Would you like to visit Ha Long Bay in Vietnam? If you've already been, would you return?
It was on my list for so long, we finally went there in February 2015. Cruising by ship on Ha Long Bay is the best way to enjoy the natural beauty, so I booked a 3-day, 2-night tour onboard a beautiful ship for my husband and I.
How to get there?
The closest airport to Ha Long Bay is Cat Bi international airport in Hai Phong, a little more than a 1-hour car ride from Ha Long Bay. The cruise I booked offered free pickup from a hotel in Ha Noi and transfer to Ha Long Bay, which is more than 3-hour ride. Would you choose to fly to Hai Phong or Ha Noi? We chose to fly to Hai Phong then took a taxi to a hotel in Ha Long so we can relax a little bit before going on the cruise trip. The taxi ride had a very nice coastal view.
Where to stay?
We stayed at a hotel called Sai Gon Ha Long hotel which has a very nice ocean view.
Our room at Sai Gon Ha Long hotel
This was our first vacation without our son since he was born. Free from 24x7 parental responsibility, we drank as much as we pleased. The food and the wine were good. It felt like a second honeymoon.
The next day we took a taxi to Victory Café for a 12 pm ship-boarding at the Hon Gai International Port. We took a small boat to our cruise ship. On the way, we saw many other boats full of tourists.
There it was, the Victory Star cruise ship. There are many cruise ships to choose from, ranging in size from small to big. Trip durations from one to three days are available. We chose this ship because it wasn't too big. Cozy, but not so small that we would be worried about safety.
After a very nice welcome and introduction to the crew, we checked-in to our room. From the little balcony, we could see Bai Chay bridge and Hon Gai Port. And then our journey began.
When we were ready for lunch, our table was waiting for us. My husband used the US passport and I used my Vietnamese passport, so they put two flags on our table. I'm not a fan of categorizing people so I don't take this as a positive thing. We're on a vacation, not on a UN meeting. But through this, we learned the rest of the guests were from Europe.
The view was beautiful, the staff was very nice, and the food was fresh and tasty. You can see that on my face.
After lunch, we took a walk to check out the view from the deck. The water was super calm and beautiful.
It was a bit chilly and misty.
There we were, looking at sights we'd never seen before. Mother nature is amazing.
Then we went back to our room to get ready for a little trip to see a floating fishing village.
Our room was the Presidential Suite. It was decorated in warm tones, contrasting with the cool temperature of Ha Long Bay. Not too big, and not too small. It made me feel warm and cozy as we were moving away from the mainland.
Our suite had two private balconies. One next to the bed,
and the other was connected to the front of the boat.
We didn't use the balconies as much as I wanted because we spent most of our time venturing out, away from the ship to explore all that Ha Long Bay had to offer.
To be continued...
My next post will be about the beauty of the bay. Hope to see you then.
Thanks so much for your time, my friends.
Have a great day!
Love,
@dewdrop
nice backdrops and great place to spend your almost second honeymoon. presidential suite!! wooot...
Thanks! Yeah, after years of 24/7 parental job, you're going to need that.
Wow!! The place is so nice!! Thanks for sharing I love reading travel blogs with captured photos that are really good!❤️ wanna go there too❤️
Hey! Thanks so much Honey 😍.
I just got back from a South East Asia trip including Vietnam. Unfortunately, due to the finicky weather this time of year, I didn't get a chance to make it north to Hanoi and Halong bay. The south was still incredibly pleasant and I would highly recommend it. Did you get a chance to check out Hoi Ann on your trip? It was by far my favorite city in Vietnam of the ones I was lucky enough to visit. Great post btw : )
Hi there! Nice to meet you Sir Bombadil. 😁 Thanks so much for your nice comment. I'm from the South actually. It's funny I haven't been to Hoi An yet. Every time going back, I'm just thinking about seafood and beaches. 😃
That's awesome, I love Vietnam! Out of all the countries I've visited it really stands out, especially because of the food. What I would give for a delicious Banh mi or some Pho Ga right now! The foods got my mouth watering just thinking about it. I guess it's time for me to get something for dinner haha
You're so funny. Hahaha. It's 1.30 am here and I'm hungry too.
I loved Vietnam. I'm not sure I'd go back to Halong bay though. We ended up with a really dodgy provider...they even tried to bunk a friend of mine with a random guy. Even though she had booked a private room. I loved the scenery though. Incredible.
Hi Jfolkmann! Nice to meet you! Thanks for your comment. Sorry about that. We had that same experience once too but not in Ha Long though. We said no but that made the whole trip uncomfortable.
