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Halong Bay
I visited Halong Bay back in 2017 on a "Castaways Tour". At the time this was a tour provided by Vietnam Backpacker Hostel in Hanoi. Due to the covid pandemic the hostel chain doesn't exist anymore and I'm not certain if the tour is still operating. Surely, there are many different tour companies that still run tours and some must offer similar experiences. The tour consisted of transport to and from Hanoi, 2 nights accomodation on a private island, all you can eat buffet and plenty of activities. There was also a bar on the island but alcohol purchases weren't included in the cost. In 2017 the tour cost about 220 usd for 3 days/ 2 nights. It was a great way to explore Halong Bay with new friends and left me with many fond memories. Here is my experience from the Castaways tour.
There are many tours that leave from Hanoi as it's the nearest city that is common for tourists to be in. Castaways offered transport to and from the island via bus and boat. I'm assuming that many tour companies do the same. It takes about an hour on bus from Hanoi to Hai Phong, then you transfer to Cat Ba island on a short boat ride. Once on Cat Ba island you take another bus to the other side of the island. Cat Ba is a beautiful island and has lots of scenery that is common throughout Northern Vietnam such as karst mountains and rice terraces. Once you reach the departure point on Cat Ba you will take the final boat to arrive at Castaway island. On the way to Castaway Island you'll pass the floating villages of Halong and get your first glimpse of the lush limestone karsts the area is so famous for. The trip in total took about 4 hours if I'm not mistaken. Coming back was basically the same but in the opposite order. In summary, if you're leaving from Hanoi expect to take 2 buses and 2 boats to reach the main part of Halong Bay. Halong Bay is a place where I'd highly recommend doing with an official tour. I'm not even sure if it's possible to visit by yourself without a tour. Many people however do visit and stay on Cat Ba island or Hai Phong City. Hai Phong is the major city closest to Halong Bay however it's not as common for tourists to visit here as Hanoi. Whether you're in Hanoi, Hai Phong or Cat Ba there will be plenty of tour opportunities to visit Halong Bay. English proficiency is best in Hanoi out of these three places and would likely be the easiest starting point as it's also one of the 2 main international hubs of the country.
Upon arriving at the island you go through an orientation of the rules and planned schedule. You get settled in your hostel cabana and then get the rest of the afternoon and evening to make new friends, go kayaking, rock climbing, tubing, wakeboarding, play volleyball, eat and drink. Kayaking and tubing in Halong Bay are unforgettable experiences that you will surely enjoy. The way the tour runs is that everyday a new group comes so when you're arriving half the people on the island will leave and the other half will stay. On your second day the other half that you didn't come with will leave and a new group of people will arrive.
Day 2 was the best day of the tour. It consisted of a "booze cruise" throughout the bay. We went on what looked like a large pirate ship navigating through endless karsts. We stopped in different areas and went by kayak through tight caves into areas not accessible by large ship. You'll see beautiful water, lush green limestone karsts and monkeys playing in the trees. This is one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam and likely the world and this is a fantastic experience. Again, there are many different types of tours. Some people opt for more private luxurious tours through the bay and even have boats that double as accomodation. It's definitely worth thinking about what kind of experience you'd like on the bay. There are different tours for all sorts of budgets and lifestyles. After the "booze cruise" through the bay you return to Castaway island where you can play volleyball, meet the new group of people, eat and drink.
Day 3 is the final day of the tour. On this day we just woke up at about 9 am as always, had breakfast and got one last round of tubing or kayaking in before returning to Hanoi the same way that we arrived to the island. After these few days on the island most people we're quite tired as there are non-stop physical activities for 3 days. You will arrive back in Hanoi (or whichever city you depared from) for much needed rest and relaxation. This concludes my experience on the Castaways tour.
