A Day in Halong Bay, Vietnam

A Day in Halong Bay, Vietnam

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Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for having over 1,600 limestone island formations amongst teal blue waters. The region is home to an impressive range of biodiversity as well as host to outdoor activities like scuba diving, rock climbing, and hiking. Through a tour with Cát Bà Ventures, I spent a day out in Halong Bay admiring its natural beauty, including kayaking on the water and seeing a traditional fishing village.

Seeing a traditional fishing village was part of our tour.

Halong Bay via Cát Bà Island

Halong Bay is an incredibly popular tourist destination for obvious reasons, but all of the tourism has caused the area to become crowded and somewhat polluted. Not as upscale or developed as Halong Bay but across the way, Cát Bà Island is less frequented. Cát Bà Island is now becoming a more popular alternative to escape Halong Bay’s crowds. I chose to visit Cát Bà for this reason and was not disappointed in the least. My only complaint was not having more time to spend on the island!

View of the bay from Cannon Fort on Cat Ba Island.

Read more about Cát Bà on my [Cát Bà Travel Guide].

Halong Bay Cruise with Cát Bà Ventures

Cát Bà Ventures offers tours of Halong and Lan Ha Bay from Cát Bà Town. The one-day tour package costs $30 USD per person and includes:

  • Group tour with English-speaking guide
  • Transportation to and around Halong Bay
  • Entrance ticket and paid fees to access Halong Bay
  • One liter of bottled water
  • Family-style seafood lunch (vegetarian and vegan alternatives available)
  • Visiting a traditional fishing village
  • Kayak rental and guide around Halong Bay
Limestone islands are everywhere in Halong Bay.

All of the staff at Cát Bà Ventures were very accommodating, professional, and friendly. It was easy to correspond with the company via email to arrange and reserve a tour package, too. If you’re visiting during peak tourist season—August and September—I recommend booking ahead of time to reserve your spot. Click here to visit their website and see other packages Cát Bà Ventures offers.

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