look into going from Sihanoukville for the 4 hour drive to Phnom Penh and one hour flight to Siem Reap. The positive about this cruise is that there are then 2 overnights in Bangkok, so we would fly to Bangkok the next day and get a driver until the ship docks at 4:00pm.

 

My DH would nix any other overnight plans as we did pay for a cruise...

[keltic]

Anyway, in case I want to rent a van with driver for ten, what other points shouldn´t I miss?.

[amusea]

Thai Airways has two flights a day to Bangkok from Hanoi and return - one in the morning and one in the evening. The problem is that the tickets for these flights can only be purchased in Viet Nam. Check the Thai Airways schedule online.