Bai Tu Long Bay Cruise: 2-Night Travel Guide

Cruising Bai Tu Long Bay 3 Day / 2 Night Itinerary

Day One

Our excitement and anticipation were at a crescendo as the sight of Halong Bay emerged. Anchored boats all awaiting their eager guests' arrival, and distant limestone pillars were a sight to behold. We had finally arrived, ready for our cruise from Halong Bay to Bai Tu Long Bay aboard Indochina's Dragon Pearl Junk.

It took us 4 hours to travel from the Hanoi Pearl Hotel to Halong Bay in a comfortable people carrier. The carrier had leather recliner seats, good air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and plenty of cold water for our convenience.

There had been two stops on the route. The first was to have lunch and watch a water puppet show in Yen Duc Village. The second was a convenience break at a warehouse selling handicrafts made by the local disabled person association.

At the dock in Halong Bay, we were checked in and given welcome drinks. We boarded the Dragon's Pearl and were introduced to Thom, our guide for the cruise.

We were escorted to our ensuite twin cabin and were delighted to find it beautifully decorated in a traditional Vietnamese style.

The cabin was compact but adequate for our needs. Thankfully, our suitcases were back in Hanoi, as we were only allowed carry-on bags on the cruise.

Kayaking in the South China Sea

After 3 hours of cruising, we reached the isolated area of Cap La. We were then given the option to kayak to a sea cave.

Dominic and I thought we would give this a go, and in minutes, I had a paddle in my hand and was ready to plough my way through the pristine waters to reach the cave.

While I thought my skill with the oars was spot on, Dominic was in the back of the kayak, getting soaked by every movement I made.

We watched as our fellow passengers got further away from us as they forged ahead in their kayaks.

It's more complicated than it looks!

I was not one to give up. I tried to coordinate my strokes, but I was just not cut out for this.

Dominic firmly suggested that I put the oar on my lap and let him do the work, or we could spend our time in Halong Bay going around in circles.

This was the first time during our epic round-the-world trip that Dominic was frustrated with me! I'm happy to acknowledge that I must stay well away from kayaks or let someone else do the paddling in the future!

The tranquillity and isolation in the kayak were incredible, with the limestone mountains rising above us and the ocean's gentle lap beneath us.

We just sat quietly, no words necessary and absorbed our surroundings, grateful that places like this still existed on our planet.

Meeting new friends at mealtimes

Back on board, we went to dinner, where the most delicious dishes were prepared in the tiniest kitchen galley. The tables sat 4 or 6 people, so we joined other guests as there were only two of us.

The age groups and nationalities were varied, so it was nice to get to know each other during dinner and talk to others about the journey Dominic and I had made together.

Everyone was interested in learning how a 50-something mum and her 19-year-old son were getting on together. When they found out the only problem we had encountered was the kayaking, it made everyone laugh.

Day Two

An early call meant breakfast was being served. As we headed to the open-air breakfast area, we knew it would be a good day. We were met with blue skies, limestone monoliths, and plenty of sunshine.

Visiting the Cong Dam Fishing Village

After breakfast, we cruised to the Cong Dam area of Bai Tu Long Bay. We then went kayaking again to marvel at the wonders of this area.

We were to pass by an old floating fishing village inhabited by 120 people who relied solely on their traditional fishing culture.

This time, I was ready to let Dominic do all the work as I carried out my role as the family photographer.

Morning Cocktails

Back on board, we enjoyed the sunbathing deck, and even though it wasn't quite midday, it seemed like a good time for cocktails. After all, it was 5 p.m. and cocktail hour somewhere in the world!

Being the only cruise boat in our area was a bonus. All we could see for miles were clear views of the mountains, with the occasional local fishing boat passing by.

It was the right decision to book a trip to Bai Tu Long, as I don't think we would have enjoyed the same solitude in Halong Bay.

Our guide, Thom, told us to prepare for Thien Canh Son Cave and our BBQ lunch on the beach.

Thom was a great host, giving us plenty of invaluable information regarding all the areas we were visiting and ensuring all the guests were well looked after.

Exploring Thien Canh Son Cave

Boarding the boat tender, we sailed a short distance to the beach and began our ascent up the stone cliff to the Thien Canh Son Cave.

Inside the cave were naturally carved images supposedly resembling a lotus and a baby elephant, but you must have an excellent imagination to recognise them.

The ceiling of the cave has several stalactites hanging down from it. Exiting the cave, we were treated to the most incredible view of the Dragon's Pearl.

BBQ Lunch on the Beach

Back on the beach, we were ready for lunch. I expected to find a rusty old BBQ with a few chicken legs and the odd prawn.

That couldn't have been further from the truth. Tables are set up with cloths, napkins, silver cutlery, and china dishes, all shaded from the hot sun by giant umbrellas.

There were copious amounts of BBQ food, and it just kept coming, all prepared in a shack on the beach with food from the Dragon's Pearl.

It's a dreamy place to have a delicious lunch with free-flowing wine for all the guests to enjoy.

Leisure Time Onboard

After the BBQ, we spent some time relaxing on the beach before heading back to the Dragons Pearl, where we chilled out on the sunbathing deck, drinking more cocktails and socialising with the other guests.

Thom then suggested that we could swim from the side of the boat, and with that, we all eagerly clambered down, ready to jump into the cool, inviting water.

Several guests were already in the water and said there was quite a strong current, but when I got in, I was shocked at just how strong it was. It picked me up and pulled me quite quickly around the other side of the boat!

I'm a confident swimmer and could get myself back around, but some older guests found it quite challenging.

Jellyfish Alert

Dominic decided to jump in, and as he leapt off the boat, a crew member shouted, "JELLYFISH!" just as he landed smack bang in the middle of them.

How he didn't get stung is a mystery, as the consensus was that they had been Man-o-War jellyfish and highly venomous.

Luckily for him, he was unscathed, and we decided that these waters weren't as idyllic as we had first thought!

Later that evening, the crew treated us to a fruit carving display. It was impressive what could be done with melon and some cocktail sticks!

A stunning sunset appeared for our last night at sea, and we sat in awe of its magnificence as we sipped on our farewell cocktails before finishing the evening off by night fishing for squid from the boat's hull.

We had no luck catching anything but had lots of fun trying. We retired to our cabin with big smiles from the fantastic day we had experienced.

Day Three

The fishing village of Vung Vieng was to be our last stop on the cruise.

We boarded bamboo rafts and were taken to a floating pearl farm. There, we were given an insight into how oysters are harvested to produce pearls and shown around the pearl shop.

The traditional setting is a scene to behold. Fishing boats bob about on the water while fishers repair their nets on the jetties of their floating houses.

The majority of these fishermen never set foot on the land. Dogs were also visible, and we wondered where they were exercised, but we never did find out the answer!

After our stop at Vung Vieng, we returned to the Dragon's Pearl for our return sailing to Halong Bay.

To have experienced this area's unique scenic beauty was everything we had hoped it would be and more.

We disembarked the Dragon's Pearl just after lunch and said farewell to the crew and the other guests before embarking on our transfer back to Hanoi.

We spent the night at the Hanoi Pearl Hotel before flying to Hue.