Lan Ha Bay

We discovered Lan Ha Bay, a less crowded alternative to Ha Long Bay, offering a serene escape for couples. The majestic limestone karsts rising from emerald waters create a breathtaking backdrop. We enjoyed relaxing, swimming in secluded lagoons and exploring hidden caves. The area's colorful culture is evident in the floating villages, where we observed local life. With fewer tourists, Lan Ha Bay provides a more intimate experience of Vietnam's natural wonders. It's an ideal destination for those seeking tranquility and unspoiled beauty in a romantic setting. We paid the tour 650k from our Hotel: The Wave View Hotel. Tour starts 8.30am and finishes at 5pm. Lunch included, plus kayaking, swimming in caves, monkey islands, etc It was great, I'd recommend it!

Lovely bay for kayaking and swimming. Less touristy than Ha Long Bay and definitely not so crowded. Lovely sunset. Highly recommended to visit ☺️

A wonderful place and a MUST visit if you are touring Vietnam. The Bay area is well organized but not much of a wonder… But if you take the cruise to go around towering islands and spend one night at least on water you will have a wonderful experience worthy for a lifetime. I really enjoyed it. We joined BlueDiamond Cruise. Their hospitality was great and the facilities and activities were very nice. I’m really happy that I joined this trip. Will definitely go there with my family once again. I saw many families with small kids and disabled persons visiting the area taking cruise ships.

Personal impression is that Lan Ha Bay is more beautiful than Halong Bay. The bay is located approximately 30 km from the city center. It is situated to the east of Cat Ba Island and serves as a connecting link between Cat Ba Island and Halong Bay. From the ferry terminal on Cat Ba Island, it takes about 30 minutes to reach Lan Ha Bay by boat. The bay spans an area of over 7,000 hectares, with more than 5,400 hectares falling under the management of the UNESCO-recognized Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve - Cat Ba National Park. Lan Ha Bay has a curved shape, surrounded by over 400 different small and large islands. The name "Lan Ha" means "orchid" and symbolizes the beauty bestowed upon the world. While it may not have as many islands as Halong Bay, Lan Ha Bay stands out with its 139 small sandy beaches such as Ang Vem, Cat Dua, Cat Co, Ben Beo, Co Tien, Van Boi, and Van Ha. Lan Ha-Cat Ba Bay is located in the northern tourism region, so the weather here experiences all four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Each season has its own unique and poetic beauty. Depending on personal preferences and schedules, visitors can plan their time to explore this place accordingly.

A few nautical miles away from the Cat Ba Island, lies the wonderful bay yet to be fully explored, and less crowded, and to a large extent can be called an alternative to the world famous Ha Long Bay. Half-day and full-day packages starting from VND 500,000 are available from Cat Ba Island, and there is a very small beach inside where one can spend an hour or so apart from enjoying the breathtaking views of the bay. One must take a group tour to go here, and it will include the cost of permit. As one passes from the water, one gets to see the sui generis rock formations, and as one goes deeper the hidden caves start coming into the picture. The caves are generally small and need a small boat to get through, and ideally the best way is kayaking, and it's worth the try. Sometimes the water gets shallow while traversing through these caves, and the width becomes narrow with rocks on the way such that there comes a possibility of banging the kayak on the rocks ( although it won't hurt at all ). The waters at times seem to have a bit of litter, and upon inquiring I was told that it comes from Ha Long Bay. If you go further and further, you enter the Ha Long Bay, but a full tour of the same cannot happen in a day from Cat Ba Island.

Amazing island. We have book a tour from Kitetravel with 15$/person. The tour starts from 8:30am and finish at 4:30pm. The first go to Monkey island and hike to the top for great view. After that go around Lan Ha bay and try kayak and having lunch. Unbelievable price! The tour guide is good English communication and supportive. No more cost required. This tour is a half price compare with Ha Long tour, but the view is more amazing.

Beautiful sightseeing! Glad they still keep it clean and natural. Take a boat, go around, take some nice pictures, watch the local fishing village, kayaking and swimming under the sunshine. Recommended to go on winter to fully enjoy the bay in peace.

I visited Lan Ha bay a few days ago and can confirm that it no longer exists. A huge construction company is building a huge hotel here. Therefore no bay left. Construction sounds all day long. I am confused by many positive RECENT reviews left here. I have a suspicion that they are fake and might be written by persons affiliated to that construction company to cover up other negative reviews you can find below which state likewise that lan ha bay no longer exists. I am texting my theory to see if some positive review will be left after mine by some “Mr Dongs”