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.
We are really appreciative that you took the time to post. We booked Jade Sails thanks to your recommendation. It really was the way to go. We had been to Halong Bay 20 years ago when it took over 4 hours to drive from Hanoi. The two hours this year seemed a breeze. Conversely, the area around the harbor is seriously overdeveloped and much more building is underway. There are at least 10x the boats as when we went the first time. We really questioned our wisdom in returning. However, once on the water, the captain did pull away from other boats for much of the day. The beauty remains stunning. I found a quiet spot on the deck and reveled in the view. It richly deserves its Unesco World Heritage Site designation. Our boat had 35 of the 70 or so that it can hold and that was enough. I had initially thought we'd stay overnight and had spent many hours researching options. I was very happy we went for the day. I spoke to others elsewhere in Vietnam who regretted their decision to stay overnight. It is dark at 5:15pm and you are anchored almost until when you come in the following morning. We were very happy to return to our comfortable room in Hanoi.
