A boat trip into Halong Bay, a world heritage listed site in North Vietnam, is a spectacular experience. The beauty of this region leaves you spellbound as you cruise alongside hundreds of sheer limestone peaks rising out of the sea, stone mountains clad in jungle, ancient caves and thundering waterfalls.
The area has been protected since 1994, and the trip can be enjoyed to the fullest aboard a luxury Chinese-style traditional junk, which is well worth the extra dollars. There are two regions to explore. The main area is Halong Bay itself, with over 1,000 boat operators taking you to places like Hang Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave), which is not that much of a surprise, as you will be sharing it with around 700 people.
The other area is Bai Tu Long Bay (which means Baby Dragon). In comparison, the surprises here are very real. Beautiful secluded beaches, exploring isolated caves by kayak, and the highlight – a candlelight dinner in a cave.
Bai Tu Long Bay is home to a group of local fishermen in the Cong Dam Floating Fishing Village. The concept of a floating village is rather new to this century-old subsistence fishing community, a group of around 160 families. In 1994, the Vietnamese Government persuaded the fishermen and their families to leave the caves and live on the water. The main reason was to preserve and protect the caves and the delicate limestone environment for future generations. One enticement was the promise of a (floating) school.
Prior to this offer, the entire village, mums, dads, grandparents and children were illiterate. However, children aged 6 to 9 now attend primary school. After completing primary school, children are encouraged to continue to secondary school on the mainland, which involves leaving their floating village life and families to live on dry land in Halong City.
The day we visited, the village elder welcomed us with a serving of green tea in tiny cups, and we met some of the 39 children who attend the primary school, which floats on blue plastic barrels. Interestingly, the common Vietnamese practice of two-child families is not practised in this village because, as a local fisherman told us, “we have nothing else to do”. Girls are encouraged to marry between the ages of 17 and 20. After 20 women are considered “left on the shelf”.
Whilst visiting the village, we were offered the chance to try our hand at fishing with the experts, and encouraged to sit and converse, albeit in broken Vietnamese, with the friendly village floaters. It was a very interesting cultural exchange, and both parties benefited from finding out about each other’s worlds.
The Cave Dinner
We set off after dark in a small boat convoy. Our destination was Thien Cahn Son Cave. The giant stone cliff face loomed out of the dark waters – it was alluring and mysterious, framed against a big, dark, moonless sky. As we got closer, a line of small torch flame markers came into view. The parade of lights wound up and around the sheer pinnacle island and then disappeared into what could only be the entrance to the cave.
With this limited lighting, 18 boat passengers cautiously ascended the steep trail, torch in hand, and followed the flame markers to the mouth of the cave. Once we were inside, a narrow Hansel-and-Gretel pathway, lit by tiny tea candles, awaited us. We entered a world of orange, the colour of the inside of the cave walls, and followed the trail, descending deep into the cave, through small grottos. At every twist and turn, stalagmites and stalactites greeted us, rising and falling in our wake.
Finally, we arrived at our destination, the cave restaurant. The shape of the cave lent itself to a perfect dining experience. Several natural stone couches lined the room, and to my surprise, the floor of the cave was totally level. An ornate candelabra adorned a natural stone mantel, and an 18-seat dining table greeted us.
Soft Vietnamese music echoed in acoustic harmony with wine glasses sparkling, a white starched tablecloth, shiny porcelain dinner plates and the final touch – a sprinkling of red rose petals. All were delighted at this very special and unique dinner setting.
Thien Cahn Son Cave is a private cave; therefore, you are guaranteed exclusivity for the night. But exactly how had all this been set up? It turns out that the work that had gone into this perfect presentation had been prepared that very afternoon. While we had all been kayaking and playing soccer on the beach in the afternoon, our crew was discreetly working to carry chairs and tables into the cave, create this exquisite setting, and cook a nine-course dinner. Truly remarkable!
Our waiters beamed with pride as they brought out each dish, accompanied by hand-carved food art expertly crafted by our head chef. One piece included a replica of our Chinese junk carved out of a pumpkin! All this for one memorable night. It was a truly heavenly yet very earthly dining experience. Memories like this remained etched in your (travel) soul forever.
Halong Bay is a very romantic destination, combining breathtaking vistas with idyllic sandy coves and a place to lose yourself for a couple of days in the wind and the waves that have created this visual masterpiece on earth.
Fact File :
Halong Bay is located in North East Vietnam.
Luxury Cruise – Dragon Pearl 1, 2 and 3 operate and tour the Bai Tu Long area.
www.indochina-Junk.com
Indochina Junk supports the “For a Green Halong” initiative. This includes replacing styrofoam float barrels with long-term, environmentally friendly plastic barrels, supporting the rubbish project in the Vung Vieng fishing village, and protecting and planting mangrove swamps in Cong Dam.
How to get there: Pickup from your hotel in Hanoi is included in the price. Transfer time: 3 hours by private shuttle from Hanoi to the boat.
The best time of year is October and November. Cruises operate all year round.
Story by Stephanie Brookes
Updated May, 2026
