Cruising Halong Bay

Bucket list item. Ticked. I have always wanted to go and see Halong Bay. It’s just one of those places. The pictures blow you away, but deep down you know that what you’re looking at doesn’t even come close to seeing the real thing for yourself.

We have made friends along the way who had already visited Halong Bay so we got in touch to find out how people were doing it. I know a lot of travellers will simply get a small boat over to Cat Ba island and stay there for a few days. However, most of the people we have met did a cruise on Halong Bay. The more we heard about the cruises, the more we wanted to partake. In particular, we kept hearing great things about Oasis Bay Party Cruise. So we bit the bullet and shelled out for the not so cheap party cruise for two nights and three days.

When we arrived on the cruise ship we were blown away. One could assume that a cruise ship targeted at young party goers might not be, well, that nice… Oasis Bay tossed that stereotype way out. The rooms were lovely (with a view to die for) and they all came with gorgeous en-suites. We even had little balconies. Plus, if you’re in a group of 4, apparently you can get a VIP room, private hot tub included.

The ship was huge. There were multiple hot tubs dotted about the place. Also a large bar and dining area, lounging areas, further smaller bars and of course, a dance floor. Once the sun had set, you weren’t even aware you were on a boat.

After an introduction to the lovely staff, we were free to eat the delicious lunch they had prepared. And take full advantage of the Espresso Martini happy hour. The tour leader had us partake in beer (or cocktail) yoga on the top deck of the boat. A surreal experience to say the least. You’re stretching for your drink and simultaneously being completely gobsmacked by your surroundings.

Halong Bay itself is totally mind-blowing. The colour of the water, the landscape from every angle, it is just breathtaking. I’m going to go ahead and say it. It is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. We grabbed some kayaks and got ourselves out onto the water for a paddle. A weak attempt at kayaking if I do say so myself. We were so content with the view that we just let ourselves sit back in the kayak with a beer or two and took in the surroundings. Admiring the landscape whilst eagles soared overhead. It was disappointing when the sun went down and there was no longer a view to admire. But, there was a bar with some questionable happy hours, so I guess they had our backs on that one.

After a short night’s sleep on the boat, our small group of 14 were transported to Freedom Island for night two. We had heard many concerns from other travellers about Halong Bay being mega touristy (they receive 10,000 tourists per day). So, it was nice to discover that we were the only tourists on this island. We stayed in dorms which hosted beaches both out front and out back. The whole day was free to chill, swim, play volleyball, kayak or… just continue drinking. And what a location to do any of those activities in.

 [yasr_overall_rating]