Choosing your cruise is scarier than choosing your hotel, because once you mess up, you ain’t getting off that ship till the end of your trip.
What if we told you that the best Ha Long Bay cruise isn’t even in Ha Long Bay at all?
We signed up for Indochina Junk’s 2D1N cruise, and it was completely different from what you see in videos. Instead of huge crowds, packed ships, they offered a small-group tour of no more than 8 pax, bringing us to exclusive areas where there weren’t any other tourists.
The TLDR review of Indochina Junk
Clean spacious rooms, amazing food on board, caring crew, and most importantly, attractions that aren’t packed with people. Not only do you get great photos, the experience is just bound to be better, especially since you’re already cooped up in a ship for two days. The price is also reasonable.
First impression
Our cruise began with a hotel pickup in Hanoi at 8am. It was a smooth transition from the city centre to their office in Ha Long City. The ride took about two hours, with a toilet break in between. The staff quickly unloaded our luggage and eased us in while we waited for our buggy to the ship.
Everything was great so far, and we settled into our cabins at 12pm after a briefing on board.
How were the rooms?
Personally, the living conditions on board was more important than the actual activities itself. I mean, two whole days cooped up in a ship? I can’t imagine how I would feel if the rooms were stinky or dirty, but this was amazing.
The rooms were well decorated with traditional Vietnamese lanterns, and well lit considering every room had two large windows. The toilet was so spacious, even better than other big cruise brands we’ve tried in Singapore.
The amenities on board were also great, with both indoor and outdoor dining areas and a sundeck.
The activities
If you’re wondering why I said the best Ha Long Bay cruise isn’t in Ha Long Bay, it’s because everyone’s cooped up in Ha Long Bay. This is especially true if you’re opting for the 1-day tours. You can’t afford to sail too far from the city, otherwise you wouldn’t have time for any activities.
Indochina Junk takes their passengers further out into Bai Tu Long Bay, which is about a 1-2 hour sail from the city.
In addition to the further distance, Indochina Junk also has access to many “exclusive” areas that aren’t known to most other companies. Hence, during our cruise, we actually didn’t see anyone else.
After lunch, we began our first activity at this limestone cave. Absolutely gorgeous, and the experience wouldn’t have been the same the cave was packed with people.
Apparently, Indochina Junk used to own this island before the government reclaimed all islands in the bay.
Day one ended with kayaking around a lagoon, a cooking demonstration by the ship’s Head Chef, dinner, a foot bath, and an attempt at squid fishing — though we didn’t manage to catch any!
Day two was simpler, with brunch and a trip to the Fishing Village, while we learned about why and how it was developed.
We reached Ha Long City at 11am, and embarked on our journey back to Hanoi. On the way, we stopped to watch a Water Puppet Show, a popular activity for tourists who visit Hanoi.
Beyond the attractions
One of our favourite parts of the cruise was the abundance of stories. Chang, our tour guide, shared many interesting stories, ranging from history and culture to legend and myths. Learning all these definitely made the activities a lot more memorable for us.
We booked the 2 Days 1 Night Cruise aboard their Prince Junk, a ship with four cabins.
Exact price of the cruise is only quoted after you enquire on their website.
Travelling to Vietnam? Check out our guides before you plan your trip:
