No visit to the northern part of Vietnam is complete without a visit to the incredible coast. Halong Bay is the most popular area to visit, and for good reason! The stunning turquoise water and the otherworldly limestone formations make for incredible scenery. However, with its popularity comes crowds. Halong Bay sees over 2.5 million visitors each year. Every night there are countless party or cruise boats on the water. If, like us, that doesn’t sound like your idea of a relaxing time on the water, you absolutely need to consider visiting Lan Ha Bay instead!
This is what we chose to do while we were in Hanoi. We took an overnight tour to Cat Ba Island in Lan Ha Bay. We got to explore some of Cat Ba itself, and had a lovely cruise on the bay. During our cruise, we were able to kayak and swim (although it was too cold for the latter), and got to experience the most beautiful views on the calm water.
Situated in essentially the same body of water, Lan Ha Bay is to the south of Halong Bay. They share the same landscape, and both offer cruises, water activities, stunning views, and cultural experiences. On our trip to Vietnam, we chose to visit Cat Ba Island and cruise from there around Lan Ha Bay. We’ll explain to you exactly why we made our choice, and give you all the information you’ll need to choose the right destination for your holiday.
In this post:
- Landscape and Scenery
- Getting There
- Where to Stay
- Cruises
- Other Activities
- Cost
- Which Should You Choose?
Don’t forget to check out our post on everything there is to do in Hanoi if you’ll be visiting the bays from there!
Landscape and Scenery
Since Lan Ha and Halong Bays are actually both situated within the Gulf of Tonkin, they’re very similar. They share such a unique landscape, full of the most majestic limestone islands.
The islands formed when rain and seawater slowly eroded away sections of limestone. Eventually, only the islands that we see now remained, although these are also slowly continuing to shrink. In some spots, you can see how much the base of some islands have worn away. Thanks to the white limestone, the water in both bays is an incredible shade of green, particularly on a sunny day.
Local legend tells the story of a family of dragons sent to protect Vietnam from invasion. The dragons spat huge jewels and gems to deter the invaders, which then formed mountains to protect the Vietnamese people throughout the centuries. According to the legend, the dragons still live in Halong and the surrounding bays.
The only real differences between Lan Ha and Halong Bays is that the islands are closer together in Lan Ha Bay and Halong is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you’re after incredible views, you cannot go wrong with visiting either Bay.
Getting There
Both Lan Ha and Halong Bays are located on the coast of northern Vietnam. For both, you can travel by bus or car from Hanoi to either the city of Ha Long or Haiphong. This is how most tourists will get to the coast. You could also drive or take buses from other areas of northern Vietnam. Haiphong even has an airport that you could fly into, which will get you very close to Lan Ha Bay, and an easy coach or drive from Halong Bay.
If you want to make your own way to the bay you choose, they are similar distances from Hanoi (around two hours’ drive). There are also a multitude of other options to get you there, ranging from public buses all the way to private guided multi-day tours. There are even a handful of day trip options from Hanoi if you’re really pressed for time. We wouldn’t recommend these though, as they are very long days and you won’t get to really appreciate the beauty of the area.
Thankfully, getting to both bays is equally easy, so this isn’t something that will likely factor into your decision.
Where to Stay
Obviously, staying overnight on a boat is one of the best ways to see both Halong and Lan Hay Bays. But what if you have extra nights or don’t love the idea of sleeping on a boat?
For accommodation nearby to the bays, you have a few options. The city of Halong has a range of hostels and hotels to suit any traveller. Unfortunately, though, most of the accommodation is not that close to where to cruises leave from, so you will need to factor in a taxi ride as well. Keep in mind that Halong is also a city, so you definitely won’t get the relaxed vibe that you might be after on a trip to the bay.
Lan Ha Bay is a slightly different situation with accommodation. As mentioned, the closest city is Haiphong, which is much larger than Halong. However, off the coast of Haiphong, accessible by ferry, is Cat Ba Island. This is one of the largest islands in Lan Ha Bay, and offers a great range of options for places to stay.
Cat Ba definitely has the relaxed island feel you’ll be looking for, but there are also restaurants and shops to look through in the main town. The waterfront has some stunning views out onto the bay as well.
If you’re planning to spend any nights near the bays before or after a cruise, we definitely think Lan Ha is the winner for this as Cat Ba Island is beautiful and worth visiting in its own right.
Cruises
No matter which bay you choose to go to, you will have so many options for cruises! Ranging from half or full day cruises with no overnight stay right up to multi-night itineraries, there really are options for whatever you need. There are also different styles of cruise, with some being more aimed to a younger party crowd, and others that are more upmarket.
Something that is important to consider when choosing which bay to visit is the rules that govern each. Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay fall under different local governments. Halong Bay is in the jurisdiction of Quang Ninh province, while Lan Ha is looked after by Haiphong.
There are a few differences in the laws in each area, and some of these impact cruises. Most notably, cruise boats in Lan Ha Bay are allowed to anchor anywhere within the bay, while in Halong there are specific areas in which anchoring is allowed. As you can imagine, this means that most boats in Halong are restricted to the same few areas. These areas can become crowded, particular in high season. In Lan Ha, though, cruise captains can find more remote or secluded spots to settle, allowing for more idyllic or tranquil cruises.
This is particularly pertinent to overnight cruises. In Halong Bay, you’re likely to spend the night within earshot of many other boats. If any of those happen to be party boats, you’re in for a loud night. In Lan Ha, though, you’re less likely to be disturbed by other cruises.
Other Activities
Water Activities
Similar to the rules around cruises, the different governments also have different rules around other activities on the water. In Halong Bay, swimming is allowed only at designated beaches. There are also specific areas where you are allowed to kayak. This means that if you want to participate in either of these activities, you’re likely to find yourself in a crowd of others with the same idea.
In Lan Ha Bay, however, the rules are much looser. You can kayak anywhere in the bay, and swim off cruise boats or at any beach. This, along with the lower number of visitors, means that you’re more likely to find a secluded spot. Our cruise through Lan Ha Bay had around 15 guests on board, and at times we were the only people in our little corner of the bay.
Both bays are open to diving and snorkelling, and the bays are home to a large number of aquatic species. However, the water can often be cloudy, so many people don’t recommend either bay for these activities.
In Halong Bay, you will find some things that you can’t find in Lan Ha, including many large caves (the most famous of which is Sung Sot Cave) and pearl farms. There is also one particular hiking spot in Halong Bay on Ti Top Island, which is a major draw to Halong. The viewpoint at the peak is over 100m above the water level, and offers an incredible view over the bay.
Cultural Experiences and Sights
One big distinction between Halong and Lan Ha Bays is the way of life of the locals. Due to the different governments, fishing is not allowed in much of Halong Bay. While there are still a few local floating villages, the villagers are not able to live the traditional lifestyle involving fishing. Most locals from these villages have moved on shore due to incentives from the government.
In Lan Ha Bay, however, there are still active floating villages where the inhabitants live off fishing. While you can’t visit these villages, you can see them from your cruise as you travel past. The oldest of these floating villages is Cai Beo, which has been around for 7000 years. Around 400 families live in the village. It’s incredible to see the set up as you travel past on your cruise.
Land Activities
If you choose Halong Bay and spend some time in the city of Halong, there are a few activities you could do there too. The city is home to a few attractions, including the Quang Ninh Museum and Library, the Sun World Amusement Park Complex and the Bai Tho Mountain lookout. Like many cities across South East Asia, Halong City also has some markets, including the Halong Night Market and a number of seafood markets.
Back on Cat Ba Island, you’ve also got activity options! On our overnight trip, we went on a tour through the Trung Trang Caves and hiked through the Kim Giao Forest to Ngu Lam Peak. These were both great ways of learning more about the area, about the geography and the culture. There are numerous other hikes you can do on the island, particularly in Cat Ba National Park.
Cat Ba Island along with some other islands in Lan Ha are also known for rock climbing. There are many spots where climbers are able to follow lead hooks, and others where free climbing is possible. You could honestly spend a few days exploring Cat Ba Island before even venturing out onto the water!
Cost
From what we found in our research when planning our own trip, there isn’t a huge difference in the cost for Halong compared to Lan Ha. Cruises are comparably priced, as are hotels on shore.
For a day trip from Hanoi, you’re looking at anywhere from 1M to 2.5M dong (around $60 to $150 AUD) per person. For longer trips, prices increase steadily. It also varies depending on the level of cruise you do, with some luxury companies being quite a bit more.
For hotels on land, again there is a huge range starting from around 350,000 dong or $20 AUD for a night for two people. Food is also similar in each city.
Thankfully, no matter what kind of budget you are working with, you’ll be able to find something to suit you on either bay.
Which Should You Choose?
It is easy to see the benefits of both Lan Ha Bay and Halong Bay. Both are stunning with some amazing activity options and cultural experiences. When we were researching and planning for our trip, we decided on Lan Ha for a few reasons. Firstly was the fact that it is a lesser known destination amongst tourists. While it is popular with Vietnamese travellers, tourists tend to opt for Halong Bay, so Lan Ha can often be much quieter. Because it is less touristy, that also means we were able to find a trip that suited us and our budget last minute.
However, if you are after a party experience or you want to have an abundance of cruise options, maybe Halong is right for you. This may also be the case if you want to visit Halong city, or you’re interested in visiting the caves or pearl farm found in Halong Bay.
There are so many cruises and activities that you can do in Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay, many of which can even pick you up from Hanoi. There are also several cruise companies that will visit both bays. For our trip to Lan Ha, we booked a tour through Cat Ba Express, which started and ended in Hanoi. There are so many options to suit any kind of traveller!
You honestly can’t go wrong with either option, they are both incredible places to visit. We hope we’ve given you enough information for you to make the right choice for your trip!
If you want to see more about our experience on our overnight trip to Cat Ba Island and cruise on Lan Ha Bay, you can check out our vlog:
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