Originally Posted by
xray
Was just at Ha Long Bay... I would recommend jadesails. They run a day trip which is really all the time you need to be out there. They also pick you up in a nice limobus from Hanoi (only 6 people per transfer in recliner type seats) and take the new highway which is only a 2h drive compared to the 4.5 h it used to take... It's $100 pp for the day and their boat is incomparable to the other "junks" out there. It's fairly new (less than a year old) and upscale. We had a great day as it was Tet so it wasn't as congested out there. I was apprehensive as I hate these touristy treks but it was worth it.
I'm very glad you posted about this. I've now booked it. I decided that staying comfortably in Hanoi and taking a day cruise on a high end boat made a lot of sense. I like the fact that they use a limo bus for the transfer. We did a day cruise decades ago when the drive to and from Hanoi was lengthy and boring but the scenery on the bay was stunning. I'm looking forward to a faster transfer and seeing that amazing scenery again.