Halong Bay Day Trip

Halong Bay is a beautiful and unique natural wonder in Vietnam, known for its towering limestone cliffs, tranquil turquoise waters, and traditional floating villages. Halong Bay tours offer visitors the opportunity to explore this stunning area, whether by boat, kayak, or even seaplane.
There are a variety of Halong Bay tours available, catering to different interests, budgets, and schedules. Some popular options include:
Overnight cruises: These tours typically involve spending one or two nights on a traditional wooden junk boat, exploring the bay’s stunning scenery during the day and enjoying meals and activities on board at night. Some tours also offer the option to sleep on a private island or in a beachfront bungalow.
Day trips: If you’re short on time, a day trip to Halong Bay is a great way to see some of the highlights. These tours usually involve a few hours of cruising the bay, stopping at key sights like the iconic limestone pillars and floating fishing villages, and enjoying lunch on board.
Kayaking tours: For a more active and immersive experience, consider a kayaking tour of Halong Bay. These tours typically involve paddling through hidden lagoons, caves, and tunnels, getting up close to the bay’s unique rock formations and wildlife.
Seaplane tours: For a bird’s-eye view of Halong Bay, consider a seaplane tour. These tours offer a unique perspective on the bay’s dramatic scenery, with the added thrill of taking off and landing on the water.
Regardless of which type of tour you choose, you can expect to be wowed by Halong Bay’s natural beauty and cultural richness. Be sure to pack sunscreen, a hat, and comfortable clothing for your tour, and don’t forget your camera to capture the memories of this unforgettable destination.


Halong Bay
Most Halong Bay day trips depart from Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, in the early morning and return in the evening. The journey to Halong Bay takes around 3-4 hours by road, depending on traffic and weather conditions. Upon arrival at the bay, visitors board a traditional wooden junk boat and begin their cruise.

During a Halong Bay day trip, visitors can expect to see some of the most iconic sights in the area, such as the towering limestone cliffs, floating fishing villages, and hidden lagoons. Many day trips include stops at popular attractions like Sung Sot Cave (Surprising Cave), which is filled with stunning rock formations and colorful lights. Visitors may also have the chance to kayak or swim in the bay’s calm waters, depending on the tour.

A typical Halong Bay day trip also includes a delicious seafood lunch served on board the boat, featuring fresh catch from the bay. There’s plenty of time to relax and take in the scenery, or chat with fellow travelers and learn about the local culture and history.

Overall, a Halong Bay day trip is a great way to experience one of Vietnam’s most stunning natural wonders, even if you only have a limited amount of time. Just be sure to pack sunscreen, a hat, and comfortable clothing, and bring a camera to capture the memories of this unforgettable destination.


Kayaking Halong Bay

My Experience of Halong Bay Day Trip:

Halong Bay
We started our Halong Bay day trip by boarding a boat and, after a short while, I began to experience the aura of the bay. The limestone cliffs towering above the ocean were a treat to watch. The tour started by taking us to the middle of the bay and crossing various places. Food was served on the boat, with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options available. After lunch, we could either bask in the sun on the boat’s roof or chill with music downstairs and enjoy the breeze.

Our first stop was a cave, which took around 40 minutes to explore. After that, we had the opportunity to go kayaking. While the cave we visited was regular, Vietnam is home to world-class caves, with Phong Nha being a prime example. Kayaking was one of the best experiences of the day trip. Luon Cave was a popular spot for kayaking, where we took our kayaks from a low lying roof and entered a lake surrounded by hills, creating a beautiful and breathtaking view. We could chill here for a while. Remember to carry a swimsuit while kayaking, or you may get wet!

After kayaking, we visited an artificial beach that was crowded with tourists. However, there was a hiking point that took us to the top, where we could experience a panoramic view of Halong Bay. It was a picture-perfect postcard view.

Parting Thoughts:



Just when we thought our Halong Bay day trip couldn’t get any better, the most exciting experience awaited us – the boat ride back to the coast in the evening. The air was filled with anticipation as we boarded the boat once again. Refreshments were served on the boat, and the sound of music added to the thrill of the moment.

