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Planning an overnight cruise and I keep reading that Lan Ha Bay is the quieter alternative to Ha Long Bay. Same limestone karsts, fraction of the boats, better swimming. It sounds almost too good, which makes me suspicious it is just marketing.
Has anyone done both? Is Lan Ha actually noticeably less crowded, or do all the boats end up in the same lagoons anyway?
Also practical stuff: do the Lan Ha cruises leave from Cat Ba town, and is it a pain to get there compared to the Ha Long port? And is a day trip enough or is the overnight genuinely worth double the money? Kayaking is the main thing I care about.
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Did Ha Long in 2023 and Lan Ha this March, so pretty fresh comparison. Lan Ha is genuinely quieter, not marketing. We anchored in a lagoon with maybe 4 other boats, versus Ha Long where we counted 20 plus around us at sunset. Same karsts, water felt cleaner for swimming. The Cat Ba transfer adds like an hour each way though, so factor that in.
Replying to Kerry Wright
Replying to Kerry Wright @Kerry Wright Sold on Lan Ha then. Did you do the overnight? I am torn between the 2 day 1 night and just a full day cruise to save the money.
Replying to SageAsparagus375
Replying to SageAsparagus375 @SageAsparagus375 Do the overnight if you can swing it. The day cruise rushes the lagoon and you are back on the bus by four. The magic of Lan Ha is the evening, swimming off the boat at sunset with nobody around, then squid fishing after dinner which was way more fun than it sounds. The two day one night was the best money we spent in Vietnam.