Very nice shots and description of the resort. I'm planning to go to Japan within a year or so, never been to Asia...
Thanks, Glenn! That will be exciting. 😃
Lâu lắm mới thấy c post bài. Chỉ khổ em thỉnh thoảng vào blog chị mà k thấy gì để vote haha
Nếu c biết sớm em là đại gia thì c đã đăng nhiều bài cho em vote rồi. Hahaha.
đại gia nửa mùa chị ơi. haha. em đang lease SP thôi. nợ nần lắm rồi đây :)))
Em lạc quan vậy tốt lắm rồi. Đẹp gái mà còn biết làm ăn nữa chứ. Hehe
em đang admin group "steemit việt nam" trên fb. chị join k? haha. để hnao chị về Vietnam thì để em sắp xếp meet up giữa Vietnamese steemian vs Việt-kiều steemian. lol
Hahaha. C ít dùng fb lắm. Chắc lâu lắm c mới ra Hà Nội nữa em ơi. Để rãnh c vô tag vn kết bạn 😉.
hahaa. vâng. thế lúc nào e tổ chức meet up ở Saigon thì em thông báo. tham gia dc thì giam gia chị nhé. :)))
I saw something similar through kyle.net, the blogger.
These pictures look wonderful. I like how you cropped the photos. I want to return here a second time to experience the boat stay. This looks so relaxing. I'm quite jealous. haha. I was aware there was a steemit meetup in Hanoi earlier this month.
Hey! Thanks! I thought you've been there before. So happy you enjoy the pictures because I spent many hours editing them. Haha. Yeah! I saw the meetup too.
Long time no see :). Beautiful pics @dewdrop! After seeing the pics, thought so that you could have been on vacation but these are from 2015.
The scenery is really breathtaking and nicely shot too. Keep posting, keep sharing...
Hi The Mystic! Thanks so much! So happy you like them. The cold season had been too much for me. I'm better now and will try to post more. Thanks! 😊
Glad you are feeling better. You should keep Emergen C handy after the fall season , it works within the family here :). We try to avoid flu-shots and drink Vitamin C often.
Anyways keep posting good stuff as always. Cheers!!!
We avoided flu shots too. I thought it will go away in a few days but I've been coughing since Christmas. The funny thing is I didn't lose any weight 😄. Thanks for your tips. Have a good day 😊.
You are welcome. One more quick natural tip for coughing is Dry Ginger powder in pure Honey. Also you can try Cepacol throat lozenges for Cough/Sore Throat, it's available over the counter. No comments of weight 😄. Get well soon. Keep steeming... Cheers!
Aww...you guys are so nice 😍. Thanks so much! I do eat a lot of raw gingers 😉. Organic ginger is hard to find though. I'll look for it again at Whole Foods tomorrow. Thanks again, my friend! 😊
Fantastic photography
Resteem service
Hi! That's very nice of you. Thanks so much!
actually it's my dream to be dear the places looks amazing and you look gorgeous
Thanks so much Yassinof! 😊
This post has been deemed resteem & upvote worthy by your friendly @eastcoaststeem ran by Steemian @chelsea88
Thanks so much, Chelsea! You're awesome! 😉
How did I miss this post, I must be slipping!
Haha. It's great you saw it now. 😄
Waw beautiful place for vacation....
Hey! Thanks, my friend. 😉
Wow very very beautiful photography and nice place .
Thanks @dewdrop
Have a great day
Thanks, Goldcoin!
the view from your suite is stunning. @dewdrop can you give us an idea of how much the round trip cost
Hi, Kwazi! Nice to meet you! Thanks! Here is the website of the ship for your information http://www.victorystarjunks.com/3day_overnight_junk_tour.html.
Looks like a beautiful place, I would love to visit.
Hi Alpha Steem! Thanks! 😄
I plan to visit Vietnam soon with some family and I definitely want to visit Ha Long Bay. Is this near south Vietnam?
How much does everything cost broken up?
hotel?
food?
cruise ship?
Hi, Green beans! That's great! It's in North Vietnam, about 3.5-hour car ride from Ha Noi. Here is the website of the cruise ship we stayed http://www.victorystarjunks.com/3day_overnight_junk_tour.html. Foods included. You can go here for more options http://www.halongbaycruise.vn/. This one is for hotel https://www.agoda.com/city/halong-vn.html?cid=-218.