As we set sail towards the coast, the sun slowly began to dip below the horizon. The sky turned into a beautiful shade of orange and pink, and the waters of Halong Bay glistened like diamonds. The scenery was nothing short of breathtaking, and each passing moment left us in awe of nature’s beauty.

As we basked in the magical atmosphere, it dawned on me how lucky we were to be experiencing such a moment. The boat ride back to the coast was the highlight of the tour, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of euphoria wash over me as we approached the end of the journey.

In that moment, I realized that it was the perfect end to an already exhilarating day trip. The memories of that boat ride will stay with me forever, and I’ll forever cherish the feeling of being surrounded by such beauty and tranquility.

The price of experiencing such an experience will be around VND 12,00,000 (depends on time you book it). I went in 2022.


Sunset At Halong Bay

Things To Do In Da Nang

Da Nang has all the making of an expat town. A riverfront, great beach, world-class hotels & fantastic nightlife. The place is not so populated compared to the cities like Ho Chi Minh & Hanoi but still has great infrastructure, to say the least. Even though the place checks most of the boxes for traveling. The place somehow is not in the traveling list of the people visiting Vietnam. Enough said about the place. Here is the list of things to do in Da Nang.

Marble Mountains:

There are five elements in the world & each element has a peak dedicated to it. There are many caves in here & if you are mentally strong you can climb to one of the peaks of the mountain to enjoy the beautiful views of the city. The place was used by the Buddhist monks to pray & glimpse of it still visible. The best cave to visit in Marble Mountain is definitely Huyen Khong Cave. Many people lit a candle at this place & offer their prayers. A nice place to enjoy some peace. The view of sun rays falling from small patches of the hole on to the ground is a memorable experience to witness. Do visit this gem of the place.

View From Top Of Peak

Hai Van Pass:

Hai Van Pass is a major tourist attraction near Da Nang. The pass is very picturesque & mesmerizing. An unending landscape on one side & mighty hills on the other side. The pass demand to be driven on. During the monsoon, the place gets as beautiful as it can get. There are few patches in the route which is a glimpse of the best of Vietnam. The whole to & fro trip from Hai Van Pass to Da Nang will take a few hours. So, take some out to witness this bliss.

Hai Van Pass Da Nang

Hoi An:

Most people spend a couple of days at this UNESCO world heritage site. The beauty of the place is hard to ignore & the pleasant evenings are memorable & will have a lasting impact on your life. Most of the people will sit near Japan bridge & enjoy the calming impact of the place. The place is too beautiful to be missed.

Lady Buddha:

A white sculpture of lady buddha can be seen from most part of the Da Nang the place is located at such height in Da Nang. A short drive to this hill will amaze you with its view. The whole city can be seen from the point & most of the people apart from paying homage to God, people click their next display picture. The beauty of the place is breathtaking.

Dragon Bridge:

Probably the most famous spot in Da Nang. As the name suggests dragon bridge got its name for its shape. The dragon breath fire & water during special occasions like Sat & Sun. The show is pretty unique to watch & enjoy.

My Khe Beach:

One part of the city is surrounded by the water & its clean & long beach is pretty popular among the locals & tourists. The water is clean & so is the beach. One can enjoy time at the beach.

Nightlife:

Da Nang nightlife is as good as Ho Chi Minh. The parties last till early morning hours & one will not be disappointed with the discs & pubs. Although the clubs are on the costlier side. But, one can have a great time during the nights.

Market:

There are a number of flea markets in Da Nang & is easy to find anything you are looking for. Con Market is locals delight, it is kind of a supermarket where you can find most of the stuff for daily use. So, if you are looking to shop in Da Nang this landmark will be important to you.

My Son Sanctuary & Hue are two more places that one can visit while staying at Da Nang. My Son is the site of ruins left of Indian Hinduism, the temples are estimated to be constructed between 4-13th century. A place for historic significance. On the other hand, Hue town was the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty.

