Night train/ day bus is safer than night bus!

From my limited experience all the tours have minibuses doing the rounds in central Hanoi around 9, you then transfer to a bigger bus around 9.30 for the twoish hour schlep to the coast and Ha Long Bay. As you arrive just before lunchtime the boats are either waiting for just coming in from their previous tours and the coaches disgorge their new tour participants onto the waiting boats, and the passengers who have just disembarked the boats are herded back onto the coaches to go back into Hanoi.

This is a well oiled machine that depends on a collection in Hanoi at 9, for you to be on a boat heading off into Ha Long Bay at lunchtime.

I am not sure there are late afternoon sailings for Ha Long Bay, but that's probably what you would need to be looking for. But based on an arrival into Hanoi late morning you won't be able to do the standard boat at lunchtime tour.

Yep, I suspect that everyone is using a similar system to the one you describe. I think I'll just get a hotel in Ha Long for the first night and then do a 2D/1N cruise. I can go to the Ha Long night market and get the souvenirs!

Thanks!

As far as I'm concerned, one night is enough!

I have to agree that one night on Ha Long Bay is enough.

I was very happy with a one day cruise and not staying overnight on a ship. There's not much to see once it gets dark.

Not for me the as the 2nd night and the day was a different place to tour. So I have done the 2 nights and 3 days cruise a few times.

Looking for a jeep trip for two small adult women and two small elementary children from Da Nang to Hue (hai can pass). Dad would like to drive along on a motorbike.

also need a private car for 5 from Hue to Phong Nha.

have reached out to a few options but haven’t heard anything back.

Anything else to do in Hanoi? I want to do the classic bike ride. Do they let you ride yourself? I have IDP too and have ridden many a times in the Philippines (own bike) and in Thailand.

Are flights to Vietnam hard to book at the moment? I've been planning a trip to Japan but know of family members who want to go to Vietnam, and if it's anywhere near as bad as trying to secure flights to Tokyo I'll get them started earning points and researching how to book flights at least two years in advance 😅

How would people compare Halong Bay to Palwan? I heard Filipino food is not as good as Vietnamese food and I am hoping there are places in Vietnam that compete/compare with the beautiful beaches and cliffs of the Philippines, especially El Nido.

Palawan is much nicer IMO. However, if structuring a more comprehensive trip, I'd much prefer combining VN and Thailand to hitting the Philippines.

Im planning to visit HCMC for 3 nights then go Hoi Ann for 2 nights. Staying in Distict 1 in HCMC and Old Town in Hoi An. Looking for advice about what time to fly into/out of DAD to avoid traffic driving to/from Hoi An and factor in busy periods at SGN (flying Y). Trying to balance not waking super early but also want to get a decent day 1 in Hoi An so don't want to spend hours in traffic from DAD to Hoi An. Also flying from DAD-BKK and would similarly like to avoid traffic and how early to arrive (again in Y, saved J for all the longhauls).

TIA!

6 am to 8 am, 11 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 6 pm are usually rush hours. Your private transfer will know what to do.

I have been to Halong Bay a few times and to the Philippines a lot. I am going to El Nido end of the month so would be able to let you know after that. The food in Vietnam ( local) is much better than the Philippines but the Sizzling Gambas (shrimp and the Chicken Sisig ) is wonderful in the Philippines.
As the other OP said the Vietnam/Thailand could be a better combination but again it is fairly similar unlike the Philippines which is very different. Mindanao in the south is a very beautiful huge island in the Philippines with mountains and the beach in close proximity.