Most people fly to Ha Noi which has a bigger airport. There was a storm at the end of our trip, we had to go to Ha Noi to fly back.
I think you should book on the website you trust only. I speak Vietnamese, so I called and talked to them before booking. Sometimes, I still get negative experiences like I paid online, then went to the hotel and there was no room for me.
Great country, great stay, wish you the best in Ha Long Bay :)
Thanks, my friend! The trip was in 2015 actually. 😁
This place looks like a peace of heaven! Such a peaceful and relaxing place! ❤️
Yup! You're right, Gabriela. 😉
I will visit there. Thank you for post. Very good.
Thanks! That would be great!
Thats called heartpeacing place
Aww 😄
Nice! I'd love to go to Vietnam someday to try out the food and sight seeing. I know foods over there are very cheap =D I'm a big foodie haha @gummasplanet
Hey! Thanks! That would be awesome 😄.
Wow! Nice article. I want to be there right now. This hotel is absolutely majestic.
Love, Olivia D.
Hi, Olivia! Thanks! Nice to meet you!
Nice to meet you too! :)
Wow wonderful trip. it is very nice location and great article.
Your nice look
Upvote Resteem
Hey! Thanks so much, my friend. 😊
Great Dear @dewdrop I was waiting to see something from you again and their it is,loved to see the way you explained your trip just awesome.
Aww... that's so nice of you. Thank you so much! So happy you like it. 😊 Have a great Sunday, Altanoor!
Very beautiful <3
Long did not see you, are you okay? :)
Hey, Subki! Thanks! I've been sick. I'm better now. Thanks! 😉
Thank goodness then, I will be more excited with your rise :-)
Aww 😍
@dewdrop, how are you?
I am reading your post after a long time :) I really like the pictures, beautifully clicked. The cruise is mind-blowing. Your explanation is up to the mark. Waiting for your next post.
Keep posting.
TC.
Hi there! Thanks so much for enjoying it, my friend. I've been sick but I'm better now. Need more ginger. Haha. I'll work on the next post soon. Have a great day!
Good one friend :D.
Get well soon.
Thanks! :)
I just love Ha Long Bay. Been there 2 times and still so in love!
Thank you for sharing. Such a great post!
Hi Quốc Việt! Great to meet you here 😊. Wow! Awesome you've been there twice. So happy you enjoy the post. Thanks! 😉 (we can chat in Vietnamese if you want 😊)
Ahmmm... I actually can read Vietnamese but my writing... well, I guess I should stick to English xD
Ok! 😄
The place looks very nice and the pictures are charming
Thanks, Mounir! 😉
Fabulous vacation. Hotel looked especially nice.
Thanks Mike! 😊
The photos are just splendid! The sea looks so peaceful and its colour is mesmerising! I could just sit and watch the view all day and the sunset too. This is the place I have wanted to visit a long time ago. Perhaps one day I'll have the opportunity to visit Ha Long Bay.
You looked super happy on this trip! I couldn't believe that you would be able to drink a lot!
These photos are full of life and magic!
Cheers.
Awww....😍😍 I love your comment! Thanks so much, my friend. Yeah, it's nice to just sit there and doing nothing too.
I used to drink a lot but quit drinking since I got pregnant. Now just once in a while 😉.
Have a good night! 😊
Ah! You are a good girl! Looking after your health while being pregnant!
Once in a while, we should have a glass of wine one day!
😍😍. Yup, if you come here or I go there one day. 😊
Yes
Cool! 😄
A very lovely "trip report"! The last two photos made me wanna jump into the sea.
BTW: is anyone swimming there? Or is it too cold?
Thanks! 😊It was springtime so it's chilly and no one was swimming. But people were kayaking. 😊
wow!! What a awesome place! Loved to visit it :)
Followed!
Thanks so much, Sana! 😊
You just rarely make post, apparently you're on vacation.👍
Hey! Nah, I was sick and lazy actually 😄.
Ow..now you are healed right?Lazy, again???or lazy because you reasoned sick😄
Lazy because I was sick. I'm still coughing but can make a post 😄.
ow .. hopefully get well soon and keep the spirit.💪
Thanks! 😉
Beautiful and pretty comprehensive article
Thanks, Sheesul! 😊
Wow ... it's beautiful where it's like I'm flying there
Hi, Cekyah! Thanks!
Beautiful
Thanks! 😊
Tempat yang indah ,dan sangat menakjubkan ...
Kalau saya yang jadi anda mungkin saya akan menetap disana buat selamanya...
Thanks! 😊
You are welcome
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