These are the best things to do in Da Nang. This post is meant to help you plan your trip in a better & fulfilling way.

Do subscribe & comment on the post. This will help me to keep on working & publishing articles.

Also, A trip is incomplete without the pics. During the time of this trip, I had iPhone 4 which didn’t have a great camera. Hence, photos are bit weird. But, last year I bought iPhone 6 which drastically improved my pictures. So, I would recommend you buying a great camera phone to take some breathtaking pics.

Apart from a phone camera, I use GoPro an adventure camera to shoot video & click photos. The product is pretty handy & captures mind blogging videos. GoPro is easy & handy to use, which makes it a must buy.

Lifetime Experiences

Life is full of experiences & there are many ups & downs. But, still few experiences leave a mark on life. Such experiences are very rare & very memorable. These are such experiences which one remember while sitting alone & thinking about the life. Everybody has their favorites. Some related to life, some with people, some with a job or any other reason. But, as this is a travel blog. I would like to share some of my lifetime experiences related to travel thus far. I have just started my travel life & I hope there are many more experiences I will have. The instances are in chronological order from the date of occurrence.

Pachmarhi:

This is probably the first trip I had with my friends. First time without any senior guidance there were nerves & fear of an unknown place. The trip went all good, but the fun we had during the trip was just epic. The place is nice & still not commercial. I have seen some of the best waterfalls in Pachmarhi.

Mount Hua:

Most of the people are not aware of this mountain. But, there is a very particular thing about this mountain & that is plank route. A wide plank where only one of your feet can be kept & below the plank is nothing seriously nothing. One has to cross the route which is approx 20 to 25 Mts only. But, rather than walking on that plank, one has to walk through his or her fear. The fear of not looking below & fear of being cold feet at such a great height. It sounds scary & it is scary. But, this is one of those experiences which is engraved on my life forever. Check the post here.


Partying in Khao San Road:

Imagine a street hardly 100 Mts long which is being occupied by only a few people till 9 o clock & you say to yourself, this place is so dead. Then you went back to your hostel & came back by 11:30 pm & the place is completely transformed. There is music playing on both the corners of the road. The crowd is hopping from one place to other. There are plenty of offers on food & drinks. The crowd slowly getting wild, everyone is on the streets & dancing like crazy. The environment is just electric. Khao San Road is one of the most popular names one can ever come across. Whomsoever is traveling to Bangkok surely must have visited the place.

Riding Bike In Bali:

Bali has supreme landscape & riding bike on those curvy roads are one of the fun things to do in Bali. The lush green & magnetic sceneries are just amazing. Riding between the hills, mountains & villages will give enough diversity during a tour. If tired of riding bike stop on the side of roads & take few minutes to enjoy the wonderful beauty handed on a platter by nature. Too good to be missed.

Bungee Jumping In Spain:

Bungee jumping is one of the sport which raises the adrenaline. I was in Barcelona where I saw a tag of Jump from the highest point in Spain & once this is stuck in the mind, then it can’t be kept silent till the time it has been done. I booked the activity through Adrenaline Hunters & went to the place. There I saw a truss standing over the ground which eventually was a bungee jumping site & without wasting much time I boarded the lift & started ascending to the top. The trick to the jump is JUST JUMP. No thinking no nothing just the jump. I did the same, without looking down, I just jumped. The heart runs at a supersonic speed, everything passes in seconds. There is fear & there is thudding of heart. But, the moment you come down & think about what have you just done. It is an accomplishment. It doesn’t matter if the whole jump took 10 min at max. But, the memories of these forever engrave in the life.

Jump Bungee GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

 

 

These are some of the best moments of my life so far. I could have written more, but I will wait for some more time before posting. Every now & then people come across difficult roads. The choice of doing or not doing or traveling to a particular place or not traveling. There is always so much going on. But, during such time just fast forward your life to the end & think if doing this was worth while or not & then play accordingly.

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