Bai Tu Long Bay, Halong Bay

Beautiful bay, very quiet compared to Ha Long Bay and just as scenic, although the small beaches were somewhat dirty, so we couldn't get a good swim until we got to the day boat, after kayaking. We visited it the second day of our 3 days and 2 nights cruise to Ha Long Bay. We only saw two other day boats along or nearby, which made the experience very relaxed. The kayaking was a bit harder than the first day in the fishing village, due to the waves and more open waters, but had some incredible views.

We had an unforgettable experience on on overnight voyage on the Treasure Junk. We had one of the two suites, which aren’t much more expensive than a normal cabin but totally worth it. Regardless of the tour company and boat you chose it’s a similar itinerary of kayaking, cooking class, tour of floating village and plenty of time to soak up the stunning views. What sets Bai Tu Long Bay aside from Ha Long bay is that it’s quieter, with less boats taking the standard route, and so you are more likely to get some amazing photos without another Junk sneaking into your picture. We found the food to be amazing with several courses in each meal, as well as friendly boat staff and a totally brilliant tour guide, booked through Hand Span tours in Hanoi. We did the one night trip and it felt about right... we wanted more but might have found day 2 to be repetitive, although I could have sat on deck and enjoyed the stunning views all day! Book this and you won’t regret it ;-)

Bai Tu Long Bay is part of the famous Halong Bay. It is located northeast of Vietnam, at 165 km from the capital Hanoi. The bay comprises approximately 1,600 islands and islets, which forms a remarkable panorama of limestone pillars. Most of the islands are uninhabited. The site’s outstanding scenic beauty, the area is rich with geological magnificence. I suggest everyone not to let local travel agents confuse you about Halong Bay vs Bai Tu Long Bay. They are both part of Bai Tu Long National Park and both part of the pristine Heritage, both bays stand right next to each other and they shared outstanding beauty. Bai Tu Long Bay occupies ¾ of Ha Long Bay. The natural views were magnificent, I loved every minute of it, going from island to island, and enjoying nature! Loved it; we were even allowed to go ashore for a little while to enjoy swimming and relaxing in a small but beautiful beach. In the evening, i truly enjoyed a stunning sunset.

Bai tu long bay was amazing. There were so many islands to see and we went to the Thien Canh Son cave which has 100 steps to climb. There was also a beach which is beautiful. We travelled by Huong Hai Life sea cruise which is one of the best to go by TripAdvisor reviews. We enjoyed our stay and hope you'll too.

Gorgeous, quiet, fishing village is awesome if you can get a tour there.