The war in Vietnam. If you're old enough to recall hearing that phrase on the American television nightly news back in the 1960s and 1970s, the name Halong Bay may ring a mnemonic bell for you. It's an area where downed American pilots might be found from time to time.

If you're Vietnamese, the conflict was called The American War. And Halong Bay featured a site on one island where the North Vietnamese Army ran a hospital in secret limestone caves in the bay!

Today, Halong Bay is a sought-after tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated in 1994 for its outstanding geological value. If you want to experience spectacular natural vistas in the fresh air while cruising on the water, you'll love this tour of Halong Bay offered by Bhaya. This is a “must see” attraction in North Vietnam, and for good reason.

Halong Bay presents an array of erupting limestone formations, some the size of islands, jutting out of the seas in the Gulf of Tonkin. Formed over the millennia by dissolving surrounding stones, many of these natural fixtures feature subterranean caves, underground pools of water, and sinkholes.

Floating villages, Halong Bay, Vietnam

The Bhaya Cruise

Bhaya offers two tours: a 2-day, 1-night and a 3-day, 2-night cruise. We chose the latter. Our cruise was on the Bhaya 2.

Once on board, you'll take off and quickly bask in the sights of the jutting rock formations. You'll have your own cabin. The size and type depends on the class of service you buy. It's small — pack and travel light if you can before you get there.

The crew on the Bhaya 2 follow a schedule of activities on each cruise. Some involve motorboat tours of the floating villages around the islands. Some involve trekking into nearby islands, biking, or exploring caves. You'll also have the opportunity to go ashore for swimming on pristine beaches or kayaking. On board, they offer cooking classes and over-the-side squid fishing.

Since our visit, Bhaya has expanded from a single line into a fleet of 10+ ships across multiple brands: Bhaya Classic, Bhaya Premium, The Au Co (luxury), Bhaya Legend (private charters for 2–4 guests), and the new Bhaya Soul (a wellness-focused cruise with 20 suites, launched July 2025). For direct bookings through the Bhaya website, a round-trip shared limousine transfer from Hanoi is now included.

Halong Bay, Vietnam — limestone formations stretching across the Gulf of Tonkin

A side trip: a visit to glimpse the interior of a Halong Bay island

Cat Ba (“Women's Island”) is the largest of 366 islands in an archipelago in the southern part of Halong Bay, Northern Vietnam. It's one of the only occupied islands in the bay. About half of the island is a national park preserve.

We visited the island as part of our cruise tour of the bay area. Travelers get to the island by boat. In our case, bicycles awaited us at the ship's landing. We rode bikes inland about 3 miles following a concrete path. Rest stops were at indigenous villager sites noted for selling their wares to tourists. A few steep hills notwithstanding, most of our ride was through winding valley roads.

The benefit of visiting the island is to gain a glimpse of the interior, the wildlife, and the vegetation. This is especially useful if you're taking a Halong Bay cruise and seeing the islands from the outside.

The island is now a popular homestay and tourist lodging “get away from it all” place. You'll be asked if you'd like to reserve a place.

The continual sales pitches from tour operators and the locals is a bit annoying. But overall, this is a place worth seeing for a brief (several hours at most) visit.

Is it worth it?

Overall, this is a memorable tour worth your time and money. The sights are spectacular. The service is excellent, and the food is quite tasty.

The only downside to this entire excursion is the van trip from Hanoi out to Halong Bay and back. There's no way to sugarcoat it: here are the facts.

When we made this trip in 2015, we were told it was a scenic 3.5 to 4-hour drive through the Vietnamese countryside featuring a “pit stop” at the halfway point. The truth was, the van ride (up to 8 people) may or may not be pleasant. The A/C wasn't working well in the vans we rode in. The drive out and back was, generally, not scenic. It was much akin to the rundown areas one can see in the countryside of many developing nations.

The “pit stop” was a tourist trap. It was a large building about the size of a midsize airplane hangar where dozens of vendors were selling their wares. Most of these were items you couldn't carry with you if you wanted to: large paintings, murals, and the like.

At the time, this trip took 3.5 to 4 hours from Hanoi because the operators drove at an annoyingly slow pace. Speeds ranged from 20–40 km on the average, and up to 70 km on some straightaways. Drivers would NOT pass on the right (in most instances we saw) even when the road was clear for a half mile in front of them. I asked about this and was told the Vietnamese police put up cameras in “secret” locations and sent tickets to drivers in the mail.

Update: The Hanoi–Halong Bay expressway, completed since our visit, has cut this drive to approximately 2.5 hours. Bhaya now offers complimentary shared limousine transfers for direct bookings, and private car transfers are available at additional cost. The pit-stop tourist trap may still be part of some operators' routes, but travelers booking directly with Bhaya can expect a more streamlined transfer experience.

We chose the Bhaya because it was the highest level of service we could buy (4-star). 5-star services were sold out.

Buy the highest level of service you can afford. It makes a difference. Higher-tier services feature a private car or van driving you out to the bay. You'll cruise with a smaller complement of passengers. And you might end up with a larger stateroom, a balcony and other nice add-ons worth the extra few dollars.

This is a wonderful experience not to be missed if you're traveling through North Vietnam.

Contact

Bhaya Cruises
No. 09 Ngoc Chau Harbor,
Tuan Chau International Port,
Halong, Quang Ninh, Vietnam
Phone: +84 93 344 65 42
Web: bhayacruises.com
(Note: Verify current contact details on the website before booking, as phone numbers and office locations may have changed since our visit.)

See also: Review: Hanoi Tirant Hotel and Downtown Hanoi