Overview
Ha Long Bay is genuinely beautiful. Anyone calling it ugly is trying too hard. Whether it belongs on a "seven natural wonders" list is another question. Similar limestone formations exist around Thailand's James Bond and Phi Phi islands, so travelers who have already seen those may not get the same shock of discovery. Ha Long is far larger, though, and UNESCO describes the wider Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba property as the world's most extensive example of marine-invaded tower karst.
Even outside peak season it was crowded. We visited in late February and mostly sat outside in jackets. A few brave people swam, but they looked like the sort who would also swim in Urla in January. Pack shorts and a tracksuit because the weather changes constantly.
Choosing a Cruise
The best part should be sitting outside among the islands, but exhaust from the huge number of cruise boats sometimes overwhelms the nature. The only place I had seen comparable boat traffic was Göcek in peak season. This felt like Göcek's cruise-ship version. Sunset was still superb. Watching the day end with a glass of wine was priceless.
Cruise choice matters. We stayed on Indochine Premium and were very satisfied. A day trip from Hanoi sounds too far and too tiring, and probably does not do the bay justice. We chose two nights so we would not rush, but the cruise companies design almost everything around one-night guests.
On the second day they moved us off the main ship and onto a smaller boat until the new one-night passengers arrived. That defeated the point of booking two nights. The program was also more touristy and included a two-hour beach stop despite the cold. If I went again, I would probably accept the busier schedule and book only one night.
The ships are luxurious, but the labor system felt harsh. The same staff appeared at breakfast and dinner; even the captain of the large ship later drove the tender. I hope they are properly compensated. Operationally it works like a factory: day visitors, one-night passengers, and two-night passengers are all fed through the same system. Efficient for the company, less comfortable for the guest. Transfers also force you to arrive early and leave early so the same vehicles can collect the next group.
Stops and Activities
Sung Sot Cave is worth visiting. Its second chamber is enormous, one of the largest and most impressive caves I have seen. Even outside peak season, getting in took nearly an hour.
We passed oyster and pearl farms. At the pearl farm, staff showed how a nucleus is surgically implanted into oysters and explained that many never produce a usable pearl. I found the process cruel, even if it was interesting to see.
Trinh Nu Cave came on the second-day program and felt weak after Sung Sot. Ti Top Island is where many classic panoramic photographs are taken, but rain and mist hid the view during our visit, so we did not climb all the way.
Seafood on the ship was excellent, as it was across Vietnam. The floating rubbish was not. Clusters of waste among the karst formations were both ugly and infuriating.
Many residents of the bay's old floating communities have been relocated to land as services and settlement policy changed. Floating sites and facilities still exist, though, so describing those communities as completely gone would be too simple.
Overall, Ha Long Bay is not untouched wilderness and the cruise system has real flaws. It is still a spectacular landscape and worth seeing at least once.