lkadar21

Girlfriend and I will be in Halong bay for maybe 3 days/2 nights we are looking for where to stay.

We are mid twenties and pretty adventurous, and we like to do things casually and on our own time. I think we will go with airbnb and I'm wondering where would be the best place to find one.

I would like to be near the karsts that come out of the water. I don't know if that is everywhere or just some places. We would also like to explore caves, rent kayaks, see some floating markets or villages, and relax.

What areas do you think would offer all of that stuff with the most ease? Cat ba island? town of Cat ba? other locations?

Thanks

thursdaysd

If you are going to make the long and boring drive to Halong Bay, the place to sleep is ON A BOAT. Hanoi is overloaded with travel agencies eager to sell you a transport plus boat package, shop carefully. I used the one in the Tamarind Cafe, but it looks like the cafe may have closed.

crellston

I wouldn't bother with Ca BA island - tourist central. In fact I wouldn't bother with Halong Bay. Yes it's pretty but, as Thursdaysd says, it is a a long boring drive ( took us around 5 hours last year) and jam packed with tour boats.

Bai Tu long is probably a better bet if you don't want to stay on a boat. Ethnic Travel do a trip there staying on Quan Lan and Cai Rong islands. Didn't do that trip but did do a 6 day trekking trip with them and would highly recommend them.

My son and his wife did it indepently just by getting a bus to Halong and hiring a boat to take them to one of the island for a night (they had a tent) . I got the distinct feeling they regretted the decision if only because of the number of mozzie bites the next morning!

Lonely Planet Thorntree may be a better bet for more info on what you are seeking.

HappyTrvlr

Yes, go on a boat rather than staying on land.

yestravel

I am someone who really enjoyed our overnight stay on a boat in Bai Tu Long Bay. Yes, it's a boring 4 hour or so drive to get there, but really lots of places have long, boring drives to get there so that doesn't usually deter me. (The train back from Sapa I found far worse than the drive to Halong Bay.) In Hanoi I understand you can get some good deals on the junk trip to the Bay.

lkadar21

Cool, I think I will do the boat tour with an overnight. Does anybody out there think its worth doing two nights?

any good company suggestions? I've heard it can be rough finding a good one

CaliforniaLady

I used a company called Oriental Sales:
http://www.orientalsails.com/

They are a well-regarded company with nice boats. There have been cases where boats have actually sunk, so you want to find a trustworthy company. My Hanoi hotel set up the reservation for me, so I trusted them to find a good company.

I went on their one day cruise because I did not want to sleep on the boat, but that was a personal decision. I do agree with crellston that the whole experience was just average. It's a long way from Hanoi, and the scenery on the bay is just not that spectacular. I insisted on a boat that included a kayak experience, but it only lasted about twenty minutes. They also typically serve food family style, which I dislike. I wish I had spent another day wondering around Hanoi, but I felt obligated to go, kind of like seeing the Louvre in Paris.

On my trip, there was the option to overnight in the area, and two guys on my boat did just that. They were going to stay two nights in Halong Bay (on land), and were going to return with the day cruisers two days later. That is indeed another option for you.

yestravel

I agree to be careful in selecting the company you go on. I have read of accidents. We did a night stay on Indochine Junks which goes to Ba Tu Long Bay -- it was very nice & the scenery beautiful. Several of the people on the junk had gotten last minute tickets in Hanoi for very good prices. Kayaking was about an hour or so the first afternoon in the waters. Food was good. I don't recall it being served family style. Cant speak to 2 nights, sine I did the one nighter. http://www.indochina-junk.com/bai-tu-long-bay/

Loveparadise

It is better to stay one night on the boat and one night on the island such as Nam Cat or monkey island.We do not like Cat Ba because it is very touristy. That is why we chose an island to relax in a beautiful bay.