Ha Long Bay was absolutely incredible! I took a two day one night cruise. It was my splurge of the trip, and it was so worth it. After a drive through the countryside from Hanoi, they took us out to the cruise on smaller boats and the adventure began.
![](https://erinrotter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_7321-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://erinrotter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/C9EFE590-D074-4DCE-AF27-B4DA9BB00A66-1024x772.jpg)
One of the things I’ve noticed about Vietnam’s tourism industry is that they have a very hands-on idea of how to give good customer service. As we transferred to the ship, the employees sprinkled rose petals on our head. We were immediately treated to a meal with so many courses I lost count, and when I went to bed, there was a handwritten note and a rose on my bed! I found that the employees had this same instinct at my hotel in Hanoi. It’s nice but also a bit overwhelming sometimes.
![](https://erinrotter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_7329-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://erinrotter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_7359-768x1024.jpg)
The highlight for me of the whole experience was kayaking in the bay! I was the second person out on the water, which meant that for a while, it felt as though I had the whole place to myself. It was so peaceful and beautiful.
![](https://erinrotter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GPTempDownload-11-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://erinrotter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/46F9E104-6B1B-45C0-95F4-ED272C44B3E0-1024x768.jpg)
We also did a tour to Dark Cave and Bright Cave, where someone rowed us through the cave and into a new section of the bay. Unfortunately, this area had some trash in the water, which is always a bummer. It was still cool, but I thought the kayaking was better. We did see monkeys in the trees above the caves, which our guide said was a rare treat!
![](https://erinrotter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_7401-768x1024.jpg)
![](https://erinrotter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_7370-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://erinrotter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/B79AF8FE-1D06-4B54-B56D-5AAF74EC1723-1024x768.jpg)
The two days one night cruise was amazing, but if I was going to do it again, I might have gone for the three day and two night version. I didn’t want to leave the boat when it was time to take us back to Hanoi!
![](https://erinrotter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_7405-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://erinrotter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2DE1E4D-5DE0-4CE3-97EC-0581A3D96641-1024x768.jpg)
Anyway. Highly recommend Ha Long Bay. The company I went with, Elite of the Seas, did an incredible job showing us around this UNESCO site, and I would absolutely go on a cruise with them again. It was my favorite part of Vietnam that I’ve seen so far!